Hello and Warm Wishes to Everyone

Hello Everybody!

Sorry to have been out of touch! I have been dealing with my fatigue and pain plus Jerry has not been doing well. We have been busy with doctor appointments, trips to the pharmacy and keeping track of all activities. I also finally spent time figuring out what Part D Medicare Plan would work best for us. That job can be time consuming and confusing.

During this season one of the things I would like to share includes a way to free yourself of inner pain. Emotional pain, the pain many of us deal with sometimes without even realizing it. The act and word I would like to share is the act of "Forgiveness."

Forgiveness shows love, strength, and kindness. It means you have honestly come to terms with both the person and what was done to you. It does not necessarily mean you trust that person as you did before, to do so would be naive. Trust must be rebuilt and in time the individual may earn your trust. Forgiveness has nothing to do with trust. Forgiveness is not pretending something never happened. To forgive is to use your heart and your head.

Some people think that forgiveness is for the weak, cowardly, the stupid, and the spineless. Forgiveness requires guts, determination, perseverance, courage, and love. Forgiveness is a spiritual event and sets you free. Keep in mind that the process makes you the victor, not the victim because you are the one choosing to forgive.

So, if you have any friends or relatives you have not kept in touch with because they have hurt you and you have not allowed yourself the freedom to forgive. Take the time to consider what you gain in the end.

I leave you with this Psalm 34:14, "Seek peace and pursue it." If you are not at peace, then don't proceed. Ask God to help you know what to do and what to say. He will answer your prayer.

I hope and pray everyone has a peaceful, healthy day today. Soft Hugs

Trying to Hang In There!

Hello Everybody,

I have not posted for awhile because I have had a tough time dealing with my current pain and fatigue levels. I have also been busy driving Jerry to all of his doctor appointments.

On November 4, 2009 I decided to go ahead and get a flu shot. What a mistake! I started fighting flu like symptoms on November 5th, up until the 12th!

I have recently been thinking about how difficult it is to keep a positive attitude when you are stressing about family illnesses, your own physical limitations and money. All of these added medical bills and medications are taking a toll on our budget. I am trying to remind myself that allowing all this exposure to stress just makes me more vulnerable to the negative consequences of stress. Stress also directly affects a part of the nervous system that controls the glands, heart, digestive system and skin.

The main thing to remember is that FMS and CFS are NOT stress disorders. We have generalized pain, fatigue, stiffness and morning fatigue, along with other symptoms. Pain is not the only symptom which is prominent in patients with this disorder.

Yes, most of us get worse after any form of physical or psychological stress. The worsening of symptoms typically occurs 24 to 48 hours after any sudden form of exertion. It is so important that doctors and the medical community realize that the clinical features they see are not always the most important thing.

It really disturbs me that many doctors and journals (literature), reports have equated FMS/CFS (ME/CFS) with labels of depression-like or somatization disorder. Those terms are used too commonly with too little after thought.

Sure, patients may fight periods of depression or feel down in the dumps, but that is not to say that FMS or CFS is just another form of depression. If you suffer from depression, you should not be made to feel badly about it by either your family or the medical community. The main thing is to seek help and don't let anyone blame you for feeling blue.

1). Identify your particular physical and psychological stressor's and eliminate or minimize them.

2). Don't misuse your body on a tolerable day. Pace, Pace, Pace.

3). Prevent muscle deconditioning by doing regular activities such as walking or stretching. You will have to find out which forms of exercise don't provoke your symptoms or make you feel worse.

I hope and pray that the medical community and all family members (those not affected by this disorder), try to understand what we are all going through. Stress does contribute to our fatigue and we must continue to fight back and keep our chin up with positive thoughts, prayers, music, and staying in touch with people that have a positive attitude.

I hope and pray everyone is having a fatigue and pain free day.

Just A Short Note

Hello Everybody,

I just wanted to drop a short note because I am truly fatigued. I am truly struggling with this phase of my fatigue and pain. I need to focus on taking care of myself however, I have too many loved ones that need me and require my time and energy. I was able to sign up on twitter today:)

Please pray that I will be able to sleep in tomorrow and feel better when I wake up. I need to get back on my supplements soon. Perhaps a miracle will come my way.

