God is in Control

I don't believe we've ever blogged about the beginnings of this journey. We kinda just started with where the situation was at the time. Many people have asked; in fact, some visitors inquired today. It is something that I feel that God has been putting on my mind throughout today to share.

It began with a sudden pain an hour after we fell asleep some mid-January day. She woke up crying out in pain while grasping right above the knee. It wasn't a muscle pain. There wasn't anything we could do to lessen it. No ice. No heat. No massage. It just had to subside on its own. I don't remember if she took any medicine, but we went back to sleep perplexed.

The next day, Katrina went to the chiropractor that she's been seeing the past year in hopes that he would have an answer. And he did. Apparently, there's a vertebrae that has nerves flowing from it to the upper leg/knee. He adjusted a few spots and she never had the issue/pain. However, a new problem arose. She started to have lower back pain and random times where her lower chin would be numb.

Her back pain would persist for the next week. She went to the chiropractor every other day. The pain would temporarily go away but would come back by night time or the next day. Also, as the days went by, her chin would start going numb more frequently and for longer periods of time. And then it got to the point where she would wake up screaming from pain in her jaw. She describes the pain as close to "dry sockets".

Katrina finally setup an appointment with a spinal doctor that someone in our small group went to. He suggested an MRI which we did. The lumbar MRI analysis said that she had abnormal bone marrow and the doctor referred us to an oncologist in Katy. In the mean time, Katrina was having her jaw pains. The onset of them were random and would last at least 20-30 minutes. The time that it took from initial meeting with spinal doctor to initial meeting with oncologist was a week if I remember correctly. A week of the pain was very enduring.

The oncologist initially gave a very preliminary impression that she didn't have cancer from looking at her blood; however, needed to be sure. So we had to wait a couple of days for blood work and him consulting with other radiologists. No solution to jaw pain. In fact, we went to urgent care one night. The doctor prescribed some anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxers. None of which helped. In fact, Katrina was taking quite a few ibuprofens for her lower back pain a couple times per day. We also went to the ER another night. That doctor prescribed vicodin, which helped the back but did nothing for the jaw pain.

The oncologist ordered some tests; one being a bone marrow biopsy. Then finally come Tuesday when we were called in to be the last patients of the day. The doctor gave the prognosis that Katrina had a rare form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The time from initial meeting with oncologist to prognosis was about a week. Another week of jaw pain was very very enduring and quite unsettling.

We have gone through a lot and are a month into the treatment. And although the pain has been horrific, although it is just the beginning, although there are times and will be times when we shake our fists at God and question His actions... we can say that God is in control.

It was by His hand that Katrina found work, moved to Texas and is at the church whom have been VERY supportive.

It was by His hand that Katrina moved to Sampson. We were able to carpool together, so she didn't need to drive to work during this beginning and I could be with her for any appointments. The staff/parents have also been VERY helpful and supportive.

It was by His hand that we were in the same small group with a friend that referred us to her back doctor who referred us to the oncologist.

It was by His hand that this oncologist was very meticulous and wise and yet compassionate and fast. The prognosis took a week.

It was by His hand that this oncologist did residency under the head director of the leukemia department at M.D. Anderson and was able to get us in.

It was by His hand that she is where she is for the best care that she could get for leukemia.

I've left a lot of details out of the story and list; however, the point of this post (and me staying up late again) is to say that God is in control.

"The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all." (Psalm 103:19)

There are a lot of things that we don't understand and in due time we hope the Holy Spirit would reveal to us. There are a lot of things that have been / are / and will be frustrating. However, our prayer is that we/you would not waver in our/your faith and trust of the Lord that He is good and that He is in control, esp. in the very trying times.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"'For My thought are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord.
'For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And my thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55:8-9)