“For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!”

—Job 19:25–27

Sometimes I joke that if I ever write a book about my various health issues over the years, I’m going to title it Misadventures with My Rebellious Pelvis.

For starters, I’ve had many struggles with my reproductive system. Sixteen years ago, the first issue was a grapefruit-sized uterine fibroid that had to be removed via laparotomy. (That is, a C-section without the bundle of joy to show for it).

The next procedure was a year later, a laparoscope to have adhesions from the laparotomy and endometriosis removed.

After giving birth to my children, I developed pelvic floor dysfunction and had a severe case of diastasis recti—in layman’s terms, separation of the abdominal muscles. Or, as my pelvic physical therapist put it, my abs weren’t on speaking terms.

Between having my son and my daughter, who are twenty-one months apart in age, I experienced my first kidney stone. In an effort to lose the postpartum baby weight—which my ob-gyn insisted I do before having another child—I adopted what I thought was a healthy diet. I juiced, scarfed down huge spinach salads, and drank a lot of soy milk.

They sent my stone for analysis, and the results indicated it was a calcium oxalate, the most common type. I’ve had at least two other kidney stones since then. Come to find out, the foods I was mass consuming were loaded with oxalates, which I didn’t even know existed. Once you become what’s known as a “stone former,” there’s a high probability you’ll have another one. (Ugh…)

I finally experienced some relief from my issues when I found a doctor here in Nashville who specialized in pelvic pain. After a series of treatments and another round of pelvic floor physical therapy, I was pain free and for the first time in years.

In 2019, I developed these bizarre fainting spells and had a headache for about two months straight. I visited a carousel of specialists, who examined, poked, and prodded me, but none of them could solve the riddle of my erratic health. At one point they thought I had a brain tumor because of a lesion they’d found. Let me tell you: you haven’t lived until you’ve had a hole drilled into your skull for a brain biopsy.

Thankfully, the LPN at my ob-gyn’s office realized that, based on the timing of my symptoms—the fainting spells and other indicators—it seemed to be connected to my ovulation cycles. The suggested remedy was taking birth control to “skip” ovulation and see if that resolved the problem. (I have a whole other rant about hormonal birth control, which I’ll save for another day…)

While the birth control did indeed stave off the fainting spells, it also made me insane.

I knew it wasn’t a long-term solution, and I discussed alternative paths with the LPN. She suggested an ultrasound, so we could have more diagnostics to make an informed decision about next steps.

The ultrasound revealed I had a uterine fibroid, as well as adhesions, probably caused by my previous surgeries. My ob-gyn wanted me to have another laparoscope procedure to remove the fibroid. I said, “Look, if you’re going in there, please just take all of it out.” My doctor agreed, and in January 2020—right before the Covid-19 pandemic, which likely would have made it impossible for me to have the procedure—I had a complete hysterectomy.

As soon as I emerged from my anesthesia-induced stupor, I felt like myself again. I sighed deeply and offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving to God for the relief I already felt.

I could say a lot more regarding everything I’ve learned about my various ailments, as well as the mistakes I made and the things I wish I’d known then that I know now.

In spite of these challenges and regrets, I’m grateful for any healing the Lord has wrought in my life. While all of my physical problems haven’t been resolved, I can still trust in His goodness, grace, and love.

No, these physical bodies weren’t made to last. But one day, Jesus Christ will return. When He does, He’ll make all things new—including our bodies, as beautifully stated in Job 19:25–27. And like Job, my heart yearns within me for that day.

With love in Christ,

Amanda

xoxo

Scripture taken from the New King James Version^®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.