I’ve been getting alot of questions lately about what the latest is on my health.
I love knowing that so many of you are praying for me and concerned for me.
Thanks so much.
Anyway, I haven’t really wanted to answer.
I know, super nice, huh?
Here you are praying for me, and here I am avoiding you.
Its not you, its me.
I mean that.
No, we’re not breaking up.
Anyway, here’s why.
My last doctor visit, about a month ago, was to a thyroid specialist.
She looked through all my results of all my tests and all the wonderful notes all the doctors have written. She confirmed that, without a doubt, I do not have a thyroid problem. Praise the Lord, but we weren’t really too surprised.
She proceeded to tell me that I’m crazy.
Ok, she didn’t, but that’s what I was feeling.
You see, I had an “attack” in the mall food court that felt like I was going to die. Over the course of the next 2 weeks, we called the doctor several times and went to the ER 3 times. We thought my life was at risk.
I thought I was dying.
She told me I had anxiety.
Yes, anxiety.
Here’s what she thinks…
For who knows how long, I have had pangastritis, inflamation of the stomach wall. Pangy(as I will call her) was sound asleep.
Then, October 13th, 2009, we moved to Brazil. 6 days later we became full time language students. The week before we graduated we moved to a new city. For 3 weeks we did not have a kitchen. Within those 3 weeks 4 of us got H1N1. One of us cracked his head open. Then our adopted family member moved away. In the midst of all of that I became a homeschooling mom.
I surprisingly remained quite calm throughout most of it. God was very gracious.
My stomach seemed to feel a little differently.
She believes that the stress of all that happened over those 13 months “awakened” sleeping Pangy from her deep sleep so abruptly that she was kind of grumpy, henceforth bringing on such severe acid reflux that it caused inflamation in my throat giving the sensation of anaphalactic shock.
Are you following me?
She thinks I was stressed out.
I went to the ER three times because I was stressed out.
Ok, ok, I’m being dramatic. I do, in fact, have a condition that actually made the throat sensations real. But, to sit there and have her tell me its all stressed related?
Doesn’t she know I’m a missionary?!?!?!
We aren’t supposed to have issues like that.
“Hello, pride? Its me, Teresa.”
I think we all know I have issues.
And that I’m not the only missionary to have issues.
And that all of you reading this have issues.
No offense 
Anyway, I guess at first I was a little embarrassed to post on here what the final “diagnosis” was.
Then I had a realization.
I
am
normal.
I have a feeling all of you get stressed out. You may not all rush to the ER, but you have probably felt the same inner panic at some point that I felt for those several weeks.
And you know what?
I’m thankful it happened.
God got my attention!
He used those first 2 weeks to really draw me to Himself. I was in the Word and praying more during those 2 weeks more than I had been in while. My walk with Him has been more consistent than it has been in a long time. He revealed to me that I still have some areas in my life to work through when it comes to fear and death. He showed me that I have a few control issues.
He reminded me how totally awesome my husband is, how much he loves me, and all he will do to keep me safe.
Love you Lucas Bair!
And now?
My diet is pretty much normal, except I’m still avoiding fishy stuff. We still plan to pursue a little more testing to get a more solid answer about that potential allergy, but other than that, the testing is done. My stomach med for pangy runs out tomorrow, so we’ll see how I’m feeling over the next few days. I may be searching out a stomach doctor to pursue another med.
I am full of thankfulness for the medical results and spiritual results. God is so much better than I deserve.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I suppose many of you will start praying for my sanity after reading this.
Really, I didn’t even know I was stressed out
