The Diagnosis

They take pictures of mountain climbers at the top of a mountain. They’re smiling, ecstatic, triumphant. They don’t take pictures along the way cause who wants to remember the rest of it? We push ourselves because we have to, not because we like it. The relentless climb, the pain and anguish of taking it to the next level. Nobody takes pictures of that. Nobody wants to remember. We just want to remember the view from the top. The breathtaking moment at the edge of the world. That’s what keeps us climbing. And it’s worth the pain. That’s the crazy part. It’s worth anything.

This week is Invisible Illness Awareness week, and this year I was going to be ready. There is a little pile of posts in my draft box, just waiting for this week to come around. But you see, I'm going to have to postpone my little Invisible Illness Awareness series, just for today.
Something happened today in that little doctor's office on a little street in Edmonton. I got the news I have been waiting for for three years. Today I got a diagnosis.

Last night, I met up with my friend Crystal for supper. We had an amazing time, and it felt wonderful to finally put a face to the name and meet this wonderful woman whom I had been emailing almost every week for the past little while.
And this morning we went to that little doctor's office on that little street. This doctor, he's something special. He is truely amazing, and I am so grateful to have ended up in his office. We talked with a nurse for about 45 minutes, going over my history and what not, and - after showering in the sinks - we saw the doctor. Within a few minutes of seeing us, he asked, "Do you want to know what's wrong with you?"
Could someone really tell me that? Could there really be someone who could tell me this thing which I have been waiting 3 years to hear? Hope gripped my heart.
He confirmed the diagnosis we have been suspecting... dysautonomia.

Today is my day. Today is the day I was given the diagnosis I have been waiting for for years. Today is the day when I finally close the chapter on the un-diagnosed section of my life, and open up another one.
I am so grateful to everyone who has walked this journey with me - through praying for me, and sending me encouraging messages, and standing by me through every medical test and doctor's appointment.
I am ready to open this next chapter of my life. I feel like I have reached the top of one mountain, and there are still so many more adventures out there waiting for me. I am excited about what the future will hold for me, and where this journey of life will take me.