Counting blessings!

Day two of no morphine or Tylenol 4. How am I doing? Spiritually, very well, Physically, not so well. The pain level is high and my headache is severe. But it has been worse. I'm so thankful for all the tricks I've learned over the past 10 years. 

What tricks? Here are a few.

1. Strawberries and other fruits with "red meat" help reduce inflammation and pain. So, I'm eating strawberries throughout the day. 

2. The aroma of Essential oils fills the apartment  24/7 from the potpourri pot. Today it was peppermint to help with the nausea.

3. Changing my focus. I worked on "short" projects today, so I could keep busy without overdoing anything. By having short term projects, I could finish one and move on to the next. By keeping the mind busy, there is no time to focus on the pain.

And NUMBER 4: Count my blessings! This is one of the best medicines available and you can get it without a prescription! Counting my blessings today started with the two most recent gifts God has give me!

Yes, God has sent a GIFT

each day of this journey!

On Day One God gave me a grill! Someone was throwing it away. It was dirty, but a little Dawn dish soap cleaned it as good as new! It's the perfect size for me and will easily fit on the balcony.  Can't wait to enjoy the summer aroma of charcoal and grilled meat and vegetables! 

Today God gave me a H2OTUGO! I have a TUGO (a drink holder for luggage) which I've modified to fit on my crutches. The H2OTUGO is a pocket that will hold a water bottle. The company is sending me a FREE one because I wrote and told them how I use their TUGO, and how it helps me keep a drink handy. A big THANKS to TUGO!

Will God give me a gift every day? 

I have to say YES! 

God already gives me gifts EACH and EVERY DAY! Sometimes, it's a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Or a kind word from a friend. Or maybe He makes Max do something to make me laugh. God has SHOWERED me with gifts—my problem is that I don't notice so many of them. My 365 Days of Thanks is making me more aware of ALL the wonderful things God does and provides for me. Each day, I find it harder and harder to write down ONE thing... because there are SO many.

I'm very blessed, and when I stop

and count my blessings

it makes me aware of just how much

God loves me. 

Today, it could have been very difficult to create a positive day, with my high pain level and the severe headache. However, by taking time to count my blessings, it turned the day around to a very positive and encouraging day.

Yes, even a high pain day

can be a POSITIVE DAY—

if I count my blessings!

God's Creative Care!

Yesterday, I had an appointment to begin the next phase of my pain management treatment. On the way to the Doctor, I was getting a bit nervous, not of the appointment, rather the thought of the increased pain level. God knew I needed a laugh.. and he provided a great one! 

I went through a drive through to get some lemonade. As I pulled out waiting for the traffic to clear, I noticed a man in the parking lot. He was very well dressed— suit pants and dress shirt, and was holding a crumpled fast food bag in one hand. With the other hand, he was SPRAYING himself with FEBREZE!!! Guess that's one way to get rid of the hamburger and onion smell on your clothes!

I couldn't help but laugh.

I was more at ease as I arrived at the Dr's Office. As I waited for the appointment, I was able to talk with several people in the waiting room. I used to wonder why God decided I should use crutches. But I've learned that they are good conversation starters! Everything God does has a purpose. 

After I left Dr. T's office, I went to see my chiropractor. Then I stopped at my Walgreens, but they didn't have one of the medications. The pharmacist called several other places and found it at another Walgreens, very close by!  So, I drove there to get the medications and pick up some milk and sunscreen. While I was looking for the sunscreen the cashier called out to me. We knew each other from the Apartment complex, so we started talking, and were interrupted when the pharmacy called my name, so I got my meds and went back to the sunscreen aisle and continued talking with Nancy while searching for the right level of sunscreen.  Once again, God had a plan in making sure I ended up at THAT Walgreens! He's so creative!!!
Oh, and the new medications came in Generic! That made the medication affordable! God continues to supply my needs. 

Today, I started the new medications. I'm dizzy and my headache is worse, both normal side-effects. The next few weeks will be a roller coaster for me, but God is right there taking care of me.
Going cold turkey off medications is not fun, but God continues to provide just what I need to get me through this at exactly the right moment. I'm looking forward to seeing how God cares for me during this phase of my life.

There is nothing more positive

than being in God's creative care!

Fear Creates Its Own Reality

For God hath not given us

the spirit of fear; but of power,

and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

On June 29th I'll begin a new phase of my journey. That afternoon, I'll meet with a Doctor to begin weaning off my current pain medications so that I can go through some new treatments this Summer. When my Pain Management Doctor and I made the decision to try this treatment, I knew I wanted to wait until after my remodel. We both agreed that I'd need all my pain medications during that time. 

One thing I hadn't counted on was, how sly Satan's is. Before my remodel, I was trying to give away my old sofabed. I wanted to take pictures of it, and thought I'd open it. I'd done that many times before and had no problem. It has an easy to open feature. But as I opened it, I twisted my back....OUCH!
The pain was extreme. Immediately, Satan took advantage of that and put this thought in my head, "If your strong medication isn't powerful enough NOW to help lower your pain, how will you make it on weaker medications?" I should have immediately ignored that thought....but I didn't. I continued thinking on it. The more I thought on it, the more fear took hold.

Fear is a powerful thing.

It can paralyze a person

from doing something great.

It ignores all other facts and

creates its own reality. 

I tried all the usual 'tricks' to settle the pain, but it seemed to get stronger... another result of fear. The more I focused on the pain and the fear of being in more pain (due to weaker meds), the stronger the pain became. 

Things continued to get worse until I DEMANDED my mind to focus on 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

  

As I focused on God
and HIS POWER,

I began to get a new perspective

on my pain and
the upcoming procedures. 

Yes, my pain level is still high, and may go higher as I wean off the medications. HOWEVER, it's NOTHING I have to fear. The past 10 years, God has been teaching me how to handle pain. He has provided unique techniques which help my body relax. Even if the pain does increase, it's only temporary. 

And this is just PART of the journey. The goal in weaning off the medications and doing the new treatment is to lower my pain—long term. And if it doesn't work, my Doctors and I do know which combination of medication and treatments do help lower the pain. 

So, as I look ahead to the start of the next phase, I have a choice to make. I can approach this new phase of my journey with FEAR, or I can choose to focus on God and HIS POWER. If I choose fear, the journey will be more difficult and I'll miss blessings God has in store for me. If I choose God and His Power, the road will be tough, but filled with blessings. It's my choice. 

Fear is powerful. Yet, God is more powerful. As I begin the new treatments, I know that Satan will be close by ready to take advantage of any opportunity he sees. When my pain level increases, it will be easy to focus on the pain and fear. However, God gives me the POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND, all I have to do is choose it.

The goal is to keep my focus

on the positive power of God.