Where has 2010 gone?

2010 has come and is halfway gone. It is July and so much has changed yet again in my life. I know life continues to change but I feel like more than usual has changed.

I made it through my first year teaching and it was amazing. I was rehired to continue teaching Kindergarten at the same school! What a blessing! We will have 12 kindergarten classes this year as our school continues to grow. I have already begun preparing for my new students. It was hard letting go of the last group but they are ready to move forward and learn in 1st grade. The last day was harder than I thought it would be. My entire class, including the boys, were sad to be leaving. The girls were balling their eyes out and the boys were giving hugs and being sweet. I can't wait to see them when school starts back. I have been given a new portable that will not have holes and will not be falling apart.

My family is doing well. My brother recently got engaged to a very sweet girl. We are excited for her to be apart of the family next year. God has blessed them both with each other. They are just a perfect match.

My health is still in pieces but we are starting to get answers. For those who want the update, here it goes...
4 1/2 years ago I began having health issues that no one could figure out. I have seen every kind of doctor and some more than once. I went to Mayo clinic and had no luck. The doctors there told me I was fine and nothing could be done. I found that very hard to believe and so I continue to try and figure out what is wrong. I have become an advocate for my own health and have done my own research and taken it to the doctors. At the beginning of 2010, I was frustrated. Still no answers and nothing seemed to be getting instead I was getting worse. I began having GI (gastrointestinal) problems. After 2 months of nausea and no appetite, I decided to see a GI doctor. It is never easy picking a doctor out of no where. My primary didn't have any amazing doctors for GI so she gave me some names and I was left to do it on my own, yet again. I researched the doctors and chose one. It took me a little to get in but once I was in the doctor began immediately with testing. He discovered I had reflux after a endoscopy and he wasn't stopping there. My blood work was a little off so he wanted to further the tests. I had a gastric emptying scan, which was by far the worse test I have had done. Not because it hurt but because it was 4 1/2 hours of sitting and waiting. The results came back and they found something. This was a HUGE answer to prayer. For those that know, this has been a very long and hard road with no diagnosis and unending questions.

I have gastroparesis. In simple English, my stomach does not digest at a normal rate. This is causing the nausea and lack of appetite. Come to find out, again after my own researching, this is caused by Scleroderma. I was diagnosed with Scleroderma 4 1/2 years ago but every doctor I've seen told me I had no signs of the skin condition and told me they could not help me. The GI issues were evolving over this period of time and thanks to the GI doctor I randomly chose, I now have an answer!!! Praise the Lord. I will be going to see him and the new rheumatologist to figure out our plan of treatment to help. This is not something that will ever go away, of course unless the Lord wants to, but it can be managed. I am glad that things are finally starting to make sense. Of course there are still more health issues that have no solution yet but it just gives me a glimpse of hope and a renewed faith that God does have perfect timing and he is choosing when to share things with me.

As the summer is halfway over, I have gotten to relax with different vacations and just enjoy my life and the little things. I've been able to read books for pleasure and not because I have to! For the second half, I will be busy preparing for the new school year.