#14 - PLEASE PRAY

Date Sent: Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 1:57 PM

This past week has been a really difficult one for me physically. We think my medicine needs to be increased because it's becoming more and more difficult for me to breathe. I had promised Aaron over the weekend that if I didn't get better that I'd call the doctor on Monday (today). But I feel more and more uncomfortable about that promise. There are so many people who have promised to lift us up in prayer, but I haven't asked any of them to pray specifically about this now. I believe that prayer changes things - it's made such a huge difference in my life these past few months! The doctors can't explain how well I'm doing, so it must be the prayers. We've been praying about my recent regression, but haven't asked everyone else to join us. So I'm asking now. God has allowed us to have medical knowledge, and I think it's wrong to depend ONLY on Him for healing when HE has given us medicine. But there's also the spiritual aspect. I really feel that this needs to be taken before the Lord in prayer this time before I turn to my doctors.

There were problems with my iv medication two days this past week. We think there was a drop of medication hiding in the vial under the label when I mixed it those two days, and I didn't get enough. I had to use oxygen again. But once I changed the iv cartridge I felt better, and the oxygen wasn't necessary anymore. We thought that problem was taken care of. But then the rest of the week was sketchy, with me getting steadily worse. I'm now on constant oxygen again. I am also swelling and aware of my heart again - not a good sign since I'm already in right side heart failure. We keep praying that it's just this rainy weather, with the humidity making it hard for me to breathe. But, I'm pretty sure that my medication needs to be increased. When we were in the hospital we were told that the body can build up a tolerance to it, and it would need to be increased because of that.

But it's been such an encouragement to me that it hasn't been increased since I was discharged the beginning of March. I kept praying that it would never need to be increased, and that as God continued to heal me it would just eventually be decreased. Everyone in the medical field has been astounded that it hasn't been increased YET (this is because of God's healing so far), but it's looking more and more that this is now necessary. If it will make me feel better, then so be it. But it's discouraging to me to think that it's needed. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last of the rain for a day or so. I wanted to wait till the weather breaks so see if that makes a difference before I called the doctor. But I guess mostly I wanted to ask other people to pray about this and hope that God chooses to answer my/our prayers sooner rather than later, and that medical intervention won't be necessary.

I went forward for prayer at church yesterday (the first time so far), and that was a big step for me. During the prayer my lungs opened and I could breathe so easily! Aaron commented that I practically ran back up the aisle afterwards. It had been so long (maybe a year!) since walking was that easy for me! On the way home I took off the oxygen. I didn't need it back on for an hour and a half (earlier that morning the longest I could go was 15 minutes)!! Later that afternoon Aaron and I went out to have some together time. As the day progressed I needed it more and more. I'm now on it continually again. If God answered the prayers of three people enough that I could go so long without the oxygen, then what difference could the prayers of hundreds do!?! Don't get me wrong. It's not the QUANTITY or even the QUALITY of prayer that makes the difference. It's a matter of God choosing to answer the prayers yes, no, or not yet.

God can heal me on the spot, or He can decide to wait a few years for it to happen. I'd obviously prefer for it as soon as He's willing. If my medicine really needs to be increased then okay - He's still in control. But when there are so many people committed to prayer, it would be small-minded of me not to pass on this prayer request. So please join us in praying extra hard for God's healing hand. I haven't been faithful to ask for prayer about this recent regression. I was wrong - I should have. I've decided to wait another day or two before calling the doctor this time. Let's see if the power of prayer will take care of this, or if it's God's will for me to wait longer and have the medicine increased.

PLEASE PRAY.

~ Julia