Wednesday 3 March 2010

The Infection...

It's the strangest thing. I've found my chin and jaw suddenly mega-inflamed with an infection out of nowhere! I spent all day Tuesday waiting to see a Dr and get a prescription because the swelling became SO painful (pain pills don't seem to be helping anymore so there is a constant burning in my face...). There's nothing like needing medical care to make a girl really realize what it feels to be living in a foreign land! You feel SO vulnerable when you feel like you're falling apart and you don't know how the system works... I waited in a queue for 5 hours before I was seen for 10 minutes. Ugh. But I now have Penicillin for my chin infection, and folic acid drops for the sty on my eyelid!! The swelling has yet to go down. It's rendered half of my bottom lip useless. Strange sensation! The pain travels all the way down to my neck and back to my ear and it's hot all the way through... SO STRANGE!!! So hard and swollen and so much pressure in there... The Dr wants to cut and drain it if the Penicillin doesn't bring the swelling down in 2 more days... I look awful. Like I've been beaten up!

PLEASE pray with me for healing! I've never had anything like this! Brona said on Sunday that I look worn down, and then Monday night my body seemed to agree with her adding a red, swollen, infected face to the already burning red sty in my eye. My body tends to do this. Whenever I'm under too much stress, it lets me know. Breaking out in Shingles over and over and over, or developing a sty, or just going down sick. I've discovered I am a very holistic person this way. It doesn't help that my immune system is weak already from coping with Juvenile Diabetes since I was 7...

At any rate, the Lord is definitely giving me pause to think about how to keep from burning myself out. It's difficult when your job isn't a 9-5, but a lifestyle of service. Boundaries are not my strong suit (yet!) and I find more than ever this disturbing need to prove myself, to please everyone. So I've worn myself out trying to do every good thing I see needing doing, while longing to pour myself into the things He's given me passions for. I think He gives us passions for a reason, and intends for us to follow them. I'm just... sorting out how to... I've also got to learn to jealously guard my alone time, otherwise as ministry is people-based, I burn myself out being an introvert caught in an extroverted life! Some seasons emotionally I can handle more stress than others.

Hmmm. He is an adventure of the grandest kind. And I am His. So I trust that He'll sort me out as I seek Him on this. Any and all prayers would be welcomed though!!

I'm thankful for His grace which takes even an awful, painful infection and turns it into a lesson which points me to Himself...

2 comments:

Hannah said...

oh Leah-- that infection looks awful. Make sure you follow up with the dr. as it can spread all over your body and do nasty things. My friend Beth (who had Jonas??) just dealt with all this with her husband who was in the hospital for a month with an infection that wouldn't go away. Yuck. They are becoming so resistant to antibiotics. Do you remember the infection I got in my leg and they had to cut it open and we had to have a wick in it to draw the infection out. It was icky and took months to go away. I'll pray yours goes away with just the antibiotics. Not fun! Miss you!

Gabi Dickinson said...

Oh girl,
I am so very definitely praying. But He's so good. Imagine Him drawing goodness out of a nasty infection...I LOVE Him. He's always about purification :)

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