Amy's 'momentary trouble'

Several weeks ago, during Amy’s first infusion of post-surgical chemo, Amy mentioned to the nurse that she had been taking Lorazepam to counteract the nausea she experienced during her first round of chemo, but she had forgotten hers at home. The nurse said that she’d double check with the doctor, and if it was alright with him, she’d be back with it. After a short wait, she did come back with the medication but in a shot form instead. The nurse injected this into her IV and within minutes, Amy was asleep. Now, Amy’s been quite tired lately and has had little or no energy, so yesterday, while talking to her regular doctor, a little light went on and I told her about Amy’s fatigue and asked her if she thought that the Lorazepam might be the cause or a contributing factor in it. She said that one of the drug’s main side effects is drowsiness and gave Amy a prescription for an alternate anti-nausea medication called Zofran. Today she hasn’t been drowsy and when she actually went to take a nap, she couldn’t fall asleep! I’m not wishing that she can’t nap when needed, but it sure is great seeing her be a little more energetic. The only draw back to this change in medication is the cost; our co-pay for Lorazepam cost us $10, while our co-pay for the Zofran cost $50. Please consider this as a matter of prayer because while I have been VERY thankful for my insurance and couldn’t even imagine what we would have done without it, I am starting to see them question and push back more items and this is starting to have an effect on the UW. They are getting tired of waiting and passing the costs on to me and now I will have to act as a go between to get these resolved, taking time that I really don’t have.

Matthew 6:25-34
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'" "For the world eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

My mother was a worrier, she’d worry about money and paying bills, she’d worry about her children (where they were, what they were doing, what they were wearing and who they were with…and that’s just for starters!) and she’d always worry that dad would get upset with her for spending too much money on Christmas gifts for us kids. I am sure that’s why I have always held this passage close to my heart. One of my earliest memories as a young child was that of hiding in the downstairs bathroom with my mother in the old farmhouse in Janesville Iowa while the LP man knocked repeatedly at our backdoor. I sure that it had to do with a past due bill, but at the time I distinctly remember the feeling of fear…of trepidation…of feeling that this man…this stranger, wanted to get to us. A lot has changed since I was that fearful little kid and even as I look at the passage above with eyes and mind that are more mature, I still see the promises that initially drew me to this passage so many years ago, but now I also clearly see what isn’t mentioned and that is there is no promise that says your life will be without trouble, that there wont for bumps, unexpected turns and even heartache. What He does say however is of such magnitude that the bumps, turns, troubles and heartache pale and lose their distractive elements in comparison. He cares for us. Not only that, He knows our need and if He knows our need that means He keeps watch over us.
I’d like to say that I don’t worry, but that wouldn’t be true. I can say, however that I have a confidence and a hope that is born by the faith I hold in Christ. I have gone through some pretty harrowing ordeals and am in fact in the midst of the granddaddy of them all and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that He has been their for me every step of the way…through the tears…through the pain…holding us up by the prayers of the saints.

Like the song says, ‘Don’t worry…Be happy’

This is Amy's story as seen and told by me – V