fun news :)

This has nothing to do with CRPS and EDS, but I just wanted to share some exciting news! :)  As of April 20th, I am officially a medical assistant!!  On January 19, 2012, I began U.S. Career Institute's online medical assisting program.  Their MA program is self-paced, and even though I had up to a year to finish it, I completed it in just over 3 months because I loved it so much! :o)

Right now, I'm studying to get certified as a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA).  I look forward to seeing where God leads me on this path!  If this CRPS/EDS business stays stable, I hope to get my first real job! :)

Finding humor in a new diagnosis...

POTS 

(and no, this post has nothing to do with teapots, flower pots, coffee pots, or "chamber" pots ;)

A quick update, friends!  Today, my primary care dr. diagnosed me with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.  What a long name!  This is my third "syndrome" diagnosis...!  POTS is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system and is associated with CRPS and EDS.  I'm thankful the Lord gave my dr. wisdom to see this, and I'm so glad that we're no longer in the dark as to why I've been having tachycardia, an irregular heart beat, and episodes of my heart rate jumping to over 120 bpm after sitting up first thing in the morning.  Life is definitely never boring with CRPS, EDS, and POTS!! :D

Update on heart echo

Hi, guys!

As promised, here's just a quick little update.  Still waiting for my dr. to look over the results, but I did get a chance to see them today!  The cardiologist said all looks normal, but some of the structures couldn't be visualized very well for some reason, so I'm not sure what that means yet...  I hope to talk with my dr. about all this next week.  The chest pain, irregular heart beat, and tachycardia still hasn't been resolved yet, so I'm praying all this can still be looked into in the future.  I will keep giving little updates about everything!

Thank you for your prayers!  The echo was SO fascinating!  I loved watching the screen and seeing my heart in so many different views. :)  God truly is full of wisdom in creating such an amazing organ!

Till next time!

Kerissa

Heart Echo

Tomorrow morning, after physical therapy, I will be getting my first heart echo!  The test results may be perfectly normal, or they may show I have mitral valve prolapse caused by EDS.  I'd appreciate your prayers!  Pray that the test will clearly show whether I have MVP or not.  I've been having chest pain and an irregular heart beat, so the doctors aren't sure what's going on yet... :\

I recently found two blogs of two different girls close to my age who have CRPS and EDS! :)  This has been a blessing from the Lord.  It's been so encouraging connecting, reading their posts, and seeing what they're going through and how my life is very similar to theirs.  Ashley lives in Indiana, and Jill in Philadelphia. :)  And I live in Oregon, but we all have the same conditions!  How cool is that? :D  Knowing that I'm not the only one with CRPS and EDS helps me get through the tough days!  That, and God's immeasurable grace and goodness!

Yesterday, I read a powerful passage in 90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn.  This devotional is filled with such meaning and richness!  I highly recommend it!  The following verse and quote below made me stop and reflect:

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made." (Psalm 145:9, emphasis added)

"God's goodness entails more than whatever makes us feel warm and happy.  We argue that if God were as good as we are, then evil and suffering wouldn't exist.  On the contrary, evil and suffering wouldn't exist if we were as good as God is." -Randy Alcorn

I will update as soon as I get the results of my echo!  Thank you so much for your prayers!

Stay tuned! :)

Letting Go

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to Him.

-Psalm 28:7

About two weeks ago, I received a needed varicella vaccine in my right upper arm because I didn't really think it would cause a CRPS flare-up (usually, CRPS starts in a hand or foot).  Well, it did just what I thought wouldn't happen...from shoulder to elbow, my arm has now been hurting, aching, burning, and throbbing.  When I was first diagnosed with CRPS in my right foot back in March 2011, it never entered my mind that I would later have CRPS in all my extremities!  It's been a tough two weeks.  I can't move my arm as easily, and the pain has been bad.  I never thought my right arm would hurt more than my left...!  Looking back, I'm so thankful to the Lord that I can't know the future; because if I knew back in March '11 that one day I'd have terrible pain in ALL my limbs, I know things would probably be so much harder to bear.  I thank God that He supplies me with grace for each day.  And yes, it's still sometimes hard to believe that the shot I had caused a new spread, but I continue to sing a song in my heart and give thanks to my Savior (see above verse).  My heart trusts in Jesus, and I KNOW without a doubt that "I am helped" because "the Lord is my strength and my shield."  I don't like feeling pain in all my limbs, but I'm just so thankful that I'm in good hands---I'm in the Lord's hands, and I'm in the hands of all my doctors and therapists.  I take great comfort in that. :)  As of today, I don't know where this will take me as my doctors continue to treat this horrible, rare condition, but I rest securely in the everlasting arms of Jesus. :)  I will keep plugging away and climbing this LONG stair.  And looking on the bright side, I'm glad and thankful that this new CRPS pain is in my upper arm and not in my right hand!

This is one of my favorite songs by Matt Hammitt of Sanctus Real.  He is the father of one year old Bowen who has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.  The words in his song remind me of God's sovereignty and give me peace.  Take a listen and read the words. :)  Blessings to you, my friends!