October 3, 1997 Update:
The latest to report on my health involves bad news and good news.
First, the bad news. I'm not sure if this is just a temporary setback,
or a (irreversible?) downhill slide,
but I am degenerating daily. I can now only walk about 30-40 steps a
day, and each is laborious and
with some pain. The wheelchair is feeling more and more like home. My
head tremors have gotten
worse; my energy levels are steadily decreasing. My mom recently pleaded
with me not to return to
teaching this semester. I keep missing days. My department chairman has
discussed cutting back my
load to two days a week. I am concerned for the quality of education
that the students get. Continuity is
a large part of that quality. It may be that I will have to cut one or
more classes; we'll make that
decision within the next two weeks.
The good news: My doctor recommended that I go to the Mayo Clinic in
Minnesota (the best place in
the country for neurology) for a more specific diagnosis and for some
special help. I called the Clinic on
October 1 to get an appointment; they said they might be able to work me
in by December. My doctor
was not at all pleased with that, so he wrote a letter, seeing if I can
get in earlier. He said that
December is simply too late. So, we started praying for an opening
within the next two weeks. Mayo
Clinic called me back on October 3: an appointment for October 14 has
been set. When I asked if this
was in response to my doctor's letter, they said, "What letter? We have
not received it yet. Actually,
when our doctors looked at the symptoms you described, they felt it was
necessary to get you in very
quickly." Praise the Lord for his timing!
There is one thing to pray for specifically: that all the hospitals and
doctors I have seen will cooperate in
getting the medical records to me. Mayo needs to see all the records; at
least one hospital has been
completely uncooperative so far (we've tried for six weeks to get
records from them). My folks have
been very concerned and responsive through this. Since the Clinic is
outpatient only, I would have to
stay in a hotel. My mom and dad will drive in, house me and feed me, and
transport me for the 2-5
days of testing. It's great to have parents who make such sacrifices! My
dad has had to cancel a
month-long missions trip to Ethiopia. I am grieved that he will miss
this, but I understand. I'd do the
same for one of my children.
God is good, isn't He? He truly shows his love through his people.
Prayer warriors through the Internet,
the seminary family, friends around the world, my church (especially my
mini-church), and above all my
dear Pati have demonstrated God's love in ways that are truly
inexpressible. I am blessed beyond
measure.
In his grip,
DBW
-- "Eric S. and Karol-Ann Weiss" http://home1.gte.net/eweiss/index.htm eweiss@gte.net