Maybe you aren't old and tired; maybe you're sick and tired

I went in for a routine physical on Monday. On Tuesday am my doctor called me and told me I had to cancel my classes and go to a hematologist. My platelets were very, very low. They should be between 150,000 - 300,000 and mine were 12,000. If they fall under 20,000 you are at danger of bleeding. And I am anemic.

They thought it might be a B 12 or foliate deficiency. We went back today. The drug they put me on did not raise my platelets. All my blood work came back fine. We are waiting on the leukemia test and in the meantime they did a bone marrow biopsy (ouch!). The most likely scenario is either leukemia or aplastic anemia which will probably require a bone marrow transplant. Great, uh?

The thing is, when doctors over the past year or so would ask me if I was tired I would say "I have two small children, of course I am tired." I really thought it was normal at my age with two small kids. Those of you under 30 don't understand. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone, even Brian, that I was out of breath if I walked upstairs. Sustained exercise like water aerobics (with the other 80 year olds) was okay. But if I walked upstairs or across campus, I had a racing heart and was out of breath. But I thought it was because I was fat, out of shape and old.

Turns out that, while those thing may be true, it is not normal to feel that way.

Brian and I are asking for prayer in these specific ways:

1) A clear and true diagnosis

2) Wisdom, patience, guidance, strength to make the right decisions

3) For the kids - I have to admit I am scared.

4) And here we are about to close on land....and you all know how I am about money. I am almost as tight as Pat Abney.

Thanks.  But don't look at me like I have cancer or am dying. We don't know for sure yet and if so, there will be plenty of time to look at me that way because I will milk this. I have already told Brian that the first place we are going is to the fabric store because I will have the most awesome pillowcase in the hospital if that is required.