Alive and Well
This past week, after a couple of lovely hospital stays here in Montgomery and at UAB in Birmingham, I was informed by a doctor that, yes indeed, I have CHRONIC PANCREATITIS.
For those of you who are just now tuning in to the Eric Gwin Saga, let me just attempt to quickly catch you up to speed. Back in 2001, about 2 months after my first CD was released, I was struck with pancreatitis, which is a painful inflammation of the pancreas that can strike without warning. At that time, it did all sorts of things to me, not the least of which was it's causing my pancreas to swell up, causing the lower half of my lungs to collapse. I almost died in 2001, but thanks to some quick-thinking doctors and THE GRACE OF GOD I survived. 10 days in the hospital, a gall-bladder removal surgery, and 20 pounds lighter, I felt like a new man.
Now, flash forward to 2004, 3 years later, almost to the day: it strikes again. This time the doctors are stumped. What was the cause? I went a specialist in Birmingham, who did a procedure on me using some really cool surgical tools (I just saw them on the way into the OR and they LOOKED cool, but I was asleep after that!). They thought the problem was solved, and it was for a whole year and a half.
Now, 2 weeks ago I began to feel some old familiar pains again. It took another week in the hospital for them to determine that I am indeed CHRONIC. What does this mean? Well, it means that no matter what I do to my body (diet, exercise, etc.), I'm still going to get it.
So, am I worried? Does this bother me? Not at all. No...really, it doesn't. Why? Because I'm ALIVE. God has taken care of me, and he's blessed me with so much. Check this out:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
You know what I feel right now? JOY. I have joy because my faith has been tested MANY TIMES and I'm still standing. If you don't believe me, go to my MySpace Page and click on my song, "Alive", and you'll see what I mean. That song SCREAMS of my joy!
If you're going through struggles, God's always going to be there. ALWAYS.
Until next time, GOD BLESS!
--Eric G.
For those of you who are just now tuning in to the Eric Gwin Saga, let me just attempt to quickly catch you up to speed. Back in 2001, about 2 months after my first CD was released, I was struck with pancreatitis, which is a painful inflammation of the pancreas that can strike without warning. At that time, it did all sorts of things to me, not the least of which was it's causing my pancreas to swell up, causing the lower half of my lungs to collapse. I almost died in 2001, but thanks to some quick-thinking doctors and THE GRACE OF GOD I survived. 10 days in the hospital, a gall-bladder removal surgery, and 20 pounds lighter, I felt like a new man.
Now, flash forward to 2004, 3 years later, almost to the day: it strikes again. This time the doctors are stumped. What was the cause? I went a specialist in Birmingham, who did a procedure on me using some really cool surgical tools (I just saw them on the way into the OR and they LOOKED cool, but I was asleep after that!). They thought the problem was solved, and it was for a whole year and a half.
Now, 2 weeks ago I began to feel some old familiar pains again. It took another week in the hospital for them to determine that I am indeed CHRONIC. What does this mean? Well, it means that no matter what I do to my body (diet, exercise, etc.), I'm still going to get it.
So, am I worried? Does this bother me? Not at all. No...really, it doesn't. Why? Because I'm ALIVE. God has taken care of me, and he's blessed me with so much. Check this out:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
You know what I feel right now? JOY. I have joy because my faith has been tested MANY TIMES and I'm still standing. If you don't believe me, go to my MySpace Page and click on my song, "Alive", and you'll see what I mean. That song SCREAMS of my joy!
If you're going through struggles, God's always going to be there. ALWAYS.
Until next time, GOD BLESS!
--Eric G.
