Faithful Tomorrow

What seemed like an ordinary eye appointment became a powerful reminder that God is often at work and faithfully caring for us even before we recognize danger.

Christmas had just passed and we were looking forward to hosting our annual pork and sauerkraut meal on New Years Day. I headed out the door to take Joy to a routine eye exam and planned on picking up a few grocery items on the way home.

During the examination, the doctor noticed something that troubled her. I asked what it might mean and she explained that what she was seeing was not a diagnosis in itself, but rather a sign of an underlying disorder.

She was concerned about a brain tumor or pseudotumor cerebri (which is a false brain tumor.) Although it is not actually a tumor, the brain behaves as though a tumor is present. The ophthalmologist said, “Joy must be seen by a neurologist asap.”

I immediately contacted her neurologist and was able to schedule an appointment for the following week.

That in and of itself was amazing because if you’ve ever tried to get into Neurology you know that sometimes it can take up to a year to get an appointment. And on top of that it was New Years week.

We began our new year by taking Joy to see her neurologist.

As the doctor examined her I said, “Joy has not had anything to eat or drink this morning so that you can do a spinal tap if needed.

He replied, “There’s no way she’ll be tested today.”

My heart sank. He left the room, but when he returned, everything had changed.

“He said, We just got a cancellation. Joy can have a CAT scan and spinal tap today. Can you be back at 1:00 PM?”

I immediately replied, “Absolutely.”

When the doctor left the room, the nurse looked at me and said “This never happens. You just had your own little miracle.”

After the CAT scan and spinal tap, the doctor informed us that Joy’s cerebrospinal fluid pressure was 360. A normal reading is around 200. This elevated pressure inside her head was being transmitted to the back of the optic nerve sheath, causing swelling of the optic discs—the very thing the eye doctor had noticed. Left untreated, this swelling could permanently damage the optic nerves, resulting in vision loss and potentially even blindness.

Hearing those words was sobering. As parents, the possibility that our nonverbal daughter could lose her vision was frightening. We were grateful that the problem had been discovered before irreversible damage had occurred.

Then came a remarkable statement from the middle aged neurologist. He said, “In all my years of practice, I’ve seen only one other case diagnosed by an eye doctor. In virtually every other case, the headaches and vomiting became so severe that patients sought medical attention long before seeing an ophthalmologist.”

The significance of that statement was not lost on us. What had seemed like a routine eye appointment had, in reality, uncovered a serious condition before it progressed further. Only God could have worked out each of these details.

The neurologist immediately lowered Joy’s intracranial pressure by draining cerebrospinal fluid during the spinal tap and reduced the pressure to 200. He also prescribed a diuretic to help control the condition.

A few weeks later Joy returned to the ophthalmologist for a recheck. I was shocked when she said there was still swelling present in both eyes.

The neurologist discussed the possibility of another spinal tap, and if that was unsuccessful, a shunt might need to be surgically placed to lower the pressure and preserve her eyesight.

Once again, we found ourselves waiting, praying, and trusting God through the uncertainty.

The next month Joy was seen again by the eye doctor.

This time the news was encouraging.

“Joy’s eyes look better,” the doctor said. “The swelling is going down.”

Although Joy would need ongoing monitoring to ensure the swelling did not return, we were so thankful for this positive report.

As I look back on this entire experience, I see God’s hand at work every step of the way.

• The ophthalmologist accurately recognized papilledema.
• Joy received a neurology appointment in less than a week, despite it being New Year’s weekend.
• The neurologist acted quickly to arrange a CAT scan and spinal tap.
• A cancellation opened the schedule, allowing Joy to have both procedures on the very day of her appointment.
• Treatment began immediately.

God was so good to us. His timing was perfect, and His provision was evident at every turn. We saw His divine hand guiding every detail of Joy’s care—from the unexpected eye appointment to the encouraging improvement in her condition. When fear threatened to overwhelm us, God faithfully provided strength, hope, and reassurance. Looking back, we can clearly see that He met every need along the way.

God was faithful then.

He is faithful today.

He will be faithful tomorrow.