Update:
I had my CT
Scan yesterday and it revealed that….I need at least two more tests! The CT Scan confirmed that I have a problem
with my kidneys but did not show WHY they are misbehaving. So I’ve got a Reno Gram (nuclear medicine: x-ray
an isotope as it passes through my kidneys and bladder) scheduled for May 11th
and working at getting a bladder pressure test (urodynamic) set up as
well. The basic problem is that my
kidneys and bladder are not draining as they should. There is some indication that it may be
congenital and I’ve had this problem since birth; or this could be due to damage
done from diabetes. Either way, these
tests will help determine exactly what’s going on and allow us to decide what
to do about it. The sobering thought is
that if left alone, this condition may lead to more serious kidney damage or
kidney failure. On a positive note, my
prostrate appears to be normal—so I’ve got at least one organ that isn’t
rebelling at the moment!
All of my
blood and urine tests have never shown any problems. This condition was accidentally discovered
while having an MRI done on my spine to determine why I am having nerve/back
pain. I’m thankful for that serendipitous
discovery!
Thought for the Day:
It is really
easy for me to get all caught up in the medical drama that my life has become
recently. I could become consumed with
it all. A friend and I were recently
talking about how constant, chronic pain and how to get rid of it can become
our sole focus in life. I’m 57 years old
and except for the last four years or so, my life has been relatively pain
free. I’ve had so many countless
blessings that, well…I could never count them all! At the same time I’ve had relatively few exceptionally
difficult or painful times in my life. On the whole I’ve been very blessed in life
and yet it is all too easy to only focus on the relatively short-term, recent negative
things.
As a
Christian, I know that this physical life that I now enjoy is a considerably
miniscule part of my existence. And yet
I find myself so wrapped up in the here and now of this physical
existence. I like what Randy Alcorn
said, “Many Christians think and act as if there’s no eternity—we major in the
momentary and minor in the momentous…
[Randy Alcorn, “Seeing the Unseen: A Daily Dose of Eternal
Perspective”].
Isaiah 40:6-8 “A voice says, "Cry out." And I
said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass, and all their
glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but
the word of our God stands forever."
James 4:14 “Yet you do not know
what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears
for a little time and then vanishes.”
Putting it all into
perspective means that while I acknowledge that this world may be filled with
pain and suffering, those things don’t need to consume me, nor should they. The times and seasons of struggle and of hurt
in my life are relatively short in duration compared to what lies ahead for me
in eternity. So while I may focus my
attention on my current situation for a time, I will not allow it to overwhelm
me and destroy my overall sense of peace and wellbeing.
Each of us needs to
broaden our perspective and look beyond the present circumstances and see what
eternity has in store for us. So remember
that no matter what you are currently experiencing, on the broader scale of existence,
it really doesn’t last forever. I’ll
admit that when you are in the middle of a difficult situation it is extremely
difficult to gain that kind of big picture perspective; but it is definitely
worth the effort so you aren’t consumed by negativity.
“This too shall pass.”
2 Corinthians 4:
17-18 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very
long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will
last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we
fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now
will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (NLT)
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