Hi all, welcome to Week 51! Margaret shares on how she sees God's care and support through a diagnosis of AL Amyloidosis. It is always encouraging to hear where others see God at work through difficult and uncertain times. Praise God for his timing! And thank you, Margaret, for sharing your experience.
In Margaret's words...
Seven years ago I was diagnosed with AL Amyloidosis, a rare blood disorder related to multiple myeloma. I felt that God had drawn my attention to this by getting me to ask my GP to test my urine which was full of protein, a bad sign! A prompt referral to the renal clinic and a bone marrow biopsy led swiftly to my diagnosis.
The consultant breaking the news to me was quite tearful as the prognosis was so poor. Many people were praying for me! I started chemotherapy and the side effects were not too bad, thankfully. This helped a little but they decided that I needed to take a second type of medication to try to improve my response to treatment. This was more unpleasant and did not do the trick so I was offered a stem cell transplant- rather dodgy at my age of 70.
It involved having a lethal dose of chemotherapy and then receiving stem cells which had previously been harvested from my own bone marrow. This allowed the bone marrow to function again. The whole experience was very unpleasant but I felt that God was with me. And people kept praying!
I gradually recovered and was enjoying visiting our daughter in Abu Dhabi and our son in Nashville and life in general. After 4 years following the transplant my condition relapsed and I was faced with either a second transplant or further chemotherapy. I am so grateful to God that a new form of biological therapy was now available and I have been on that ever since with no side effects.
I have felt that God was looking after me throughout the whole process. To me, it is a miracle that new effective treatments became available at just the right time. I am so grateful to all the people who have looked after me so skilfully and for all those prayers!
Thanks be to God!
Margaret is a retired GP who likes visiting her grandchildren who live in USA and UAE. She helps with the youth work at St Matthew’s church and assists their treasurer - as far as possible!
Thank you all so much for reading this story about God connecting with his people. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Until next time,
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