10,000 Reasons... #7 & 8

Hey, faithful readers! Camille buzzing in to report some new blessings and wonderful life developments :)

Last year after the healing I had begun to experience with Dr. Agolli I felt that I was ready to return to work in November-ish. I spoke with some friends about this desire, hoping to get a job in a family friend's business. Things ended up not working out then for that position, but I continued to look online steadily from Christmas onwards. After only one week of job searching, I was hired to work as an administrative assistant, the very position I wanted. Great! Right? Well... not entirely. I wasn't sure about a lot of things with this company. My first warning signs were when the first day I wasn't really doing anything administrative assistantish. I was also being asked to use my personal resources instead of company materials, which led to some interesting situations when I was not always able to do what was asked of me because of limitations outside of my control. After the first two days, I was so bored with the job that I was wondering if I really wanted to stick with it. After the first two weeks were over, I was confused, came down with a cold, and still looking for jobs elsewhere. I contemplated turning in my two weeks notice. The uncertainties of the job were making it a cause of unnecessary stress in my life. I decided to stick it out, and things seemed to get better.

And then, after exactly four weeks of working for this company, I was called into the office and told that there was no work for me for the next few weeks and I would be called when my services were required again.

Great, I thought. I know I didn't really like this job, but... I was hoping to find something else before being done here. I failed to see how this was a good thing. But, as it so happens, it was a good thing. :) The time away from working allowed me to have several weeks to transition into the candida diet, which has proved to be time consuming and labor intensive where food preparation is concerned.

And then, I heard whispers coming from my family friends that maybe there would be an opening soon working for them. After emailing back and forth and a phone conversation, we determined that it was a good time for me to begin working at the office. And so, my training as an office worker at Jackson Plumbing begins today. And did I mention I get to work with my best friend? Oh yeah. Best. Job. Ever. And I haven't even started! Blessing #7 of my 10,000 reasons. :)

Blessing #8 is a person. His name is Peter. Peter and I became good friends at The Master's College where we were fellow students. Peter has an amazing way of listening to and answering questions. Since I've left TMC he's remained in contact with me through phone calls. We usually end up talking for at least an hour, catching up about life, but usually he helps me work through my (many, many, many...!!!) spiritual issues and problems. Last weekend he called and we had a great conversation about some "problem passages" in Leviticus and Numbers. I can honestly say that Peter has played a key role in my healing... from the spiritual aspect of things. Thanks, Peter! Thanks for being a Christ-follower in the truest sense of the word. Thanks for holding out hope to me when others didn't or couldn't. Thanks for always helping me find answers to my questions. Thanks for helping me to feel the presence and power of God again.

10,000 Reasons... #4, 5, & 6

These blessings have been collected over the past several days. Praise God with me as you read! =)

#4. If you read my previous post, you can kind of skip this one, but I wanted to mention it again simply because it is such a little thing that wouldn't matter to most of the world, but made all the difference for me. Normally I am a very sunlight-loving person, but when I have a headache, the sunlight is like murder to my eyes and pounding head. The day of our drive back from the Detroit area was very sunny, and I already had a headache that had carried over from the day before. I knew I wasn't going to be a happy camper on the drive home. I had ibuprofen, but that wasn't helping much, despite the fact that it normally does. If only the world weren't so bright and sunny.... Enter my blessing for the day: a pair of welding glasses that actually fit over my glasses and made the world as dark as I needed it to be. Thanks, Abba! :)

#5. Remember my post from earlier this month - words, words, and The Word? One of the words on the first list, Kutapressin, was directly paired to another word on the second list: fear. Why? Because Kutapressin was the antiviral I thought Dr. Conley was going to recommend for me to take, and it is administered through daily self-injection. Those fears were pointless, because Dr. Conley didn't end up prescribing Kutapressin after all; he gave me a prescription for an oral tablet antiviral called Valtrex instead!

#6. Every year our little neighbor boy sells these "Save Around Erie" books with all kinds of coupons. Usually we use them for restaurants: Chick-fil-A, McDonalds, Moes, etc. The book costs $20 and saves way more than that, so its worth it. But we didn't know just how worth it it was to buy that coupon book this year! My dad was flipping through the book the other day and noticed a coupon to be used for getting 10-75% off prescriptions. What I didn't mention about Valtrex is that it is expensive... very expensive. Kutapressin would have cost $100/vial, and most people use 2 vials a month, so $200 per month. Valtrex generic costs almost that ($160) for seven days. Youch. My mom and I went to the pharmacy to find out what it would be to fill my script for 15 days. The discount with our insurance card brought the price to $357. Then my mom opened the coupon book. "I don't know if you accept this, but, what price would it be with this coupon?" It was $145 - less than what we had paid for less than half that dosage in June. Wow. God is good. Thanks, little neighbor boy. That $20 coupon book came in handy for saving $212 on that prescription. And since I have to refill it several times, the savings will be at least four times that since there are four of the coupons. Who knew? :)

10,000 Reasons... #3

I know, I know, I just posted #2 a few hours ago, and here I am with a #3. But it is a great #3!

Another $500 check came in the mail today for my medical expenses. Isn't that incredible?!?!

I think that God is trying to prove a point.

He provides through His people. 

10,000 Reasons... #2

So, to review a bit from 10,000 Reasons... #1 and subsequent posts....

1.) I found a doctor to see.
2.) He's really smart.
3.) He's written a great book that is already very helpful in explaining things about my illness and how they can be corrected.

That all is pretty good news. But sometimes, its easy to let the good news get overshadowed by bad news. Like...

1.) An appointment with Dr. Conley costs $295 an hour.
2.) To see him is almost a 6 hour drive.
3.) He doesn't accept insurance. And even if he did, he wouldn't be covered by our insurance.

Looking strictly at the financial side, I could get pretty glum. Sometimes I do. Okay, most times. I worry about finances a lot.

And just to prove how itsy-bitsy my trust in God really is....

Yesterday afternoon my dad handed me a check. For $500. From our church. To help with our medical expenses.

Wow, God. Wow. I repent. I was so wrong to doubt. Thank You for Your church. Thank You for providing. Just... thank You.

And, to my church family....

...for your generosity...

...for your love...

...for your compassion...

...for your prayers...

...for your gift....

I will admit, I was pretty tired, but I wanted to get up and dance - I was so happy.

Love,

~Camille

10,000 Reasons... #1

I don't have 10,000 reasons to share today, but I have one! :) 

As many of you know, I have been researching specialists for a while now, trying to find a doctor who is relatively close by to us who seems to know a lot about CFS/ME, has had success treating patients, and can help me get back to relative normalcy. I rejoice to announce that not only have I found such a doctor, but also that I have an appointment with Dr. Edward Conley in Flint, MI next week on August 13th. I have posted his website before, but, again, you can view it here. 

Please pray...

...for a safe trip, there and back. The drive is five-and-a-half hours, one way.

...for helpful information, and if possible, a definitive diagnosis of CFS/ME, one way or the other.

...for energy to make the trip.

...for mental clarity to explain my medical history to Dr. Conley.

Thanks!

Love in Christ,

~Camille

P.S. Also, if there is someone from Garden Heights who has one available, I am looking for a voice recording device to take to the appointment. Whatever I take will need to be able to record for 2 hours, probably from battery power. So possibly something along the lines of a small cassette tape recorder would be ideal. Let me know by e-mail at ednella.godfollower@gmail.com if this is something you can supply for me! :)