God is sovereign through it all

Hey all, my wife Brittney wrote a blog about her health, and really about God working through any situation.  I am so grateful for her, and her heart to serve the Lord.

  

So many of you have been praying for my health, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and also give you an update and info for those who don't really know all the details. Having a migraine everyday is the hardest thing that I have ever gone through, and I am so blessed to be able to rest knowing that I am being prayed for. Just today a sweet friend asked me how I was doing and told me that every-time she sees me she prays for me. Wow! God has used this to show me the blessings of having such amazing people continually praying for me. I know that because of your prayers I have grown so much in my faith, and been able to lean on the Lord to help me through. I feel so humbled because of all of you!

Here is a a recap of whats been going on and some testimonies I wanted to share: In July 2011 I got a migraine that wouldn't go away. I had some shots and medicine to help but it didn't work.

After two months of a daily migraine I went to my doctor and he put me on some preventative medicine and did a CT scan just to check and make sure nothing was abnormal. God is so good- not only did the scan come out fine as far as my brain, me-who is a bad worrier was not stressed at all about the results. He gave me His peace. They found that I had a sinus infection. At this point I was so excited and I remember calling my friend and telling her “Good news, I have a sinus infection!”. Strange way to react I suppose, but I figured that some antibiotics and then...bamm no more headache. I felt like I had had enough headache to last the rest of my life. I then got referred to an ear nose and throat doctor because of the severity of the infection. At this point we had no health insurance. Cam had just switched jobs, and because of that we didn't have coverage. I was feeling so horrible that we decided that I would go ahead and see the ENT doctor anyway and see what he said. I met him and he was such a blessing, he didn't charge us very much. Then he said I would need surgery and it would be fixed! Okay, surgery is more than just antibiotics but still, an answer. Then he told me that the infection was actually more serious than I thought because it was in the upper sinus close to the brain. He explained some bad things that could happen if I didn't get the surgery (bad is my best explanation, if I tired to explain I would just look dumb and it would be clear I don't understand a lot of doctor talk!)

We had no insurance and I needed surgery. This surgery was going to cost about $20,000. This is where I started to see that God had is hand in the whole situation. Cam and I decided to wait things out until we had health insurance. Then, the headaches got worse and worse and Cam finally said it needed to happen. I happened to be at Community Bible Study when this was decided. I am not the first person who I have heard of being there when bad news came! God placed me there for strong Christian ladies to encourage me and tell me that I wasn’t robbing my family of all that money, that I needed to get taken care of. So Cam and I trusted God that somehow we could pay that money. I had the surgery and felt better for a couple days, then it all came right back!! I needed another surgery. God then showed us he was providing us the money- we got a letter in the mail with the option of paying for the health insurance that we used to have, and they would backdate it to Cam's last day of work! God used this to show us that He will take care of us, and we can trust Him. I know when we live in Lakewood there will be times we feel like we don't have the money, but I can look back to this and trust God. He is not poor!!

Starting at New Years I got health insurance, which was good because I was not better. My sinuses still looked bad, and they needed to figure out this problem. They ordered tests and found out that I had something wrong with my immune system, this is why my body couldn't clear the sinus infections, even with antibiotics and surgery. They also told me my wisdom teeth needed to come out because they were in my sinuses. I had that surgery (which was horrible they had to do a bone graph to repair the whole they made to get it out), then two weeks later I had the 3^rd surgery on my sinuses, then started me on immune therapy.

They told me that this therapy (which even with insurance costs so much) would probably be forever. At this point we knew we were called to Lakewood to plant a church. I was worried about moving, and needing to be at the hospital once a month, and no help with the kids. Cam said that God had put it on his heart that I would not need the therapy in Lakewood. So yet again we got to see God work. About 3 months ago they tested my immune system and it came back normal! I no longer need these very expensive and time consuming treatments! Thank you Lord for healing me! I don't know if this is a permanent thing, or if some day I might need them again, but I do know that God worked and I got better.

So about 9 months ago my sinuses finally were better, but I still had a headache. The headache didn't get better once they were better. Since then I have been to tons of doctors, had tons of tests, and they can't fix it. This is so devastating. But God tells us in 2 Cor 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." I have been resting, trusting, and knowing that Gods grace will get me through, and his power is perfected, because I am so weak! Only through Him I have been able to “handle” this, and He gave me the faith to trust Him. Now, I have cried a lot, and questioned Him why even more, but I do know that He is sovereign, and He has a plan. I do believe that I will get better, but He has had to show me that He is God and I am not! Ouch! He gave me 2 Cor 1:3-6, which tells us He is our comforter and we can now comfort others with the same comfort he has given us. I can now pray and truly understand how others feel who have headache problems, or have some kind of daily pain. I have been blessed to be able to pray for a friend who has daily headaches, a friend who's son had daily headaches for at least a month (which God healed Him, yea!), and pray for another friend who has no health insurance and gets headaches often.

The last part of the story is what is going on now: A doctor is doing pain therapy (I guess is what its called) with a new method called a PSTYM. He told me he is one of 10 doctors in the US doing it. Gods timing here too, we wanted to leave for WA late last summer, but God told us to wait. So I am in the middle of two 12 day periods where I wear the PSTYM, and it appears to be helping! I will update you all on how it is working, but for now it looks good!

I want an answer, I want to know why this all happened to me- then I look at others much worse, or going through much worse things, and I can pray. God keeps reminding me. Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. I don't need to know why, all I need to to is trust and obey!

Thank you thank you thank you for praying for me!!

Love,

Brittney