Today is My Anniversary!!!!

Congratulations, Shannon! Praise be to God!! Ten years ago today a frail 12 year old girl woke up from a coma, in which she was supposed to die. It was actually two days ago, ten years ago, that I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had gone into the late stages of ketoacidosis without any knowledge of the disease under whose power I had fallen. For several weeks I had been drinking obscene ammounts of water and craving sweet canned fruits. Eating and drinking constantly I had become very skinny which went essentially unnoticed. My body had stopped producing insulin, which delivers sugars to body cells. All of the sugar/carbs I consumed went straight into my blood stream and stayed there, and since my body was not receiving nourishment it began burning fat cells at an extreem rate- causing rapid weight loss and ketosis- huge ammounts of acid and chemicals in my body. Finally, on Christmas night I began haulucinating. The next morning my parents figured out that this was a serious situation (before then they reasonably thought that I had the flu- we are generally a very healthy family!). My last memory was my father carrying me down the stairs and hoping that he wouldn't drop me.

My parents took me to our family doctor who smelled my breath and immediately directed that an ambulance be called. Yes, that sounds funny :-), but he recognized the syruppy sweetness and acidic smell and knew that I had ketoacidosis. I don't remember all of the details- I was asleep, in and out of ketoacidosic comas, but I know that my vital signs went wack and noone thought that I was going to live. The MD took my parents into a comfortable room and told them to "prepare themselves for the very real possibility that their little girl would not be going home." I had a 1 in 10 chance of living, and if I survived I had a 1 in 3 chance of not having completely debilitating brain damage. At this point my mom went into shock. My father heared from God. "Shannon's going to be fine. A week from now she will walk into this hospital under her own power." So my dad boldly shaared what God had told him with the unbelieving (non-Christian) doctor. They thought he was in denial, but he was confident and unwavering in God's word to him. My mom gave me fully to God in her heart, and His peace came to her.

I guess I started responding somewhat to the voice of my father, by the twitch of my foot. I was taken in an ambulance to Rochester, NY, to the pediactric unit of the hospital there. As I stated, details are fuzzy, but having falling into another coma I awoke in complete health on Dec. 27, 1995. When I was informed that I had diabetes I remember whispering, "I'm twelve years old and I'm falling apart." But then my mother told me how God has spared my life, and how thousands of Christians had been praying for me all accross the country. I praised God for His mercy and power, and I thanked Him for my diabetes. I went home from the hospital with the conviction that God had a purpose for my life, and that it was not fulfilled yet.
A week from my diagnosis I went with my father back to the hospital where I was first cared for and met several of the nurses which were on duty that day. Many happy tears :-)

Having diabetes has not been easy. Shots and injections hurt, I have to have a constant awareness the way foods and activities will affect my blood glucose levels. I face possible complications ranging from amputations to kidney failure to heart disease beginning as early as 5 years from now. But I know that God will withhold No Good Thing from me. I know that I will be able to accomplish God's will for my life More effectively with diabetes than I could have without. And I live knowing that when God is ready He can and will heal me, in His way.

So Congratulations, Jehovah Rophe! You are my healer, and You are my God! Thank You for Your Greatness, Power, and Mercy in my life!!!!!!!!!!

I Love You,
Shannon