Broken Walls

Hello dear friends,

I've been to Nebraska twice since I last wrote so I it's about time I give you an update! I saw Dr. B in November and it was an incredible trip. I saw him for two days and there were some major breakthroughs physically as well as emotionally. I wrote about that over at Broken but Priceless so feel free to check it out if you haven't already: Broken Hallelujah.

The Journey of Reggie the Packer Pig

My parents wanted to surprise me with a Packers pig for my new yard. However, dad couldn't keep the secret, which was fine by me because I got to watch the adventure! 

This poor, lonely piggy needed a home

After a lot of hard work, Reggie was delivered today

Who said pigs don't fly?!

Moving him into place

The guys did a great job getting him through the trees

Working his way to the pig pen

Moving 800 pounds is quite the job!

Almost in place...

The unveiling!

Reggie the Packer pig all cozy in his pig pen

Welcome home Reggie, we're both going to love it here!

Thanks to SVJ Creative Designs in Kellog, MN for making Reggie. David and Shelly, you guys did an incredible job...and I know how hard it was for you, being Vikings fans and all :-) Thanks also to Shefchik Builders for helping set him. We sure couldn't have done it without you!

Sad News, Hopeful News, Fun News & Big News!

My Sweet Quigley, oh how we'll miss you!

Hello friends,

It seems as if it's been too long since I have written to you. I apologize for missing last month, time seemed to pass too quickly and it was gone before I knew it! 

Celebrating!

Today is a day to celebrate! It's Broken but Priceless Ministries' third birthday and my one year anniversary all rolled into one fabulous day! As Erin and I were planning how to celebrate this special day we went over a few numbers. We discovered that in the last 28 days alone we've engaged with thousands of people from at least 39 countries. Can you believe that?! We know we've talked to a lot of people and our Facebook Page is growing like crazy, but thousands of people in at least 39 countries? It's incredible! We feel so blessed and humbled and amazed. 

Don't Travel Alone

 

Happy August, friends! Here in Wisconsin it has felt like fall for a couple of weeks now. I guess the new normal weather pattern is there is no normal! We did experience a few days of real heat in July and I am very pleased to report that I did not have any problems breathing! In fact, as of my last trip to see Dr. Sara, I am off my asthma medication. I do still keep a rescue inhaler close, just in case, but my lungs are making great progress. I am still coughing some junk out and that can be kind of disgusting, but it's coming out and that's a good thing! 

This past week I spent in Nebraska again. I had a full thermograph, the first since the first one I had. It was interesting to see the progress I have made this summer. I got a lot of news, most of it good! Here are a few highlights. 

Thoughts on Healing

Thank you so much for praying for me all these years. We've been through a lot together. We've been through the process to become a missionary, home service, grad school and chronic illness. You're prayers have sustained me, encouraged me and kept me going. I can't tell you how much that means to me.

My most recent trip to the Wellness Center in Lincoln, Nebraska was even more encouraging than my first visit. My body is responding really well to the treatments. In fact, it's responding so well that we need to slow things down a little and give my body time to rest. I'm now taking my drops at home every other day instead of every day. Dr. Sara was amazed at how much better I look than the first time I came in. Even though my body is tired from all the detoxing that's been going on my eyes are getting their sparkle back and my color is better. The yellow is almost completely gone from my face and hands, the black under my eyes is almost all gone and the butterfly rash on my face that's been a constant companion for years is pretty much gone as well. Today I was incredibly tired and missed church. Some days are like that. There are times I will still be miserable, but I should start having more good days than bad days. 

Round One Done...Round Two Coming Up!

Thank you so much for your prayers as I went to the Wellness Center in Lincoln, Nebraska a couple of weeks ago. I can't tell you how encouraging it was. Dr. Sara is every bit as amazing as I heard. Are you ready for this? SHE THINKS SHE CAN MAKE ME BETTER!! We have a long way to go, and I'm going to be on a journey of getting better for the next 1.5-2 years. Really, that's not very long at all when I think about the 5+ years doctors have been trying to manage my illness...poorly. 

