Prayers for Miranda

Many of you have been asking about my sister, Miranda. I thought that this would be the easiest way to inform everyone... and the best way to gain a lot of prayer support on her behalf. I asked my mom for a synopsis of what Miranda is dealing with, and this is what she had to say...

"Basically, Miranda's body is attacking itself. She has tested positive for anti-nuclear antibodies, which points to a possible autoimmune problem like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or mixed connective tissue disease. Unfortunately, no one test exists to diagnose these issues, and an accurate diagnosis can take up to a year or more.

Currently, her working diagnosis is chronic idiopathic urticaria and angioedema, compounded this week by acute bronchitis and an asthma flare. Joint and deep tissue pain, random swelling that has even caused her to lose feeling in her fingers, hives that sometimes grow to the size of a volleyball, and extreme fatigue are some of her symptoms, on top of chest pain/tightness, coughing, and difficulty breathing this week. Angioedema even has the potential to cause a person's throat to swell shut, and some autoimmune diseases can attack the kidneys, heart, and brain. Miranda has had some sudden trouble with heart palpitations (since October) and migraines (since December), so we're taking this all very seriously.

Because of her symptoms, she is on several different drugs, most recently adding cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant given to transplant patients to help keep them from rejecting donor organs. As her doctor says, it is "real" medicine, and it comes with some serious possible side effects. Because it suppresses her immune system, she is more susceptible to infections and illness, and if she contracts them, her body may have difficulty fighting them off, which might be why she's so sick this week."

In short, she is one sick young lady. Just this last week, she has taken a turn for the worse. She has been out of school all week after getting sick last weekend following her junior prom. My parents are now looking at homebound education for the remainder of the school year because she will most likely be unable to return to school. Also, the doctors are not absolutely certain what is wrong with Miranda, so it's been trial and error up until this point. They have been in and out of doctors' offices, and they have seen so many different specialists. No one has found a concrete answer, so we still aren't sure what we're even dealing with.

Miranda is 17 years-old... a junior in high school... and much too young to be facing something so scary. We realize that God has a purpose and plan for everything, but that still doesn't make it any less scary for our human hearts and minds. Please join us in praying for answers... for healing... for courage... and for strength.

Thank you!