Some of you have inquired about my health, so I wanted to share some good news.
For a long time now, my blood pressure has been very low. Along with that, I have carried a heavy fatigue, so deep it is hard to put into words. Most of us assumed it was just part of Addison’s disease and the cancer medications I am on. Both are known to cause exhaustion, and I had accepted it as part of life.
However, during a recent visit with my nephrologist, we discovered something I had forgotten. Thirteen years ago, I was put on amlodipine, a blood pressure medicine, not because I had high blood pressure, but as a way to protect my one kidney by reducing the pressure of blood flowing through it. Over the years, I hardly thought about it.
My nephrologist noticed how low my blood pressure had been and suggested we stop the medicine for now. If it rises too high later, we can always resume at a lower dose.
The difference has been nothing short of remarkable. Within 48 hours of stopping the medication, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted. The fog of fatigue began to clear. On the second morning, I woke up wide awake at 4 a.m., something I had not experienced in years. My blood pressure has held steady in a normal range, and I feel more alive than I can remember in a very long time.
Even Betty and my family noticed the change almost immediately. They told me they could see it in my face and in the way I carried myself. I no longer look so worn down. I do not feel as low, exhausted, or weak. It is as if a burden has been lifted.
It made me think of my dad. He always had low blood pressure, and the doctors used to tease him by saying, “With blood pressure like that, you will probably live forever, but you will feel like you are dead.” I know a little of what he went through, but now I am thankful to be on the other side of that fog.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude. After years of pressing through weakness, it feels like I have been given a breath of fresh strength. I cannot help but praise the Lord for this turn of events. Life feels lighter, brighter, and more hopeful today than it did just a short while ago.
God is good.