Answered Prayer

I have long had a testimony that God answers prayers. I have seen it many times in my life. I also believe that God doesn't always answer prayers when you want or how you want, but they are answered.

On a recent trip to Arizona for Thanksgiving, I asked Alan and Parker to give me a Priesthood blessing because of my many medical issues and stress. They were happy to do so. I was hoping and praying that my back problems could be cured. These problems have been holding me back from fully enjoying life for quite a while now. I wanted a cure so when Alan retires in a few years we would be able to go on a senior mission together. I want to continue serving in the temple, but it has been difficult of late because of my hip and back pain.

Years ago, I had Bell's Palsy when I was in my last trimester with Kyle. I was cured of that through a Priesthood blessing. I KNEW God healed me. There was absolutely no question in my mind that God blessed me with a cure. I was healed almost instantly instead of the long, almost imperceptible healing the doctor had predicted. This cure surely strengthened my testimony that God does know us. He knows our wants and our needs, and he wants to help us.

I know that God is aware of my back and hip problems. I know that he can instantly heal me from those issues like he did with my Bell's Palsy. However, He knows all. He knows things that I don't. He knows what trials will make me stronger, so He will do whatever is best for me...not necessarily what I want him to do. 

Although I wasn't healed miraculously after my recent Priesthood blessing, God still answered my prayer. Since those injections, I have been basically pain free...which is almost as good as a cure. I am able to do things around the house that caused much pain before (like cleaning toilets). I went Christmas shopping for 3 hours yesterday with no pain. Normally, I would have to quit after about an hour because of pain. I am so pleased with the results of the injections.

I know that these injections are temporary fixes for my aging body, but I am still grateful for any kind of relief.

God does answer prayers! God does know us and is involved in the minute details of our lives. These things I know are true!

UPDATE (1-5-18): Unfortunately, the injections only helped for a couple of weeks. I really appreciated those weeks with little or no pain. They were a true blessing. Although the injections didn't work as well for my back as they did for my hip, I am disappointed, but I'm not going to let that get me down. I am moving forward with no regrets. I am grateful for trials that make us strong. 

I don't know where to go from here for my back. I am now in as much pain as I always was. I am trying to decide whether to continue to manage the pain with medications, redo the steroid injections in a few months, or to opt for surgery. Dr. Misra said that the type of surgery I need would be very painful with a long, difficult recovery of about 16 weeks. He said he would fuse my spine and also put some kind of a plastic spacer between my vertebrae that are bone on bone. He said there is about an 85% chance that it would be beneficial in the long run. Hummm, not sure I want to go through Hell in hopes that the surgery is successful. I'm really going to have to ponder and pray about what to do. For now, I'm managing my pain with medications, but I hate taking medications. Quite the dilemma.