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After what seemed like forever trying to get arrangements made with the financial counselors at a particular hospital (because I'm without insurance currently), my health clinic and the lymphedema clinic, I was finally able to get an appointment. Sarah and I went to the Lymphedema Clinic this past Thursday.

The occupational therapist (OT) asked me a few questions about my arm to start things off. In very little time she stated that I pretty conclusively have lymphedema. To know for certain if it is lymphedema versus another time of edema - a.k.a. swelling - I would have to have an expensive test done where they inject dye into my arm and measure the uptake of the dye by my lymphnodes and all of that. Regardless of whether it is general edema or lymphedema, though, the treatment is the same. The OT said that I likely have primary lymphedema which means that I got it genetically. This surprises me because I don't know of any family members who had it other than my dad, but his was from cancer in his lymphnodes so his was technically lymphoma.

I begin treatment tomorrow. I am scheduled to have treatment every morning this week. Kim, my OT, does not think I will need all 5 days, but we scheduled it just in case. Kim's pretty certain that she can get my left arm back to its original size. On Thursday, my left arm was about 1.5 inches larger in circumference than my right arm (which is my dominant arm). The treatment is called Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT). It is basically the manual moving of the fluids from the extremity with unhealthy lymphnodes to other extremities. So, beginning tomorrow, Kim will push the fluid from my left arm toward my right arm and left leg. The fluid should then be processed properly there and no swelling persist, ideally. After she finishes the treatment tomorrow, I'll have to wear bandages on my arm until the treatment Tuesday and that pattern repeats all week. Once treatment is finished I'm pretty much set. I will learn techniques to perform "self maintenance" on keeping the fluid down in my left arm. I am to go see Kim after treatment is concluded if the swelling continues and persists for more than 2 weeks. So basically: I do this treatment this week and just go in for tune ups when I need them.

There are a few life changes that will have to come with this. One is knowing and dealing with the fact that I'm not invincible. Lymphedema is not curable, but it is treatable. Another change is that I will likely have to wear a compression garment when engaging in physical activity. A final change will be making healthier lifestyle choices. I will need to exercise more regularly (with my compression garments), eat foods that are low in fat and salt, and practicing meticulous watchfulness over my left arm including heightened skin care and steering clear of scratches, bug bites, needle pricks, etc. (these last ones are all due to the greater possibility of infection because of the lymph build up in that arm.)

So yeah. That's me right now. My wife and I are dealing with it and doing okay. I'm a little better than she is. Pray for her. Pray for me. Pray for us. Whatever the outcome of this, to God be the glory. He will work this out for good. I believe it, and I'm expecting it, and I'm naming it, and I'm claiming it, and I'm planting my seed, and I'm Benny Hinn-ing it...so yeah. We're covered.

Tony Horton, show me love, baby!

<------ This man right here, my friends, is about to rock our family's house straight to the ground. Then he's going to gingerly pick us up and put us in bodies that are healthy with clothes that don't bulge...where we don't want them to, that is. ;)
If you have never watched the P90X infomercial. YOU SHOULD!!! As an avid infomercial watcher and self-proclaimed connoisseur, I say that this product will be amazing and my abs will be also. Can my wife and I commit 60 minutes a day to this? We must, that's all I have to say.
Oh, and I just bought a book titled, "Eat More Weigh Less." It was written by Dean Ornish who speaks about the prevention and reversal of cardiovascular disease and altering one's genes through modified diet and exercise. Yeah, it should be good.
What are you doing to improve your health these days? I wanna know.

Ain't A That Good News

Welp, they did the venus doppler (and checked my arteries while I was there to save mone). The radiologists said they saw

no sign of a blood clot.

Praise the Lord!!! I spoke with my physician and he says the next step should be to speak with a vascular surgeon about the possibility of lymphedema. Well, I don't know that I'm going to do that right now. My wife and I think that my swelling is decreasing some, so we're going to keep doing what we've been doing. I'm going to keep up with exercise and taking aspirin each day.

I thank you all for your support and care in this and will continue to keep you updated as more develops or decreases. :)

Dopplers

So, I need a venus doppler and an arterial doppler completed. These test the blood flow through my veins and arteries. I have found a place to have the two tests done. Yesterday, I found out their machine is currently inoperable. There is hope that it should be fixed this week. Please join with me in prayer that the machine will be fixed soon and that I can employ its services while my health is still maintained.

My heart has been anxious the past few days as well. As with the possibility of a blood clot, I wonder if the slightest move will loosen the clot and it could go to my brain, heart, or lungs and that would be lights out for me. It's a grossly morbid thought, I know, but I must not be afraid to boldly face the possibilities that are in place. Pray that peace can reside within me instead of anxiety. Certainty, in the Lord, through this misty phase. Boldness in the place of fragility. Intentionality instead of wind blown.

