When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done
Count your blessings name them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it’ll surprise you what God has done
Watching my son grow
We were excited to begin our new life as parents but it was also a challenge as I was dealing with side-effects of the steroids and other medication. Because of steroid usage, I start bleeding whenever I don’t get enough sleep. The Lord blessed my son with a good sleep pattern and he was never cranky at nights (My wife was praying for this throughout her pregnancy). I was also dealing with few side-effects like Tenesmus and Diabetes but our bundle of joy made us forget all our pain. It was such a joy watching him grow and we were so thankful that God gave him in our lives.
I kept getting flare-ups whenever the Steroid dosage was lowered and in July 2009 I had another Hospitalization. This was my 1st Hospitalization after my son was born and we were totally dejected. That’s when the Lord strengthened us with:
We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed;
2 Cor 4:8-9
perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed
It was during this hospitalization that I was able to talk to another patient who had undergone Partial Colectomy (partial removal of the Colon) after a Colon rupture and clarify a few questions that I had regarding Colectomy. So, I believed the Lord allowed it for a purpose.
Recovery from Diabetes
One of the major side-effects of the 5-week hospitalization in Dec/Jan was Diabetes and I was on Insulin for 9 months. I was also taking Alternate Therapy medication that regulates Blood sugar. When my blood sugar dropped to 50s on two consecutive days (I woke up with lot of sweating), I tried stopping my Insulin while monitoring my blood sugar for a week. It became absolutely normal and I was overjoyed to be relieved from the painful Insulin dosage (12 pokes per day) while I was still on high dosage Steroids. At the time of discharge, I was told Blood Sugar may be controlled only after tapering Steroids or I might need medication for Blood Sugar for the rest of my life but Jehovah Rapha, the supreme healer led me to the right person at the right time and delivered me from Insulin dependency and my blood sugar is normal until today.
My son’s 1st birthday
As we were preparing for our son’s first birthday, I got another severe flare-up and was bleeding a lot. We were even considering canceling the Birthday Celebration after sending out all invitations. But by God’s grace, I recovered just in time for the birthday celebration though I had to take a high dosage of steroids.
I will never forget your precepts,
Psalm 119:93
for by them you have preserved my life
By God’s grace, 2010 and 2011 went by without any hospitalizations. My doctor tried his best to taper the Steroids but I was bleeding every time he lowered the dosage and I was put on a high dosage again. However, I was able to attend Church and a Bible Study regularly (I was asked to take an extra dose of Steroids whenever I go out). Being immuno-compromised meant that I would get infections very quickly and every infection caused bleeding. So, we decided to stay in the US as the risk of getting major infections or contagious diseases in India was greater.
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed
Psalm 57:1
My hope renewed
In the Summer of 2011, we attended a retreat @ Faholo Conference Center, Michigan organized by our Bible Study group. I usually avoid traveling as my symptoms get worse whenever I travel (due to Steroid related complications) but the retreat turned out to be a huge blessing for me. When the evangelist prayed for me, he specifically mentioned that he’s removing the “poison” from my body. I believed that the “poison” he referred to was the Steroid side effects. I didn’t have any bleeding or joint pain while walking during those 2 days (I even played Volleyball!) and came home renewed. I was disappointed when I got my symptoms again after a few days but this retreat experience renewed my hope and recharged me to get through the next few years.
When I read my Bible the next day, the passage for the day was Psalm 40 which is why we call the Scripture, “The Living Word”!
I waited patiently for the Lord;
Psalm 40: 1-3
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
The Crisis in 2012
My Steroid related side effects were getting worse and my Endocrinologist (as well as other Specialists) strictly warned against taking Steroids anymore. When steroid dosage was tapered, I started getting allergies and other withdrawal symptoms. When I lost a lot of weight, my friends and family freaked out and were very concerned. His word strengthened me:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God – 2 Cor 1:3-4
Hope renewed again
My hope was renewed again in July 2012 when an evangelist prayed for me and I noticed immediate relief from my symptoms. The bowel urgency was gone and I was able to go out comfortably for a week. Though the relief lasted only for a week, it renewed my hope again for my marathon journey.
Consultation with a Colo-rectal Surgeon
My doctor pushed me to consult a Colo-rectal Surgeon after my drastic weight loss. We consulted the best surgeon in our hospital and had a detailed discussion about the specifics of the surgery (Total-Colectomy) and post-operative care/recovery. He confirmed that my quality of life would be very poor and I would also need Steroids or other medication to treat the portion of the Colon which cannot be removed which meant that I would also need to deal with life-long Steroid related side-effects and long-term post-surgical complications. Me and my wife decided to go for surgery only if it was inevitable i.e God forbid I get diagnosed with Colon cancer or have a Colon rupture. However, this consultation helped us a lot in decision making when we had a bigger crisis later in 2014.
My doctor put me on a different category of drugs called Biological drugs (It was not given till then due to various medical reasons) but I ended up in the hospital with an increased heart rate caused by TachyCardia. I was in total despair as my mother also was hospitalized in India for Kidney failure and the doctors were planning to start dialysis for her but I was unable to visit her because of my bowel control issues.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by (Count your blessings)
Parents’ health crisis
The year 2013 started off on a bad note as both my parents’ had major health issues and I was even more frustrated that I couldn’t visit them. I had Haemorrhoids (a.k.a Piles) for nearly 6 months and was in unbearable pain as I had more than 20 bathroom trips every day with Haemorrhoids. His word was my only comfort. He strengthened me with:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2
I was determined to run with perseverance the race that was marked out for me. Finally, in May, I got relief from Haemorrhoids and thanked the Lord for His goodness:
“The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him”
2 Chronicles 16:9
India Trip
In August 2013, my mom passed away suddenly due to Congestive Heart Failure. She had recovered well from Kidney failure and after putting in so much effort for almost 2 years, this was a big shock for us. An unplanned India trip was new for me and I had a horrible time during the travel with so many bathroom trips but I managed to reach India safely for her funeral. Mom was a big source of encouragement for me and reminded me to “Lift up my eyes to the Heavens” every day when I called her on the phone. She had a vision 4 days before her death (she was a very pious person but had never used the word “vision” in her life earlier) in which she saw Jesus who promised her that I’ll be healed completely and that made my hope firmer. She set very high standards for us, her children and we were so touched when so many of her students sent us emails after her death. That’s when I realized that the purpose of life is to be a blessing for others. “Count your blessings” is one of Mom’s favorite songs.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. (Count your blessings)
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