The Cure All Medicine

Two weeks ago(sorry, I’m a slow blogger)I was in a rut. I’d come back from St. Jude & found out I had Graph vs Host Disease(don’t let the disease part scare you). It is similar to a small rejection(again don’t let that word scare you)in that it’s an immune attack on the recipient by cells from a donor.I’m back on immune suppressants & steroids(this inc. my chance for infection & the steroids causes me to be emotional, hungry have insomnia, & a bloated face). So, I hate the side effects. Basically, I will remain on these meds until things clear up. I’ll explain in another post, but have a little graph vs host is good for a short time, but they don’t want you having too much. So, I saw that graph vs host was good, but couldn't figure out why this minor things( of just taking the med was bothering me, when I've done much more and not minded) I guess I’d taken two steps backward in my progression, when I felt I was finally progressing. Something that helps me is having a timeline. However, they didn’t know how long I’d stay on the meds, so I was left wondering.

My parents obviously could sense this & sent me off to visit my sister in Birmingham. I drove 3 hrs(1st step of independence in months)and stayed for a couple days. My mom convinced my dad to let me go(he was obviously concerned as he said redundant things like,“if you run a fever or anything happens, call us.” I though, uhh duh, If I run a fever I have to be admitted to the hospital, in an unknown city, for antibiotics and why would I not call to tell you this big thing? I took his concern with appreciation for his love, and hit the road.

It wasn’t something specific that Melissa did that got me out of the dump. But, there is something about sisters that is amazing and irreplaceable. My sister, Melanie moved to Memphis (previously planned before my relapse) two months after I started treatment. People would ask me what I did for fun. Being in a limited environment(ex I’ve been in 3 stores since March), I would’ve said, uhh not really much. However, I had someone amazing each week to help me out. It was seeing Melanie several times a week. Even though we just laid there, talked and worked on small projects, it was just what I needed. Melissa was only 4 hours away and would visit frequently. It’s with my sisters that I can do absolutely nothing, but talk, and have the best time. Under other circumstances, I would have to go somewhere or do something to have a good time, but it’s different with them. I know amidst our trials, the Lord places things to help us along, we just have to “get out of our rut” and recognize them. It was part of His plan to have Melanie close and Melissa near bye. I think of how those 6 months away from home would’ve been like without them, and am grateful that they were there. Throughout these past couple months, I’ve grown even closer to them, and that’s something I’ll hold forever.