Wednesday, October 29, 2008

release and unity: what the [nurse practitioner] ordered
















        a couple of weeks ago i went down to fresno to have a nerve conduction study, well, conducted on myself.  today i went to see my nurse practitioner to hear about the results of that test and what those results mean.  

you see i have had a hunch for awhile now that i may have carpal tunnel syndrome.  and it was confirmed today that my suspicions were correct.  i guess that my carpal tunnel has excessive pressure from the top and years of slinging coffee exacerbated the problem.  (like that word, mama?)  anyhow, what that means is i have to have a small, out-patient surgery to release (shouldn't it be "relieve?") said pressure.

i was fairly certain going into the appointment today that this would be the verdict, though i was hoping it wouldn't be.  i am not thrilled with the idea that i will be unable to use my hand for at least two weeks following the surgery(ies).  i say "surgeries" because they typically do your wrists one at a time to afford you one working hand in the meantime.  so i think i'll have to do it twice.  the right hand will be first, since it is the more extreme.  these are not yet scheduled, so i'll have to wait and see about that.
at the end of the day (it's nearly 10 pm and i work in the morning), i have a few reflections.  first off, i was watching an interview of gianna jessen and she claims to have the GIFT of cerebral palsy. the GIFT!   what an incredible outlook!  that stopped me in my tracks when i heard her say that.  so i prayed today and thanked the Lord, the good Lord Jesus Christ, for the gift of carpal tunnel syndrome.  (even as i type my fingers are falling asleep . . . )  when you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have such confidence in Him and His promises.  therefore i know that He will work this together for good for me because i love Him and i am called according to His purpose!  (do you get that it's not about us?!)

secondly, my nurse practitioner (without asking us our beliefs or anything) began preaching to judah, my mom and i today in the exam room.  he asked me why Jesus loves me.  then he told me: it's because i'm His daughter!  he asked, "judah is allowed at any point to crawl up into your lap; no matter what, no matter where, right?"  of course.  and how does she feel there in my arms?  safe, comforted, at peace.  "and how," he asked me, "do you feel with her in your arms?"  comforted and at peace!  "so," my np says, "you remember that is how the Lord feels when you snuggle up into His arms."   


can i say, "wow!?"  yeah, in california, in a public doctor's office, this man pulled out Scripture and blessed me today!  (if prop 8 passes next week, he may be out of a job doing this!  but we trust in our Lord!)  anyhow, he ordered surgery and a thorough reading of john 17 for me.  he wanted me to go home and read about unity.  he is blown away by Jesus' prayer for us, that if we are truly united in Christ, our love for one another will point non-believers to God!  i just had to share this with you because it was such a blessing to my mama and i today to have this man as our medical professional!  

the Lord is good all the time and all the time the Lord is good!

** disclaimer **  judah is NOT yet crawling, the np was just saying that as a "for instance."  i will let you all know when she accomplishes that!

7 comments:

Kathy Eden said...

Wow...that's awesome about the NP!!! I will be praying for your hands/wrists. Unfortunately, I know the pain & numbness that you are experiencing. I was too stubborn to have a nerve conduction study done last year. Instead I took my daily "dose" of healing scriptures along with Mobic, & wore a wrist brace which I still use when I am on the computer.
Thanks for the disclaimer regarding Judah :o)

Michelle said...

Praying for your hands/wrists.

That is so cool that he encouraged you in the Lord. Not your typical Dr. visit, huh?

CG said...

Oh, that is SO wonderful. I am jealous for a doc like that! Bless him! I pray you get your hand problem corrected without too much trouble. I have some CT myself, but it's not advanced. There are several chiro adjustments my husband does on my wrists that help a great deal. You may want to look in to that for some relief while you wait/decide dates for your surgeries. I LOVE that Gianna Jessen chick. We just found her on Youtube a few weeks ago. She ROCKS!!!

angela said...

kathy: i tried the wrist braces, but as my np put it i "failed" that. my hands still fall asleep, even with the braces on. sorry that you know the pain; it's not fun!

and cara: i really don't think MediCal covers that! :) i read gianna's biography in high school and it helped me convince my parents to let me shave my head! ha ha! but seriously, she is amazing!

Abbie said...

Nario had both wrists done (at the same time!) in May. He wanted both surgeries done before a little one was at home to want his attention and his lap. I'm sure Judah will appreciate your plan to do one at a time. :)

kelly said...

I will be praying for your wrists. Thank you for such an encouraging word it really blessed me today.

Salzwedel Family said...

How awesome that you were encouraged in the Lord by someone in the medical field. Praying for healing for your wrists.