God Ordained Interruption to Our Plans

My blog today I am sharing the letter my husband sent out to family and our church sharing about the many huge changes happening in our lives.

God has interrupted our plans in Phoenix. This is driven by Deb’s health (details below). My company approved our relocation to Denver where the company has a large branch while staying in the same job. We so appreciate the flexibility they have shown.

As you may have seen, this fall has been a very challenging time for Deb. Her chemical sensitivity, which had improved the last couple years, has returned with a vengeance and she is now worse than ever.

We started noticing more issues right after our son’s family flew home in September. It progressed to point that the last couple months that every time she would go out shopping or to a social event she would be laid up for 2-3 days or more with swelling throughout her body, all over joint and muscle pain, migraines, extreme fatigue, asthma, ringing ears and eyes that wouldn’t focus. She began joking that she needed a human sized, nontoxic, climate-controlled hamster ball to leave the house.

At first we thought we had missed something she was sensitive to, but when nothing seemed to help we went back to Deb’s doc on Jan 20. The doctor (who is both an internal medicine MD and a homeopath with specialized training on environmental illnesses) checked her blood work to rule out severe kidney disease and then figured out she is very reactive to a new chemical added to water tank trucks and street sweepers to settle dust.  

It turns out that starting July 15, 2013, the state mandated the addition of acrylic polymer to all of the tank trucks and street sweepers to keep our dust levels down to comply with EPA standards so the state can receive federal money for roads.  The military developed this acrylic polymer to spray down the desert sands in Iraq after they had helicopters crash from not being able to see in the dust. It is designed to cling to dust (and everything else) and being acrylic not likely to break down any time soon. This is what is causing Deb’s reactions.  In the middle of September, they began building a school a quarter mile from us as well as two large housing developments a few blocks away. We have not only the tank trucks spraying at the actual sites but the street sweeper goes by our home at least once a day.

After 2 ½ hours of detox treatment, her body was rid of some of the effects, the doc sent her home with maintenance meds to take three times a day. That seemed to help but only for three days. On Monday, Feb 3, after an even worse reaction the previous week, we went back to the environmental medicine clinic. They determined that she is even more sensitive than they first thought. She was given another treatment in the office and sent home with meds to take hourly and as needed when symptoms occur. They also told us she cannot go outside at all, even to sit on patio or work in her garden. In fact, they told us the best thing would be for her to move away from Arizona. We asked about just moving out of the valley (I could commute back) but we were told that this chemical is used across the entire state. Not the news we were expecting!! While still at the office, we asked questions about various places my company has decent size offices in regards to air quality, chemical pollution, etc.

Afterwards, as we were driving home, I told Deb three things.

1. I have no doubt God moved us down here. Deb heartily agreed.
2. I am willing to move wherever God has for us so Deb can have a healthier life and be able to go outdoors.
3. I know this will take time and I want us to remain engaged with our friends and church up until the time we leave.

It is funny how much life can change in a day!  On Sunday, Feb 2, we bought two apple trees to plant and 24 hours later we were talking about returning them back and listing the house. We have cried, talked, prayed and sought counsel from Chris and Tara and spent hours researching online. The following afternoon, I spoke with my boss about the situation, the information from our doctor and our own research.  The outcome was that we began to work on a proposal for me to transfer to the Denver office. Denver is a hub with short flights back to Phoenix or the headquarters in Houston (Spokane and Minneapolis for connection to family, too).

We are looking at suburbs midway between Denver and Boulder, since Boulder Colorado has top rated air quality.  We have been able to confirm they avoid many of the chemicals that we are concerned about, even mosquito fogging.  The communities we are considering are not near agriculture or coal fired power plants and benefit from the mountain breezes from the west.

There are other draws for Denver besides safe environment and job. There are two Sovereign Grace churches in the area, including one in Westminster in the area we are considering. It has been good to get to know Glynn McKinzie, the pastor, in our regional meetings. Boulder has a clinic with a doctor, with very similar credentials as the one who currently cares for Deb’s environmental illness, and will only be 20-30 minute drive.

God is so good and, while it is very hard to leave, we delight in God’s sovereign direction.  We love Grace Church and the time here has been the best 4 years of our lives, yet we are hopeful that Deb will once again regain much of her health and be able to minister to people and enjoy the outdoors. 

In the midst of these major changes, Joel's  93 year old Mom has contracted pneumonia and is wanting to see her kids as she believes her time to go home to the Lord is very near. We have been so blessed with much help from our dear brothers and sisters in the Lord from our church in Arizona as we have sped up our getting the home ready so we can go up to be with his Mom. Our caring friends have painted block walls outside, helped with yard work, hauling loads to the dump, storage unit and Goodwill and today I had a crew of 4 wonderful ladies help get our home thoroughly deep cleaned. Another brother from church is helping Joel sort, clean and haul to storage in the garage tomorrow. Tonight we signed papers with the Realtor, who is close friend from our church, and are shampooing carpets. If all goes as anticipated we will leave to drive to North Idaho to spend some precious time with Mom P.

