Monday, December 10, 2012

Health Update

On Friday I saw the eye specialist at UNM.  She had some encouraging findings... My vision test has improved significantly (though i am as yet unaware of my vision changing much), the pressure had gone down in both eyes, and the lesions on my retina seem less active.  These are all excellent qualitative signs that the immune suppressant drug is working on my birdshot chorioretinopathy.  next month we will repeat the fluoriscein angiogram to check on the leaking blood vessels.  If they have stopped leaking, we are good to continue on my present dose for 1-2 years.  If they are still leaking, we will either up the dosage of cellcept or add in another drug component.  I very much appreciate your prayers, Gentle reader! God is being good to answer them positively for me. 

The eye doc remains skeptical of my sarcoidosis diagnosis.  She is now suggesting I look into the possibility of paraneoplastic syndrome, which I will follow-up on with my oncologist.  She is wondering whether that might explain my previous lymph node problem and my night-time oxygen problem. Whether we know what to call all of this or not begins to grow less important to me than living my life as God would have me with and in spite of these things.  Whatever it is, the fatigue I feel must be dealt with as best I can, my eyes must be managed, and I want to spend my days serving God in a meaningful way. So we trudge ahead.

Like the Kaibab squirrel above, who watched us as we hiked through the mountains recently, I am trying to sit still and watch. I am waiting to see what God is doing.  2012 has been such a year of struggle physically, and then emotionally and spiritually, that I must refocus as I enter 2013.  I wait on the Lord, and His plan for my new year. What will it be, I wonder?

4 comments:

Proverbs 3130 said...

Dear, sweet Chris,
I'm so glad to hear that your eyesight has improved and will continue to pray for you. Your patience and trust through this has been such an inspiration to me.

Sending a long distance hug,
Rhonda

Cindy Marsch said...

Great encouragement! I'm so glad to learn of it!

Cindy

Alyse said...

Love you so much, Chris. You and Dave are both precious to us.

mrsvds said...

I am so thankful to read about the improvements in your eyes even though you haven't yet noticed it in your vision. May God continue to grant wisdom to the doctors and grace and peace to you in 2013. Barbara in NYC.