And the Results Are...

The fact that I'm typing this is a miracle. For those who have been praying, even if you weren't sure for what, I appreciate it.
So, here's the scoop. Last weekend when I left church, I had a headache, and I thought a little rest would help. I took a two hour nap, and when I woke up I felt like I had "overexercised," but based on my lack of current workout time, I knew that wasn't the case. Monday and Tuesday, I still had that over-worked feeling in both my arms and legs, and by Wednesday, I thought the problem could be my back, because my back was feeling 'out of place.' So I took a trip to the chiropractor. By the end of Wednesday, I was developing loss of feeling in my hands, and Thursday and Friday it got progressively worse. Through the advice of the west valley's finest physical therapist, I contacted my doctor and made an appointment for Friday. Upon exam, they sent me to get a CT scan, X Ray, and blood work, and they wanted the results immediately (the term is 'stat' for fans of Grey's Anatomy or Scrubs). By Friday afternoon, I was unable to grip a pen or undo the clasp on my necklace. On Saturday, the symptoms were still present, and I had not received any word about the test results. I was made aware of an auto-immune disorder called, guillan-barre, which attacks the nervous system, and holds similar characteristics to what I was experiencing. The problem is that many guillan-barre sufferers end up on a ventilator for a few weeks during recovery, because it culminates by attaching your respiratory system. Although, I am technically still not in the clear of having this, it is seeming to be a less-likely result.
Then comes the amazing part. After hundreds of prayers, rest, and an abundance of reminders that I really don't have any control over the situation-- I have begun to heal. It started yesterday at midday, when the pain in my arms subsided and the use of my fingers started to come back. The over-exercised feeling went away by mid-afternoon, and I actually had some energy by the evening. As a bonus, there was an NCIS marathon on USA network, so I caught up on episodes that I missed, but I digress. Although I am crazy tired, I still feel that I am progressing toward complete healing.

It was ironic that backstage at church last week, I remember making the comment about how crippling a physical pain can be to our spiritual life, ie.,. it's tough to 'consider it pure joy' when you're staring down the inability to use your hands. When I thought about this, I was reminded of the first chapter of Job, when God asks Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" Definitely a scary thought, when you insert your name where Job's is! Especially when you think about what Job endured over the next 40+ chapters! No thanks.
Currently I am left with a knot in my back and a crick in my neck, and a few more doctors appointments. Yet, my CT scan and X Rays came back normal and most of my blood work shows the same. They show that my inflammation is a little elevated, but not enough to be concerned. So I don't know where this problem came from; I'm not sure why it escalated so quickly; but I do know that prayer, and the One who answers prayers are working just fine. Nikki, Drew, and I appreciate your prayer during this time, and we are confident that we would have not had the same resolution, if it had not been for people praying for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!