Behind the Scenes: Author Lillian Duncan writes about healing, struggles with her own health

Neuro…What?

That’s what I said when my doctor told me I had Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) in 2012. It didn’t seem like such a big deal. After all, I felt fine and wasn’t really having any symptoms that I knew of.

But I was wrong—really wrong! It was a big deal. So what exactly is NF2? It’s an extremely rare genetic condition that allows tumors to grow anywhere on the nervous system, but especially the brain (almost always on the auditory nerve and vestibular nerve) and the spine.

So how has NF2 affected me? Without going into all the gory details, since being diagnosed I’ve had two gamma knife surgeries, three rounds of chemo, and countless months of being on steroids. Because of the tumors and/or the treatments, I’ve experienced chronic fatigue, balance issues that affect my mobility, complete deafness in one ear and partial deafness in the other, neuropathy and severe pain in my arms and legs, as well as a multitude of “less important” symptoms.

One of the most frustrating things is knowing that a new tumor (or even new symptoms) can happen at any time and restart the whole process once again. It’s been a difficult journey but … God has been my comfort throughout it. He’s given me a supernatural peace and joy that surpasses understanding.

After all I’ve written about NF 2 you might think it’s a sad and depressing story, but you’d be wrong. The tagline for my novel Puzzle House is a novel of healing and hope.

GIVEAWAY INFO: To celebrate the release of Puzzle House, I’m having a very special giveaway on my blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. Leave a comment on one of my Puzzle House posts and you’ll be entered to win. Thanks!

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About Puzzle House: Rachel Summers is all about Rachel Summers … until the day she crashes headlong into a semi-truck. As her life hangs in the balance, she has a visitor who asks a very simple question. Does she want to be healed or to be a healer? She makes her choice, but the journey doesn’t go quite the way she expected.

Nia is a fifteen-year-old African-American girl who is dying. The doctors have told her there is nothing else to be done. No more treatments. No more hope. No more life. And she’s angry about that. Very angry. Against her wishes, Nia’s aunt brings her to The Puzzle House…

Lillian Duncan is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband and a menagerie of pets. After more than 30 years working as a speech pathologist for children, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

Lillian writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us. To learn more about Lillian, you may visit her at www.lillian-duncan.com . She also has a devotional blog at PowerUpWithGod.com.