It's My Life Monday!!! A Growing Experience!

I think we need some theme music for this. My Life Monday- Can you feel it? What a great topic Rachelle! A growing experience.. since I am tall I should have a lot of these! :) Yeah I do think I am THAT funny.

I seriously have so many things that I think have made me grow. And have made me stronger in my life and who I am. I think my biggest one though is my health overall. It started when I was born. My poor mother. I cannot imagine all of the heartache and pain she went through. When I was 10 days old at my check-up my doctor heard a heart murmur, and did an x-ray and saw that my heart was bulging and was in the shape of a boot. I was sent to Children's Hospital to see a pediatric cardiologist, Dr Stanley Stam. I had a heart cath done and they found that I had a VSD (hole in the heart in the ventricle). I was sent home on meds and scared my mom to death. This was 1980, they were not nearly as knowledgeable as they are now. When I got home I was running a fever so my Mom took me to the hospital where my pediatrician Dr. Olson met us there. I was put in the hospital and given IV's and all sorts of antibiotics to fight off whatever it was. After getting tests back they found out I had Staph infection in my blood. Not a good thing. With all my problems the doctors told my Mom to love me as much as she could love me and grieve like Hell when I died. How do you handle something like that as a Mom? I don't know but I am in awe of my Mother. In case you were wondering, I didn't die. After a few weeks in the hospital I got better, I still had my heart problem but I got better, and I came home. I was on heart medications and continued to go to the doctor often but when I was five my heart was finally normal shape and the hole had closed. It was a miracle. You would think that would be all right?

My Junior year of High School I got asthma, and not just mild, it is severe. I went from being able to do anything outside and around fire to even smelling smoke and having my lungs shut down. It was a hard and scary adjustment, as often I couldn't even get a word out because of my asthma, and well if I can't talk you know it is serious. I didn't realize how bad it was at times until I read my medical chart, let's just say I am grateful I didn't know at the time.

Right after High School I was diagnosed with Lupus, yes another thing. But thankfully this has not been as hard on my body as everything else. It is mild and I just say it is another thing to put on my death certificate. Seriously though, there have been struggles and trials with it. But not like many people I know so I really cannot complain.

Then there have been all of my surgeries, including the one I blogged about last summer. So what is my point to this? I do have one. My health from birth has not been a strong point for me. But you look at me and you would never know. I look fine and for the most part I feel great. I have my cardiologist I visit every other year to check my funky valve, my asthma dr, my rheumatologist, who I get to see today, and then my woman dr, and my regular family practice. Seriously that is too many. Through this is all there have been times where I have wondered why me? What did I do wrong? But those occasions are rare. I normally think about all of my blessings. I have grown so much spiritually through all of this. I would never wish them away because what I have learned is worth so much more. I know without a doubt that my Heavenly Father loves me. That I am a daughter of God. I have felt the love of my Heavenly Father at many times. I know he is so aware of me. I learned to love the scriptures and to read them for comfort and peace. I love 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I have grown so much spiritually. I have had people tell me they are sorry, don't be. We all have trials in our life and well, this is mine. But I am so very grateful for it. And I know it is something I will deal with my whole life, but with this great gospel I can feel my Savior's love and know he loves me. What a great blessing in my life. There are the days I don't want to think about any of it or deal with it, and I live in denial half of the time, because ignorance is bliss. But I also look it straight in the eye sometimes and know that when I am feeling alone there is one person who fully gets it. My Savior. My testimony is strong because of all I have been through, I feel so grateful that my Heavenly Father knew me well enough to know what would help me to grow, to turn to Him. When Randy and I were married there were people who thought my health would be hard on us, but it has brought us closer. He is 100% supportive of me all of the time. My health in general has been a great growing experience for me. How is that for long winded.