God is Awesome!

Well, certainly.  Of course He is.  But no matter how many times He clearly demonstrates that to me, I still stand in awe of Him when He does it again. 

Pete has recently started receiving disability.  And that in itself is a move of God.  He's been so miserable at times, despondent at others, and always infuriated that he hasn't found any solid answers as to why he feels like he feels though we have tried as much as poor folks with no insurance can.

In December, Pete had another hearing scheduled to review his case for disability.  We were feeling very disheartened as the hearing date approached.  We had so little new information to present.  Even we couldn't see how they'd approve it from a purely scientific, logical perspective.  We covered it in prayer and asked our brothers & sisters in Christ to do the same. 

The day we walked in the building for the hearing, Pete's attorney said, "The heavens have smiled upon you today!  If you are ever going to be approved today is the day.  This judge likes to help people."  Him and Pete went on into the hearing.  I sat and waited and prayed.  When they came out, Pete didn't even clearly understand that he had been granted it!  The attorney told us he had and explained how things would happen and progress, and we sat there in shock and awe.  We had been given a miracle!  Praise God!

Not waiting for his checks to start coming, we scraped up the cash for Pete to see a local M.D.  The first step was to find an M.D. that Pete trusted and that seemed truly interested in helping him find the answers.  For so long he has had nothing but NP's and PA's to see.  Not that they are necessarily bad, but they don't have the same background as a well rounded M.D.  But the first MD was too brisk and wouldn't spend enough time with Pete. 

So I stayed home from work one day in February and we started calling and looking for an MD.  BUT FIRST, we prayed together for God to lead us to the one.  One couldn't see him until Thursday, and we wanted something ASAP.  Another didn't except Medicare and since he'd be going over to that sooner or later, he wouldn't accept Pete as a new patient.  Then another would not see people without insurance.  Then another wouldn't see someone who had just been under another local MD's care.  Urrrggghhh!

Needless to say, I ended up taking Pete to a medi-quick type place that day and we went back to the drawing board for an MD.  Before I could get papers from one to fill out, Pete was needing to see someone again and we tried calling the one who couldn't see him until Thursday before.  They had an opening the very next day!!  So I scheduled Pete.  He liked him.  And the doctor seemed concerned and ready to help Pete as far as he could go on cash.  On his second visit to this doctor, Pete was telling him how his eye blacks out in half the field of vision and he said he'd schedule him an appointment with a doctor at the Eye Center of Southeast Texas.  Pete went on to try to tell him about his ice cold hands and feet, but the doctor said "Let's start with the head and work our way down."

On our way to the "eye doctor", Pete got to feeling grumpy and said something about what was the point.  I told him that the doctors there were way more than eye doctors.  That one of them told my mother years ago that she needed to be tested for lupus, and sure enough, she had it.

We got there, registered, payed up front over $200.  And waited.  And waited.  Then finally were called back. A nurse did a very detailed medical history on Pete.  Then she dilated his eyes and did a routine eye exam.  And we went back to the lobby and waited and waited.  Finally we were called back to the room once more.  And Dr. D walked in with a stenographer to type every word into a computer.  He put on what looked like a space age catchers mask and examined Pete's eyes.  Then he sat back and said there was really nothing wrong with his eyes.  The very slight beginnings of a cataract in one.  But years down the road to be a problem.

Then he said that his arteries in his eyes were much too thin for a man of 50 years.  "You need to have your circulation checked."  Pete told him how he had been admitted to a local hospital last August and they had done a check of his carotid arteries and a chemical stress test and all of that and told him it was fine.  He took his stethoscope and listened all up and down one artery and then the other in Pete's neck.  He said, "There is some difference between the two."  And then Dr. D asked about if Pete had problems with cold hands and feet!!!  And Pete said "yes!".  The doctor said that was a syndrome connected to poor circulation.  Then he asked if Pete also sometimes had wavy lines in his vision and Pete said "I mean!! yeah"  The doctor said that was a type of migraine that didn't necessarily cause a headache and also was tied to poor circulation!!  And it just went on.  Pete sharing and him nodding agreement.  Him acting like there was nowhere else in the world he had to be.  I told the doctor when we were leaving, "Thank you!  You have told us more in 20 minutes than anyone else has in two years!!"

I know my God arranged for things to happen this way to lead us to that appointment.  It was the best $200 and 4 hours we have spent in this search for answers! 

What's the next step?  We're not sure, but we know God has a plan.  And with His help we will get there.