Recovered.

It was a morning just like so many others... I woke up with a lump in my throat. My heart was nervous... my mind was full of prayers. I couldn't help but cry a little... I was fearful. 

I've been doing so well... but that morning... was my checkup with my neurologist... the worries that he wouldn't see progress filled my mind. 

I got ready... walked down my stairs... went to the car and my mom drove me to my appointment. 

It has been such a long journey. Such a hard journey... As I walked up the stairs... avoiding the scary elevator... tears streamed down my face... I was so happy to be walking up stairs. I continued down the hall... past my oncologist/hematologists office... to my neurologists office... 

I was greeted with smiling faces...  shocked by how well I was doing. My doctor called me back. 

We chatted about work... my desire to drive... life in general...

Then he took me in to examine...

He had me walk... he had me stand... he tried to knock me over...

I was solid... Like a rock. 

Then he grabbed his reflex hammer... 

My heart dropped... 

"no... please don't...I don't want to see that they aren't working still." I thought to myself.

but then... 

he hit my wrists and both reacted...

he hit my knees... 

both reacted!!!

my ankles!!!

everything worked perfectly!!!

He looked at me with his kind eyes and said....

"We can officially call you... Recovered!"

"Really??? Really???"

"Yes... this is a disease we have to watch... but you are recovered... don't aggravate it... stay out of the heat... and keep your stress low... and don't overdo.."

"What about driving? and Full time work?"

"Driving, I'll fill out the papers today... then it's the DMV's call... Full time... Please wait... at least a while longer... Your body may be recovered but the disease isn't gone. You have to be careful."

He spoke these words as if he were talking to his own daughter. Such care. 

I was ecstatic... overwhelmed! Elated! I am recovered!!!!! 

The Lord graciously held me in his hands the entire time... watching my every step... holding my heart... holding my hand. 

A few days later my parents took my sister and I on a cruise to Alaska to celebrate their 30th anniversary. 

It was a wonderful time... 

I climbed on a glacier... Yes... I climbed... I walked... I walked on ice... My heart from 7 months ago is still shocked :) 

AND.... I wore... my favorite heels... 

My dad... who is, as my pastor would say, "planted close to the river" because he tears up at almost anything... said "You are wearing heels... You look very nice" 

His face wrinkled as a single tear ran down his cheek. Then... all of us had tears running down our faces...

Such an amazing blessing... The Lord has brought us out of the Valley... and now we stand on the hill looking back... grateful to see all the blessings he bestowed upon us. 

The dark days are over... the sun is shining bright. The clouds are gone. 

And He still holds my heart. And He always will.