Recently I’ve been reminded about the importance of listening to your body. When you sense that something doesn’t feel right, trust that prompting.
 
Over the summer, I was able to go on a few trips. I had a lot of fun and posted pictures of my adventures. However, even though I was smiling in the pictures, only a few people knew that I wasn’t feeling great.
 
Here’s another reminder: Social media doesn’t always show you the full picture of what’s really going on in a person’s life.
 
Behind the scenes, I was dealing with these symptoms: pain in the front of my neck, discomfort when swallowing, having trouble sleeping, heat sensitivity, and an elevated heart rate. 
 
At first, I thought maybe I pulled a muscle in my neck or that these were normal symptoms for a woman my age to be experiencing.
 
After about a week, the pain increased, and I began to sense that something wasn’t right. A few days later, my Apple Watch gave me a high heart rate notification when I was just sitting still.
 
I opened up the Health App on my phone, and I was surprised to see that for the past several weeks, my heart rate was drastically higher than normal. That was when I decided it was time to call my doctor.
 
Within a 2-week period, I met with my primary care doctor and my endocrinologist, had multiple blood tests, a thyroid ultrasound, and a thyroid biopsy. 
 
I was diagnosed with thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid) and hyperthyroidism. I felt some relief having a diagnosis, and I began taking medications to help manage my symptoms.
 
My endocrinologist explained what to expect over the coming weeks and months, as there are several phases to this thyroid condition.
 
The ultrasound revealed 2 thyroid nodules, and I was sent to get a thyroid biopsy at a local hospital. The biopsy results showed some abnormal cells, but not enough to make a diagnosis. Because of this, the tissues/cells were sent to a lab in California for molecular testing.
 
Up until this point, all of my test results posted in MyChart within 24 or 48 hours. Things were moving quickly...and then I had to wait 6 weeks for the results of the molecular testing.
 
6 weeks of wondering if today would be the day I find out my results. Surprisingly, I wasn’t worried...I just wanted an answer.
 
In those 6 weeks of waiting, God gave me peace in the midst of the unknown.
 
He reminded me that He already knew the results, and because of that, I didn’t have to fear them.
 
He reminded me that no matter what happens, He will be with me to help me through it.
 
Oh, the kindness of God.
 
The molecular testing showed that I have a 50% chance of having thyroid cancer.
 
I honestly laughed when I got the results because I thought, “After such an expensive test, the best they can tell me is that I have 50/50 odds?”
 
Without a clear answer, I did the only thing I knew to do: I prayed. 
 
I prayed for wisdom and discernment for my endocrinologist...that God would guide him on what my next steps should be and if surgery is needed.
 
Right now, the recommendation is to wait a few more months, continue to monitor my bloodwork, and then do a follow-up ultrasound. The results of that will determine if I need to have a thyroidectomy.
 
In the past, I’ve shared parts of my story when a chapter has ended, but I’m learning it’s also important to share when we’re in the middle of a chapter....when we don’t know how many pages it will be, or how it’s going to end.
 
Here’s what I do know: I trust the Author.
 
Nothing catches God by surprise. Because of this, I can wait with confidence that no matter what happens on the next page of this chapter, He will be with me.
 
Oh, the kindness of God.

​ 
One of the hardest things I’ve ever done was to reach out for help.
 
One of the best things I’ve ever done was to reach out for help.
 
For years, I hid my pain from others.
 
Shame silenced me.

Welcome to 2021! I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that 2020 is now behind us. It was definitely a tough year. 

For many people, seeing the calendar change to January 1st means a chance to reset. To start over. To set new goals. To make lists of things you want to accomplish this year.
 
Back in 2015, instead of making lists and resolutions, I decided to focus on ONE WORD for the entire year.  

​On January 1, 2020 so many of us had hope, excitement, and anticipation of what the new year would bring. We made plans, set goals, and dreamed about how 2020 would be better than 2019. We said, “Happy New Year!” to each other and truly meant it.
 
And then March 11th happened.
 
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and 2020 suddenly looked very different than how we imagined it a few months earlier. 

​Because of a global pandemic, I have spent a lot of time at home the past 5 months. I’ve read numerous books, listened to countless podcasts, completed several puzzles, spent hours on Zoom, watched way too much Netflix, and I even took 3 months of online guitar lessons. 
 
While everyone else was ordering toilet paper and Clorox wipes online, I decided to order my first Paint By Number canvas. There are hundreds of beautiful paintings to choose from. The concept seems simple – match the numbered paints to the numbered areas on the canvas.
 
The company’s website says, “Relieve stress and reveal your creative side.” Apparently, lots of other people were also feeling the stress of the pandemic, because sales on their website drastically increased and it took over 2 months for my canvas to arrive.