Keeping the faith:) I just wanted to say hello.

I hope and pray everyone is experiencing joy in their lives and that everyone has had a pain and fatigue free day.

My Grandchildren with Pumpkins

Hello Everyone,

Here are some individual pictures of my grandchildren, Lorena and Alessandra. They will be 2 years old on October 31, 2009.






I hope and pray everyone has a pain and fatigue free day.

Sharing Photos - Family

Hello Everybody,

Here is a recent picture of my grandchildren, daugther-in-law and middle son at the pumpkin patch.

Focus on Accomplishments

Hello Everyone,

What a week it has been. Jerry lost his wallet and we have no idea where. He did not notice it until about three days after we had been out with a friend to dinner. No telling where it is. Oh well, I am ordering new a Medicare card, his license (he can no longer drive) or id. Thank goodness I never let him carry much money because this has happened more than 2-3 times. Poor baby, he feels badly, but what can we do? I will not stress over this because I don't have enough energy to do it. Stress is not good for our family environment.

Jerry almost ended up in the hospital on Monday fortunately, we went to see the doctor and he figured out a different means of administering the only IV medication that helps Jerry's breathing issues. Usually they only administer this medication in the hospital, there is a place called Austin Infusion Center where they use the IV's. The only problem was I had to take him to two places on Monday, he had to have the medication on Tuesday (twice) and he had two other appointments this week. We found out he had to have nasal surgery this week. So, I have to plan out budgeting money for surgery. You have to pay upfront, no payments arrangements.

I have not had much sleep this week and have had to drive around more than usual. I was so fatigued on Tuesday, I stayed in the car while Jerry went in for his dose of medication.

Lets get down to what I wanted to post about. Due to our chronic illness and disabilities we are unable to accomplish certain tasks or complete the number of chores we want to. We must focus on what we have been able to accomplish. While I have not been able to take care of certain chores, I have completed some, so I feel good about it. I have been able to drag myself out of bed, take Jerry to his appointments and somehow managed to visit my Mom during the process. That is great and I thank my Lord for giving me the strength to walk, drive and support my family.

I am ashamed of myself for not recognizing I can walk unlike some of my other Blogger friends. Shame on me. I pray to God for forgiveness.

Do yourself a favor and focus on the positive aspects of your life and recognize how blessed you are. Don't fall into that trap of not noticing others with much more pain.

Thinking of everyone and I hope and pray everyone has had a pain and fatigue free week.

Reflecting on My Goals

Hello Everyone,

My goal has been to share my experience, tools and how I deal with my ME/CFS. I am trying to remain positive everyday and take control of my health. God has chosen us to take on this challenge and it is up to us to make peace with it and then transcend all our emotions and feelings with a full understanding of what his plan is. I believe he wanted me to share my own experience, share tools, and information. I have met so many people dealing with this health challenge, many are alone.

While I enjoyed my career and found it to be a great learning experience, I wasn’t doing what I originally wanted to do. So, maybe this is God’s way of granting me the opportunity to help others. Here are some questions to ask yourself and I would like others to give me feedback.

1). Has this illness changed my personality? Have my priorities in life changed?

2). I know I had to make lifestyle changes? Would they have happened for another reason? Perhaps due to age, wisdom or life experiences?

3). Am I accepting my path in life?

4). The choice is mine, am I embracing this illness and learning to think about all the other great miracles in my life? I do have many things to be grateful for, so am I focusing on those things? If not? Why not?

It helps me to ask myself these questions, it reminds me not to feel sorry for myself and focus on what I have accomplished in the past and present. Remind myself of the blessings in my life. I don't know if I would have ever been interested in blogging or reading other sites, perhaps this illness had lead me to this wonderful path of making new friends from all over the world.

I hope and pray people that suffer from chronic illnesses are able to cope with everyday challenges. I have been given the opportunity to learn about how others handle their challenge in life and the many gifts people have to offer.

I want all of you to know I am grateful for having this wonderful opportunity of meeting you and reading your personal posts, or viewing your photo's, art, and so much more.

I ask God to forgive me when I am weak and to give me the strength to continue to focus on the positive aspects of my life.

I hope and pray everyone has a pain and fatigue free day.