One Year Later...

Wow! One whole year. It went by so fast.

Exactly one year ago today, I received the phone call that changed my life... my doctor ran labs and found that my kidneys were failing. She called and told me to get to the E.R. immediately. That led to lots of doctor appointments, and 8 months later an aHUS diagnosis. There's been many ups, downs, twists, and turns this last year of my life, but I could have never imagined what the Lord had in store for me.

A couple days ago, I shared with a friend that it was mind-boggling to me that it's been one year. To be in Stage 5 Renal failure for a year without dialysis is unheard of, no blood transfusions, no ICU stays... these are things that are all common for people who have aHUS and yet for now, my body is doing better than expected. She was in just as much amazement as me, and said "it's all God. He's had an incredible hand of protection on you for the last year." You know what? She's exactly right. What God allowed in my life, He has been carrying me through in a mighty way.

I got to go to church with my dad & stepmom a couple of Sundays ago. Their sweet pastor, Jim, told me that his prayer for me since day one has not been that God would remove my trial, but that God would increase my faith through it. God has been faithful and has been increasing my faith. I am in a completely different place mentally and emotionally than I was a year ago. When you are at the bottom of the pit, you realize how fragile life is, and you get really close to God in a way you never would have before.

The last year, the Lord has sent me to transplant centers, dialysis centers, surgery centers, cancer centers, and infusion centers (just to name a few). It's been in these places that I have seen the sickest of the sick. I have met and prayed alongside a lot of folks. God has given me so many new experiences this year, and shown me things that I could have never imagined or dreamed up. While, I sure wouldn't wish this illness on anyone else, I am grateful for to experience because the grace that God's shown me in the middle of it all has been extraordinary. He has given me wisdom. He has shown me how to TRUST HIM for every little thing. I just can't say it enough how good my Heavenly Father has been to me, and how much He has carried me and guided me through this process.

I don't know when or how healing will come or what that will look like, but He has made it clear to me multiple times over the last year that healing is in the plan for me. However He chooses to do that will be fine with me, and ultimately I pray that He get the glory for it all and that someone will be saved because of it.