This process has been a whirlwind. I have told friends it feels like being on a carousel going warp speed while on an emotional roller coaster at the same time. We have seen God's hand orchestrate so many details and trust His sovereign plan to meet our needs in the sell of this home and the actual relocating to Colorado.

  Proverbs 16:9 

The heart of man plans his way, 

but the LORD establishes his steps.

When God Interrupts - God's Sovereingty.

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This Canary is Flying Free!!

Today I am rejoicing and celebrating in God's goodness to me. Today I feel like a bird released from captivity in a cage to once again fly free!! I am so grateful and feeling so blessed!!

People with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) are often referred to as canaries as we react to things before others do much like the canary in the mines. I was diagnosed with MCS and chronic leukemia in spring of 2011. I have been getting so much worse in recent months and had lost so much of the ground I had gained in treatment in 2011. Yesterday had an appointment with my environmental doctor who is both an internal medicine MD and a homeopath. I went in feeling quite discouraged and imprisoned in my home. I was looking at a future of potentially being completely housebound and wondering how God would ever be able to use me to do ministry anymore or how I would be able to have others minister to me. I left feeling so improved and hopeful.

Yesterday, my doctor shared that beginning July 15, 2013, the state of Arizona required all construction water tanks, tank trucks and road sweepers to add this acrylic polymer dust suppressant to the water to help settle the dust. This was enacted to lower dust levels enough in the state of Arizona to meet EPA levels which would then enable the state to get federal funds for road building. 

Middle of September is when my increased symptoms began and just kept getting worse and worse.They progressed to the point that last week a short visit to a clothing store caused me to have all my respiratory swelling and asthma symptoms, brain fog and major fatigue, my whole body to swell up and have intense pain so I felt like I was 95 instead of 55. It took over two days for the symptoms to end. Really takes away any joy out of shopping! I have missed numerous events the last couple months due to my reactions including church. When I do attend, I come home sick as it seems the slightest bit of perfumes, scented body care and laundry products set me off.

Middle of September is also when they broke ground on a school they are building less than three blocks from our home. Also two new housing divisions a few blocks north of us started going in. As part of the dust control, besides spraying the nearby construction sites, they send a road sweeper down our street every day or so and of course the winds blow.

I tested very allergic to all acrylics and petrochemicals among many other things in spring of 2011 and went through a long detox process for them , as well as treating me with many supplements and homeopathic allergy drops to control reaction symptoms and 4 day allergy rotation diet.  After about a year I improved enough to function fairly well as long as I avoided certain exposures to fragrances and a few food allergies. Both my environmental doctor and my oncologist think many of my health issues may stem from having my childhood bedroom in an non-ventilated basement where my father also had his art room/silkscreen shop were he used acrylic inks, paints, and paint thinners etc. Of course in the 1960s and 1970s nobody was aware of the dangers of chemical exposures like we are today.

My appointment yesterday lasted over 2 1/2 hours! First Doc got all my monthly labs from the last year that I have for my chronic leukemia to make sure I had no kidney damage. Kidney damage was the only other thing he thought of besides these chemicals that would cause such full body swelling. After my labs confirmed no kidney disease (Praise God!!), he ran a couple tests and quickly confirmed it was as he had suspected – the dust suppressant. While I was there I had to take 20 bottles of oral homeopathic drops that have been designed to mitigate reactions and help my body begin to rid itself of the poisons. Every few bottles they would test my re-activity to decide how many more bottles. I was sent home with a maintenance dose of 10 drops three times a day. I was amazed how much better I felt physically and clearer headed I was afterwards. It was incredible and I felt better than I have since September!!

Last night on our way home we went to an organic gluten free pizza joint for dinner to celebrate and then went for quick trips into both Whole Foods and Target without any reactions!!! Praise God  I am not a complete prisoner of my home and will be able to take part in life !! Lord willing, I  should be able travel for my Dad’s 80th birthday in March and to go see two new grand babies due in the summer. Dancing for joy!!

 Please pray I continue to function well and can be involved in ministry to others as well being ministered to by them. Rejoice with us as we praise God for a better outcome than either of us anticipated and for such a drastic improvement in one afternoon!! I am praying we do not forget and lose the wonder and gratitude we are now feeling.

I am also so very thankful for how God ministered to me, while I was feeling poorly with my bad reactions, through His word and the loving concern of my husband and others. I am grateful for dear friends who would call or text me to pray or share scriptures with me.

Ephesians 3:20 

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us",

Feeling so blessed!

Deb