• 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗿 •

𝙄 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙…

Not because of the diagnosis, we had done enough research that led us to the same conclusion. I cringed because of how I ended up in this seat, and it was not because my team of doctors found it — it was leading with curiosity, and God placing the right people in my path

**𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙄’𝙢 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 — 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙮-𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙣-𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨

One beautiful afternoon, I rode with a friend to run a few errands in Columbus. One of those errands took us to a pharmacy, that just so happened to employ a new Sunday School member, that as luck would have it — I made feel awkward on their very first day of class. So of course I got out — I needed to make the visit even more awkward

I told the young lady at the front counter to repeat the following to the pharmacist:

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩…. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪

The young lady did as I requested [reluctantly], and out came the pharmacist, ready to handle the challenge

She rolled her eyes the second she saw me

I laughed. My friend laughed. The pharmacist laughed [𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚????]

Anyway, my friend had gone to purchase an at-home saliva kit. While she was checking out, I read the box, and everything it could detect

Eh, what the heck — I tossed one on the counter for myself

One week later, I received a call that began months of testing

Here are a few things I learned along the way…

- always, and I mean 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤, have friends smarter than you

- your doctor cannot know everything, so please do not rely on one visit each year

- a $50K challenge can be found with a $100 test

- be your own health advocate, and if you cannot, have a strong friend that will

- carrying the stress alone is unbearable, share the load with those closest to you

- there can never be too many prayers lifted up on your behalf

- ask the questions, every question, and do not stop until they are answered

- faith will give you strength, family will pull you through

Agape en Christ,

𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