Circumstances We Would Not Prefer

I LOVE the "undo" features that come with most computer software.  It is such a relief when I am creating letters and and flyers and newsletters, changing things which sometimes become a mess.  And I can just hit "undo".  The mess goes away, and I can try a better fix.

This week, I wish there was a way to "undo" the switch to Cellcept.  But no going backward in life.  We have to pick up from where we are and move forward.


If you've read my blog posts before, you know that God has a way of playing songs in my head at times.  About two weeks ago, I remember waking up early hearing the words to "Even If" by Kutlass:

Sometimes all we have to hold on to 
Is what we know is true of who You are 
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane 
That could never change who You are 
And we trust in who You are 

Even if the healing doesn't come 
And life falls apart 
And dreams are still undone 
You are God You are good 
Forever faithful One 
Even if the healing 
Even if the healing doesn't come 

Lord we know your ways are not our ways 
So we set our faith in who You are 
Even though You reign high above us 
You tenderly love us 
We know Your heart 
And we rest in who You are 

You're still the Great and Mighty One 
We trust You always 
You're working all things for our good 
We'll sing your praise 

You are God and we will bless You 
As the Good and Faithful One 
You are God and we will bless You 
Even if the healing doesn't come 
Even if the healing doesn't come

Songwriters: WOOD, TONY / KRIPPAYNE, SCOTT

Even If lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Since the phrase "even if the healing doesn't come" kept repeating more than the rest of the song, it felt like a forewarning in some ways.  And rightly so.  Scott took Anna to see the ophthalmologist this past Thursday.  I was home with a stomach bug.  He stopped by the house before going back to work, to tell me that  in the span of ten days (since the last appointment), Anna's left eye had gone from an inflammation level of 1+ to a 4.  (On a scale of 1 to 4 for those of you who are unfamiliar.)  Scott's assessment of Cellcept for Anna is summed up in one word:  "worthless."  Her inflammation has never been this bad.  The two doctors conferred via phone while Scott and Anna were there, but Scott asked them to call me about any final decisions.

Anna's pediatric rheumatologist called me to discuss options.  We're going to go with infusion therapy.  (Something to be thankful for---there is no agonizing over all of the pros and cons of this decision for me---it HAS to be done---I AM constantly praying for clear direction.)  The question is just the choice between Orencia and Remicade.  He's doing a bit more research and will let me know and start the necessary steps for insurance approval.  That could take awhile, evidently.  So since we need to do something before we can make infusion therapy happen (could take weeks, and most likely, more than a month), we have stopped the Cellcept and started on Cyclosporine.  Anna had responded favorably to Cyclosporine in the past, until she began to experience noticeable side effects.  But since she'll be on it for weeks instead of months, the hope is that she'll be stopping the Cyclosporine before the side effects begin to appear (more hair growth, and darker hair---like eyebrows and upper lip--, gum growth, etc.)  Anna continues to take the Pred Forte eye drops four times daily, and a dilating drop at night (to keeps those cells from sticking together when they begin to cluster).

I want my friends, family, and blog-readers to know that I believe in my loving, Creator God, and I know that He is faithful, and I know that He walks with us and loves us more than we can ever imagine.  I've said that before---many times over.  Sometimes I talk about feeling calm and feeling peace.  To be totally honest, right now I'm not FEELING much of anything (but feelings are fickle---I know---we cannot rely on feelings!).  I am human, so there are aspects of this disease and this development that strike some fear in me at times, if I allow myself to dwell on that.  There are times when I receive news such as this when I know I need to absorb and process the information (and allow a few tears to escape at times), before I'm really ready to talk about this with anyone.  There are so many things going on right now (BUSY, busy schedules around this time of year, still a lot of appointments to get to, schedules to rearrange because of appointments, unexpected stomach bugs, etc.)  When life seems overwhelming and we face even more "circumstances we would not prefer" (phrase borrowed from Priscilla Shearer from the Session 5 DVD of the Gideon Bible Study), we go with what we know, not what we feel.  We hold fast to our Anchor for the Soul, because how else could we handle storms such as these?