Long Way to Go to See a Doctor

Stopping to smell the lilacs on my birthday this week.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Lincoln, Nebraska. Long story short, I was going to stop at a Wellness Center in Lincoln on the way home from a trip to Colorado. The Colorado trip got cancelled when my grandma had a stroke after surgery. I kept the appointment at the Wellness Center and my mom was able to get an appointment there as well. We'll leave tomorrow morning for Lincoln. I have something called a thermography done on Monday and I will see the oh so wonderful Sara. Mom will have the thermography done on Tuesday and see Sara on Wednesday and we'll head home. It will be a quick trip, but hopefully a really good one. Please pray that God will use this test to provide insight and knowledge into both of our bodies. Sara is a follower of Christ and I am excited to see a wellness doctor who loves Jesus. That's not a combination that I have ever found before!

I also wanted to share with you the good news that my grandma is doing a lot better. She is now settled into the nursing home and working really hard in physical therapy. At this rate she'll be back home in no time! Thank you so much for praying for her. 

I appreciate your prayers for us this week. I'll let you know what we find out!

Quick Update and Request

Hi friends! 

First of all, I would like to ask you to pray for my grandma tomorrow (Monday, May 20). (Grandma Margaret, my dad's mom.) Yesterday before lunch mom and dad took her to the ER in Menomonie because her left leg was numb and she couldn't use it. They did a bunch of tests and a CT scan (where she was pleased that they found a brain in her head!) They decided that she needed an MRI on her back so dad and I took her over to the ER in Eau Claire where they were able to do the MRI that evening. They admitted her for the night and this morning we found out that she has a problem with a disc that has damaged two nerves. The nerves that are damaged are making the muscles in her left leg unable to work. 

He Makes All Things New

Thank you so much for your prayers this past month. You are such a blessing to me! I want to start off by telling you how God answered your prayers. 

Catching My Breath

Good evening friends,

Tomorrow marks one month of the Paleo way of life. I am very pleased to report that it has been a great success! The first thing that I noticed was the inflammation in my face decreasing the very first week. After a month I am beginning to recognize myself in the mirror again! I also have a lot more energy and my tummy issues are almost completely gone. I am able to concentrate better for longer periods of time and I can eat as much as I want without that "so full you feel sick" feeling. I have lost two inches off my waist and four pounds. I am six pounds away from my "healthy weight goal" as my doctor calls it. (Yes, I did do too good of a job gaining weight after my 90 pounds scare!) I am learning how to cook things that I never dreamed of making, and getting the burns to prove it. Obviously there is much I still need to learn in the kitchen, starting with coordination! 

Life in a Bubble

If you don't have time to read all of this, please skip down to the underlined paragraph, prayer requests are in bold!

Today I saw my rheumatologist. My last appointment with her was in October and I have been sick since the end of December. Needless to say, she was not happy with the reports she has been getting on me: the flu followed by a viral infection followed by another viral infection that I am still fighting off. Oh, plus the migraines, the blood clot and bursitis. The joys of chronic illness :-/

Sick Again

That's right, I'm sick again. I went in to urgent care today where I was able to see my primary doctor. (What a blessing!) I have another infection that includes some type of ulceration on the right side of my throat, which isn't a big deal, but it hurts.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Disney World is known as the happiest place on earth. I wouldn't go as far as that, but it is pretty amazing! After a long day of traveling and delays we all made it to Orlando late Saturday night. Erin and I met for the first time and it was so good to finally be able to give her a hug! By the time we got to the hotel, settled in and to bed it was after 1:00am. Mom, Erin and I slept as late as we wanted and then treated ourselves to the most amazing massages at the fancy spa in our hotel. (Yes, we are spoiled rotten!) That night dad had a fancy supper/Super Bowl party in Epcot and we all got to go along. In the evenings at Epcot there is a fabulous fireworks display. We went outside for dessert and to watch the fireworks. We only missed one play while we were watching the fireworks due to the power outage at the Super Bowl! 

Asking, Seeking and Knocking

If you read my last post you know that my big trip to Disney World is coming up in one week. I'm beyond excited and I'm doing my best to rest my body and save up some energy. It was my prayer that I would be healthy enough to get in two doses of methotrexate before leaving, however that is not to be.

A Healthy Vacation Please!

Hello friends!

I trust your Christmas and New Year was more exciting than mine. I got the flu two days before Christmas and spend the whole week feeling miserable. I was able to be at home while I was sick and Quigley kept me good company. There were no Christmas pictures this year because when we opened presents all four of us were wearing masks! I'm sure it would have been a funny picture, but I had a high fever and felt terrible so we skipped it! I am glad that for those of us who have a relationship with Jesus we can celebrate Him all year long and not just one day!