March 2001 Where there is suffering, there are also blessings:)

March 2001...What a month this has been. It has been hard physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. I have been getting inspiration from St. Therese of Lisieux, though! I try to remember that there were often times when she, too, felt, confused and spiritually "arid" as she would say. I don't feel arid, really, but this month has been very hard.
The doctors think I may have something other than Myastenia which is causing the vision and breathing troubles. They believe that it is autoimmune in nature but they are not quite sure. My labs continue to come back abnormal and I am getting progressively worse physically so it is very frustrating as they can not attempt to treat the disease until they find out what it is.
However, blessings do continue. This month our Parish was fortunate enough to be graced with a visit with a priest who has one of Bl. Padre Pio's gloves. As you know, Bl. Padre Pio is one of my intercessors so this was just a thrill. Thank you, Mirla and Perla for your help at the Church. We also had a speaker, Susan Tassone, speak about the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Hopefully, I will be able to share with you in the coming months some of the things she spoke about.
Again, your letters and guest book entries continue to encourage and inspire me. Thank you so much :) Thanks, too, for the prayers. I know that they have helped me gain strength both physically and spiritually.