Life is never dull…
when it comes to my health
Once again I have the CD player on with this song on repeat. I’m realizing I had a couple typos from when I had posted it two times this year - on Mother’s Day and my birthday. This song’s words are powerful, and then add the Gaither Vocal Band’s harmony and dynamics, and the orchestration … it makes it incredible for me! Repetition of God’s message to me, through music, pours it into every crevice of my heart.
Through
by Gloria Gaither, William J. Gaither, and Michael Sykes
When I saw what lay before me
“Lord,” I cried, “What will you do?”
I thought He would just remove it
But He gently led me through
Without fire, there’s no refining
Without pain, no relief
Without flood, there’s no rescue
Without testing, no belief
Through the fire, through the flood
Through the water, through the blood
Through the dry and barren places
Through life’s dense and maddening mazes
Through the pain and through the glory
Through will always tell the story
Abba God who’s power and mercy
Will not fail to take us through
Shortly after we got back from Hawaii Glen and I got quite sick. It has probably been the cruddy cold going around and with airplane travel it is dry…. thus more vulnerable to getting a bug. I need not go into details on that. Just want to share a strange/unique twist in things for me. I hadn’t felt like eating much of anything and when a friend brought different chicken noodle soups that hit the spot. But the first actual meal I made (from scratch) was Sat nite when I made a stovetop/microwave version of my recipe with chicken breasts, rice, and cream of mushroom soup. It was very good. After I ate I noticed under and alongside my tongue kind of hurt when Glen offered me some rainbow sherbet in Squirt. By time I went to bed I felt a bit odd. Soon I noticed I had a lump on my neck and indeed my neck was swelling, and swelling, and swelling. By morning the swelling on the right of my chin was completely from my chin/jawline down to the top of my clavicle and back to my ear. I looked like a chipmunk!!! My new, endearing name from Glen is Ja-Alvin. 
Sunday morning we went to urgent care and learned I have a ‘stone’ in my salivary gland and infection with that. I have been on Penicillin and also asked for a cough suppressant for my cold and continuing to drink lots of fluids. After 2 days the feverishness of that area subsided and my coughing is now subsiding enough that I am getting some soild blocks of sleep. It is very good to know I am improving and this will be gone soon. After the infection subsides I will probably find out if it somehow came out (though the doctor could not feel it). I read online, if not, or if swelling is reoccuring a surgery procedure is necessary. I have an appointment with my regular doctor next Monday.
None of the people I have been in contact since then have heard of such a thing!! I did a trusty internet search in the middle of the night to at least have an idea. Ends up when you eat and saliva comes into your mouth, if there is full or partial obstruction of the gland the saliva gets backed up into the gland. That causes swelling and also infection at times. The other thing they prescribed was to suck on sour candy as that really makes our salivary glands work!! The doctor also noted to not take Sudafed… as it dries you out. I asked what she thought could have caused this. She said I may have gotten dehydrated early on in my illness. So much for thinking I was drinking enough water on the plane, I guess.
So when I go on a long airplane ride again, I will not only take my own water along (which I had) but also ask for more water, and be sure to have a stash of Ricola sugar free lemon drops! My new friend!!!!!!!! Ree— co-la!!
I agree, Sheryl, how thankful I am this illness came at the end of our trip rather than at the beginning!!