The one with the health scare . . .

Having a broken limb or cut is one thing… but getting a health scare that could literally change everything is a whole new ball game and a sucker punch I wasn’t expecting.

I’m not writing this to gain any sort of attention etc. I’m sharing this experience because God moved and deserves the glory for it all!!

I’ve seen things in my 41 years of living that have no other explanation other than – God did it!! Many of you from my younger years or who have read my book know my mother was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease and she shouldn’t have made it this far. We didn’t even know if she was going to see my brother and I graduate high school. But she did. God moved – He healed her and still amazes me when I see His hand move.

Before I continue - the key verse that kept rising in my spirit these past few months was, 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. This was also a verse that came up in church yesterday. It is a difficult feat to stay positive when your flesh is begging you to crash out with anxiety.

I’ve had my fair share of hormone shifts and complications over the years but it was time to more aggressive with seeking answers as to what in the world was my body doing. I went to see an endocrinologist in September. Lots of bloodwork was done, two rounds in fact. I also had scans done to see if I had any ovarian cysts from PCOS. Praise the Lord all of that was coming back within normal ranges and no cysts were found.

I was told to make an appointment with an OB to talk about the female side of things. So, I did and we discussed results. Two small fibroids were found but it explains some discomfort I was experiencing all of which will be monitored.

Since I was getting everything else checked out, I took a step forward to get the dreaded, “Hey … you’re over 40, you need to get a mammogram screening done.” I put it off last year because I thought, “Ugh – I do NOT want to do that. That is going to be pushed to the edge of the table of scary things I don’t want to do.” Needless to say, I did it at the beginning of October, it went fine and I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it. It was just a routine over 40 scan, right?

During the appointment when the OB was discussing the ultrasound findings, I was told “There were two spots on the breast scans. You are going to have to repeat the scans and do some additional imaging so we can see exactly what is going on but don’t worry second scans happen sometimes.” I could feel myself zoning out and internally melting down.

I handled the appointment with as much grace as I possibly could and then fell apart in the parking lot with Matt. At one point I even said I wish I wouldn’t have gotten it done then I wouldn’t have known anything. Silly thought ... I know. Reassurances were said along with long big hugs.

For the past week and a half, I guess I still felt panic and have tried my best to stay as solid as I could. But sometimes my mind would wander.

I caught myself at the last softball game thinking about all the what ifs and who’s going to take care of my kids if this is the path we’re headed down? I was internally terrified.

I needed to stop.

So no google-ing, no researching, no going down rabbit holes. What I did do was try to stay busy with positive activities. I read my bible more, found myself praying more and cut out any music that wasn’t praise and worship music.

The song I had on repeat was “Another One”. There’s a part that reminds the listener that if our God did this …. Then He can do it again!!

'Cause if He told the sun when to rise
And it did, He will again
And if He told the storm to be still
And it did, He will again
And if He told the sea where to split
And it did, He will again
And if He told the walls when to fall
And they did, He will again
And if He told the chains when to break
And they did, He will again

And if He told the bones, come alive
And they did, He, come on, what else
And if He told the stone, roll away
And it did, He will again
And if He told the grave, let Him go
And it did, He will again
And again and again and again
And again and again and again
And I know You will again
'Cause He's good and He's faithful
Yeah, another one is on the way

Miracle after miracle
Open door after open door
Here it comes, so get ready for another one
'Cause another one is on the way

I didn’t share at first with anyone except for a few. I came to find out that getting second scans was more normal than I realized just like the doctor had mentioned. That gave me a sense of relief knowing people I actually knew had this happen too. But it didn’t mean it calmed my nerves completely. Hearing, “they found something” still had me pretty terrified.

So I went today for the next round of scans. I prayed this morning that the Lord would be with me the whole time and would be in the room with me. What was playing when I walked in for the second half of the exams? KSBJ – our local radio station. And what song was playing??? In Jesus Name by Katy Nichole. God knew what I needed because this was where the song was playing at:

I pray for your healing
That circumstances would change
I pray that the fear inside would flee in Jesus name

I closed my eyes and listened so intently to the lyrics as if it was carrying me through the next few minutes. And it was.

The nurse finished the scan and proceeded to walk out of the room. Before she left she said, “For peace of mind, I think you’re fine and it’s just a lymph node. I knew you needed to hear that, let me double check the findings with radiology and I’ll be back.”

She did and that was all it was. All I could say was Thank you Jesus and teared up.

This may have turned out differently and if it had then I believe God still would have used that circumstance for something for His glory.

Today – God made a way for me to still be healthy and I am so incredibly thankful for that blessing. Many women will go into that room and not have the opportunity to have such hopeful information brought back. My heart breaks for them and I pray for healing to be complete in their bodies.

It has been a whirlwind and wave after wave seemed stacked against us in many ways. But God still in all of His might and strength kept providing “another one” for us.

Don’t lose hope or yourself just because the waves haven’t calmed down yet. If He can keep showing up for me, He will keep showing up for you. In Jesus name!!

Love Always,

Author – Jamie Zenteno