2010 seems like the longest year.

Or maybe it is 2011 and no one told me. (Nope, that can't be true. If it were, we would be on another year of insurance deductibles and I'm sure someone would be letting me know.)

I think I've spent the biggest portion of this year in doctor's offices or hospitals or waiting for results from the aforementioned visits.

Anyway, after much contemplation, rumination, and excogitation, the doctors appear to have a diagnosis for Jonathan. It seems he has a type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This accounts for the extreme pain in his joints, difficulty getting around and the falling/joints "giving way." While there is no cure, it can be managed with certain types of medication and physical therapy. He will also have regular tests done on his heart to see if there has been any change in the elasticity of the heart valves.

All in all though, it's not an insurmountable obstacle. He began physical therapy last week and the therapist is already beginning to see a strengthening of his tendons and Jonathan is beginning to see a lessening of his pain level. (a four instead of a six all the time.)

God is good.

And faithful.

We are grateful to have a diagnosis. We are grateful that, while not curable, it is manageable. We are grateful that Jonathan did not want to be a lumberjack or football player when he grew up. His life's ambitions are still obtainable even with physical limitations.

God is good.

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you're stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

--What Faith Can Do by Kutless

The LORD is the strength of my life... Psalm 27.1