Doing a happy dance! Thanks be to God, Michelle and my Doctor!

So, as many of you know, I have been having trouble with my tracheostomy tube since the end of May. After much prayer and failed medical treatment locally, I found an amazing pulmonologist 400 miles away at a large medical facility. A few weeks ago, I was having significant trouble breathing. My mom drove me back to the large medical facility to the emergency department. Unfortunately, my pulmonologist was on vacation during my 5-day all-inclusive hospital getaway, which lead to a series of unfortunate events. I was discharged from the hospital in the same state I was admitted to the hospital in, but now with an infection in my trachea.

Being completely defeated, I expressed all my woes to my friend Michelle. I explained I had an appointment to see a mitochondrial disease specialist at the large medical facility in a few weeks, but despite my best efforts, I was not able to coordinate a visit to see my pulmonologist. Michelle bluntly told me, "Email the pulmonologist and explain your situation." I was a little stunned by Michelle's bold response. I did have my doctor's email address, but who am I to ask such a favor? Michelle continued to encourage me to email my doctor.

For a week, I kept pondering and praying if I should email my doctor. "I really don't want to bother my doctor. She is very busy. Will she have time to respond to my email? Oh LORD, give me guidance on what I should do." Finally on the day I decided to write the email, the anxiety that gripped my soul was replaced with a sense of peace. I wrote and re-wrote the email to my doctor many times. What should I include in the email? I am desperate for relief from my symptoms, but should I include that in the email? Should I include that I wept when I was in the hospital and found out my pulmonologist was on vacation, and she would not be my doctor? No, this is not a doleful lamentation. As Abby Lee Miller says, "Save your tears for your pillow." I tried to carefully craft an email, including only a few details to get my doctor up to speed on my medical case. I sent the email and patiently checked my email about every 20 minutes, waiting, holding my breath, praying my doctor would respond to the email.

Twenty-five hours and 51 minutes after I sent the email, I received a response back from my doctor. (Umm, yeah. I wasn't keeping track of the time or anything...) Praise be to God, my doctor worked out for me to see her the same day as I will see my mitochondrial disease doctor! In my happiness, I was rejoicing and dancing. Yes, I actually found my feet tap dancing! (Who knew after such a long hiatus from dance, my feet still remembered how to pound out the sounds of so many dance steps!)

I know God inspires people and moves mountains to make things happen. But after having so many recent defeats, I was beginning to feel as though I was on the wrong path. When God closes so many doors, I had almost stopped looking for ways in which God could lead me. Thank you Michelle for your bold suggestion! Thank you to my doctor for rearranging her schedule to accommodate me! Thank you Lord, for again showing me Your loving kindness and abundant mercy. "I will praise You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You; and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is beyond our understanding" (Psalm 145:1-3).