Married just over a month, it was the last week in April. Life was so full and exciting. The man of my dreams, Joe Catoe, was now my husband! We had boxes of half put together furniture all around us in our new “old” historic downtown apartment. Still in honeymoon bliss, I ran around grocery shopping and making yummy meals for the love of my life. I enjoyed date nights of walking about enjoying the beautiful old churches and barber shops of our new home town. Life was full, life was fun, life was exciting!
Then sudden sickness; it literally began rocking my body and Joe’s and my world. I went to bed one night suffering from a six hour headache. It came on unexpected and without explanation. For about a week following I began experiencing a strange mix of symptoms. They ranged from migraines and headaches, fatigue, dizziness, light headedness, to loss of control of my arms and legs, violent thrashing of my body, numbness, twitching, slow speech and no speech at points. I was loosing control of my body. I needed help from my dear husband Joe to do anything. He had to help me sit up, to walk, to use the bathroom, to shower, to even move a pillow behind my head or to pull a blanket around my body. I could do nothing on my own.
Throughout the week, in addition to many phone calls and visits with my doctors, I had two visits to the ER and I stayed in the hospital one of the nights. I saw so many nurses and technicians and doctors and specialists that I can no longer count how many there were. All of them with the same story; they did not know what was wrong with me. They preformed test such as MRIs, EEGs, EKGs, and CT Scans. I was told that in total I had about a litter of blood taken from my body to test for various diseases. Everything, absolutely everything, came back saying I was perfectly normal. Yet to look at my body, you would know that something was really terribly wrong.
Little did we know what the Lord had in store for us.
There you go changing my plans again
There you go shifting my sands again
For reasons I don't understand again
Lately I don't have a clue
Just when I start liking what I see
There you go changing my scenery
I never know where you're taking me
But I'm trying just to follow you
9 comments:
hey you big dork!
i'm eating pizza right now. mmm. and reading your blog. i love those pictures!! so adorable.
i'm sending a little something your way soon... be on the look out for it :D
love you dearly.
kristen!
you've missed your chance to be covered in sawdust in the warehouse.
the last few days have been a flurry of activity involving sanding, huge amounts of cardboard, about 10 gallons of elmer's glue (which makes your hands really soft for some reason. i found this out) and drew being crazy drew. (kakakkkaaa)
praying for you!
Joe ... Kristen ...
This is Danny Jones from Metro Life Church in Orlando. Jennifer told me about you situation and I am sitting here crying out to God for your deliverance and healing!
May the Lord strengthen you by His great power and fill you afresh with His precious Holy Spirit.
It is a privilege to stand with you in prayer,
Danny
Hi Kristen,
This is Emily from SC - Charissa told me about your illness and I have been praying for you. I'm glad you have this blog - now I have a face to go with the name.
Please know that you are in my prayers. In February, I started having similar symptoms completely out of the blue (migraines, numbness, slurred speech, etc). Life stopped overnight and God allowed that "light and momentary" to continue non-stop for 2 1/2 months.
But it at times did not feel light or momentary. I pray at those moments (or those days, or those weeks) that God will grant you abundant grace.
I pray that He will heal you and continue to encourage you with His tender, loving care.
Hey gorgeous (and Joe),
We're thinking of you and praying for you. Check out Morning & Evening, Morning May 22, ok?
Hi Joe and Kristen,
This is Dan Morse from Christ Our Redeemer Church in Vancouver, WA. Out here in the wild west we're thinking of you and praying for you. We've had a beautiful Spring so far and are looking forward to the day you can come visit and we can show you around.
The church plant is going well. God has shown us great mercy. Thank you for praying for us!
I stumbled upon the Pastor's College cowboy pictures the other day and they made me smile. I still think you (Kristen) let me win.
We love you, Dan and Judy
Hi Kristin,
John York from clc. Just wanted to let you know that Myra and I are thinking about you and Joe and are praying for you both.
He truly is our refuge and our strength, a VERY PRESENT help in trouble.
hey kristen,
so sorry to hear that you aren't feeling well. praying for you. so glad to know that joe is going to care for you so faithfully.
we're all heading out to na tomorrow, and i'll try to be praying for you during the conference.
"you're always near,
you're a faithful God."
john 16:21-24
Hi Kristen!
My mother-in-law just sent me your blog and I wanted to let you know that we are praying for you down here at clc! May the Lord continue to bless you with new mercies for each day.
Love,
Eva Campbell
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