Perspective
Isn’t it true that a situation can be so different when looking at it from a different perspective? How often do you find yourself completely absorbed in your own situation only to turn the corner and see one that is by far much more compelling? I had that experience this week.
Ashton had her seven-year well visit on Wednesday. Right as her appointment was ending, the Doctor mentioned checking her cholesterol. I thought that quite odd and he wavered on whether it was really necessary. Then the dreaded words that I hate to hear, “I only really check it at this age if the parents have high cholesterol and there is a family history of heart disease”. So, here we go down this long road of trying to outsmart our cursed family genes.
I am still in amazement at how much I can worry about Ashton. I realize that may seem strange but for someone that never thought she would have children, it still surprises me the angst that I feel for her health and future. I realize, all too well, that life is not a guarantee and her good health now may not last forever. I don’t want to sound all gloomy, I do look at the glass half full, but when you yourself have almost died, it’s hard not to think about tragedy.
While Franklin is a relatively healthy guy, I on the other hand have had my fair share of medical experiments on my body. So far, Ashton had defied the odds and made it to age seven completely healthy and by-passing the three surgeries I had by age seven. I was starting to believe that she would be the lucky one that took after her Dad and not endure numerous medical problems. Well ... at least she made it seven years.
So here I sit and think about what the test results will mean for Ashton. It is not life-threatening but it could be, and likely will be, a life-long problem that she will have to manage. From where I sit, this was a really stressful day. I worry about what it means down the road for her. I worry about how I will handle it without giving her a complex and thinking that something is wrong with her. I worry about the research and how there is not very much in regards to healthy children with this problem. What does that mean for her? Is there reliable evidence of what our next steps should be? From my perspective, this is a shocking blow for my healthy girl.
Waking up from a stressful night of little sleep, I turn on The Today Show. I hear about a little girl that was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer at age three. She had to have a mastectomy. Talk about a change of perspective. Thank you God for reminding me that even small problems in our health are not a reason to stop trusting you.
Now I sit and think that while this could be a life-long problem for Ashton, it is manageable. And managing it can prevent heart disease. We can outsmart those family genes! And, imagine the advancements in medicine that could occur in her lifetime! All I really need to do is stay on top of it and evaluate it regularly so that we can make sure we are giving her the best chances of entering adulthood without problems.
And I need to remember that I am fortunate and blessed with Ashton. I need to remember to put my stress in perspective and channel it into prayers for others. I need to remember to be thankful that even though there is a problem, it is manageable and not life-threatening. It really could be so much worse.
While I realize that putting things into perspective should come naturally, often times it doesn’t. I pray daily that God will help me keep His perspective in all that I do. Most importantly, I pray that it is He that keeps my perspective in check and not waking up to hear of something much worse than my own problems. I’m happy to report the little girl is doing well and has a very good chance of life-long health.
I’ll end on that note.
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