Testimonial Monday

Our God makes ways out of no ways. He supplies our every need. When we think we are down for the count, God steps in and fights for us. Our God is an AWESOME God.

Testimony

GRATEFUL! GRATEFUL! And So Grateful!

When I look back over my life, I am grateful that God had blessed me with 57 years of life and great health.

On November 1, 2017, my grandson was born. That is also the day that I retired from my job of 30 years. I was at home enjoying my new grandson. I was also making plans and purchasing items for my new kitchen that I had wanted for sixteen years. God had opened a door and made a way for me to retire and get this beautiful kitchen that I longed for. I was excited that God was working things out in my life and helping me to settle down and trust him for the more.

Then, at the end of December 2017, my urologist informed me that I had an extensive amount of protein in my urine and that I needed to see a kidney doctor. She sent my primary doctor two letters to make her aware of the diagnosis, but my primary doctor did not think that it was necessary for me to see a kidney doctor. Instead, she sent me to a hematologist for a bone marrow test. That test came back benign. After the bone marrow test, I called and made an appointment with a kidney doctor.

God allowed me to celebrate my birthday on August 14, 2018, and I was very grateful. But on August 28, 2018, I became very sick and I could not breathe. My husband took me to the hospital. My white blood count was up so high that they decided to keep me. They began working on me, running all kinds of test, taking my urine and my blood.

The kidney doctor at Maryland Kidney Group that I made an appointment with earlier was affiliated with the hospital that I attended. I met her and her brilliant team two days later. They came in and proceeded with more tests and discussed with me what might be the problem. One day I looked up and it seemed like the entire team was in my room to inform me that they would need to do a kidney biopsy test to see if my kidneys had been damaged.

I cried and began to pray and share with God how I wanted to live and not die and that my grandchildren needed me to live. I knew that God had more in store for me as well. I sent a text to my family, friends and my pastor for prayer.

On the day of the kidney biopsy, I had been in the hospital for almost a week. I believe it was on a Saturday afternoon and I was so scared and nervous, not knowing what to expect. I had never been sick in my life. The team informed me that they brought in a specialist to perform the procedure. When the procedure was over the team took the biopsy to Johns Hopkins Hospital for the results, because it was a weekend and they wanted the results as soon as possible.

That Sunday evening the kidney team came into my room again to explain the diagnosis. They told me that I had Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody Vasculitis (ANCA), which is an autoimmune disease that causes blood vessels to swell. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are affected, it can cause blood and protein to leak into the urine, as well as kidney damage. The kidney function can get worse but thank God for the medicines and the great doctors that He put in my life. I thank God for His hand of mercy that was upon me and that is why I am so grateful!

My rheumatologist explained the disease to me by saying my immune system was eating my kidneys. This disease had also affected my lungs; I had difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and sometimes I had chest pain when taking deep breaths.

During that same weekend a nurse came in to check my heart. The nurse became scared which alerted me that something was wrong. When I asked her what was wrong, she mistakenly told me what the machine was reading that my heart was failing. She had checked it three times and each time the machine said that my heart was failing. I started crying non-stop.

I thought that I was getting ready to die and no one would know what had happened. I called my family to come to the hospital because my heart was failing and I needed them to know. By the time my family arrived, the head nurse had called the cardiologist and she came to the room to comfort me. The nurse took my blood and sent it to the lab, and the result came back that my heart was fine. Thank God again for the victory! He looked beyond my faults and saw that I needed Him and He came to my rescue again. He’s an AWESOME Father!

God is so good! When I left the hospital after two weeks, I was feeling much better. I was prescribed 60 milligrams of prednisone and other medication. I was given Rituxan every two weeks. And I have my own team of great doctors that I see every three months.

My team of doctors informed me that I am doing great. Every day I appreciate the breath I can breathe. I am so grateful. God did not have to do it, but he did it for me! He kept me!

When I think of all that God has done for me, I cannot help but to shout out praise and thanks to Him, the true and living God. I am so grateful that I am alive and well and in the land of the living. I believe God. He is always there for me. It is in Him that I live and move and have my being.

God has blessed me to live! I am Grateful, Grateful, Just So Grateful!!!!!!