UPDATE: As I was typing this my beautiful, lovely, and cherished wife called and said that they can get me in for one of the tests this morning in about 30 minutes to and hour, so I am off to the doctor. I will update as I know more information.

Grace and peace.
Glory be to God in all things.

Blown away

That's what I am. blown away. I have been praying for the Lord's provision and He has surfaced Himself in very tangible ways today. A local church - which I do not attend, mind you - has offered to pay half of the costs for the two procedures I need to have done. This came about by me asking a ministry leader if she knew any resources for people without insurance. I was astounded at this news, especially by the fact that the church does not typically offer this type of benevolence to non-church members. Today, I have had two other cherished people in my life offer help with the medical expenses if necessary.

I am astounded by this response! It reminds of the first church and how they pooled their resources to care for one another. This is especially touching to me in light of the current economic situation of the nation. Please do not hear this post saying that people should offer us financial help, or others are better/worse if they did/do not. Each person should follow the convictions that Christ lays on his or her heart and nothing else.

I write only to say that my wife and I are inexpressibly grateful to all of you for this support, friendship, and love.

At this point, I am unsure whether we will need additional help with financing the medical care at this time. I promise to keep you all informed honestly and openly (in the true Obama presidency fashion) about our goings on and needs. If the Lord does lay it on a person's heart to give, I promise to do my best to lay my pride aside and respond with the deep appreciation and humbleness this is within me through this.

Again, thank you all for your support and love that you have offered in various mediums. The Lord is good and will be proved good no matter the outcome of me and/or my arm. Let the sole goal in this be: to God be the glory.

A change in status

As it seems, I likely do not have lymphedema. That's a praise! This hasn't been confirmed by anyone really, but it is unlikely. I do evidence swelling in my left arm, but I have no soreness in my lymph nodes which is pretty much a must, I think. My doctor thinks I probably have a blood clot in my left arm which has its own share of troubles. Thus, I'm trying to make my way to get some tests done as soon as possible (arterial and venus dopplers).

If the blood clot makes its way into my lungs or heart I could die instantly. This is incredibly sobering, and I'm not sure of its likeliness at this time. I do know that the fragility of life is becoming ever more aware to me. More accurately, the pre-existence of this fragility is hitting me. It's only by the grace of God we breathe our next breath, make that turn just in time, pull it together on that hydroplain, don't breathe too much of the carbon monoxide we can't detect, etc.

Strangely enough, I have peace. I have generally been fearful of death in my life, especially the rapture (if it is, indeed, to happen). Though, as I am faced with the increased possibility of death, I am at peace. I am concerned for my wife's well-being. I am concerned as to how I would be rememberd. I am concerned for those left behind. I wonder if those whom I have asked to perform specific tasks at my funeral/memorial will uphold the commitments I asked them to make.

On a more socially acceptable and positive note, I think I have found a place that can perform my needed tests without me having insurance and I will only be charged according to my income and/or how much money I have with me that day. I think I'm going to take the day off from my internship and see to this tomorrow. In thinking about it tonight, I should probably put this as a pretty high priority since it has lethal potentiality.

I have started exercising, and that seems to be reducing the swelling some. I have also started taking aspirin twice daily to keep my blood a little thinner to at least serve as a preventive measure concerning blood clots, if not a method by which to break down the possible blood clot in my arm.

Many prayers are still needed and appreciated.

What has made/makes you aware of the fragility of life, if you have ever been made aware of this?

Big Pimpin': Check out http://phlebotomic.blogspot.com to see how they are being bled out for Christ.

A Clinical Scare

So, I went to a health clinic yesterday to get my arm checked out. It seems that since my wife and I have been married and sexercising on a regular basis, my left arm has exploded. I mean, it is huge! My left arm - particularly my muscles - were markedly smaller than my right arm's; however, this is no longer the case. My left arm now almost dwarfs (ok, a little dramatic) my right arm.

My presenting symptoms:

My left hand/arm stays red consistently

My arm is, at times, sensitive to touch

It feels like fluid enters my arm but does not recede (like my hair, dang it)

I have a crazy amount of vericose veins around my left arm pit

So, the doctor checked me out and said that I have an abnormal swelling in my left arm, possibly lymphoedema. This frightened me. He said he has no idea why an otherwise healthy, young guy would have lymphoedema. My fear came when I remembered that my Dad had lymhoedema, but his was from cancerous tumors in his lymph nodes. The doc at the clinic did a couple of chest x-rays to see if there were any clots or anything showing there, but nothing. The doctor said that he wants me to see a specialist about it. That's great, except that I don't currently have health insurance.

To say the least I'm a little concerned. I have always been a little paranoid about cancer because so many in my family develop it, though most of it is from smoking.

Please pray that Sarah and I can determine the best course of action and have the resources necessary to complete those actions.

PS: This is pretty much what I look like.