Wow! I am surprised I have not written much in a while! I’ve been dealing with a lot.

October 22, 2025 marked ten years since I donated part of my liver to Lupe. Around our 10-year “liversary”, he started going to the ER quite a bit because of not feeling well. He found out that the anti-rejection medication was killing his kidneys. And unfortunately, he is unable to go on another one because over the 10 years of having part of my liver, he’s gone through all that were available. He is once again on a donation list, but now he needs a liver and a kidney. He was able to start dialysis and that has helped a lot.

I have been absolutely exhausted as well as some new symptoms; tingling in all my extremities and increased level migraine pain with sensitivities to light, sound, smell, heat, and taste. Not to mention all the other symptoms – pain in my abdomen, spinal pain, undiagnosed auto immune disease, migraines, weakness in my right leg…Ugh!

In November 2025, I was formally diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and in December 2025, I found out that the abdominal pain was probably from a small fat-containing incisional hernia that could be felt or seen on ultrasound if I was in a seated position. Crazy that I have had at least 8 ultrasounds and several CT scans over the last 9+ years and no one saw it.

In January 2026, I started the discussion of surgery for the hernia combined with a hiatal hernia repair with my medical team. My thought was, “I’m eventually going to need the hiatal hernia repair so why not do both at once so I have fewer abdominal surgeries?”

The PA said it sounded like a good plan we’d schedule it but the surgeon would make the final decision is March. I started praying that somehow it would be a “reset” for me.

When I met with my surgeon, she agreed to the plan, plus added that she would check for other hernias or weaknesses in the abdominal wall as well as remove scar tissue that could be causing me issues – “I’m hopeful this will be a reset for you Michelle!” I couldn’t believe she used the same words I had been praying!

My surgery was scheduled on April 7^th, just two days after Easter. As the date got closer, one day I was praying and I suddenly was reminded that the whole donation process started on Easter eleven years ago. (You can read about that here:waiting-for-an-answer-steps-of-faith-to-a-sacrifice/). And that my nurse the night before the donation was named “Easter” (You can read about that here: lessons-from-a-sacrifice).

And my upcoming Nissen fundoplication and hernia repair surgery would be exactly ten Easters from the donation surgery! It seemed crazy all of this would come to my mind. But isn’t that just like GOD?

I wanted a Bible verse to be praying and settled with Isaiah 43:18-19 “ Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a was in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

I invited people to pray over me the night before surgery and several verses were prayed and spoken over me:

Exodus 15:26 ”He said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your GOD and do what is right in His sight, obeying His commands and keeping all His decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.’”

Revelation 21:5 “And the One sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then He said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’”

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.”

Romans 5:3-5 “And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

It’s been days since surgery. It’s not been easy, but I am looking to GOD and trusting Him with the future. I was struggling for a few days and told Him I needed Him. I was watching a reel on Instagram and heard Song of Songs 2:11-12 “ See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”

Well, it’s rainy today, but it’s ok. Just like there is added pain today too, but a new season is coming!