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Hope When You’re Physically Down

Nov4


"Hope When You're Physically Down" By, Nancy Alexander

Beauty in Nature CAN Inspire Hope…

How do you keep going when you're physically down?  I keep getting asked this question over and over.  WOW, where do I start? 

First of all, there is one thing that I find really helps me and I encourage you to do this too.  I want to encourage you to appreciate the beauty found around you today in a smile, in nature, and in those who are dear to you.  I have learned through my own chronic illness that the things I always thought were the most important in this life really aren't.

"I am only passing through this moment…"  ~Beth Moore~

Chronic Illnesses are as severe a problem for you as they were for me.  Pain was the main focus of my life for so many years.  It colored the way I thought and felt, and reacted to the world around me.  I had to learn this the hard way.  I used to beg and plead with God;  "Please show me what I need to do – please show me what I need to change – please teach me the lessons I need to learn – I will do anything to only get well or even better."  God, in His wisdom knew that the lessons I needed to learn came only with time.  As always, He sees "Eternity" and we see "right now".


Picture I took recently of a Night blooming Cereus at my neighbor's home.

It is hard to see the beauty in a flower, a sunset or sunrise, or even a loved one's eyes when you are suffering in silence.  It is hard to think of doing something that would make your day productive when it is clouded with this "thing" which has such a deep, dark hold on you.  It is hard to see the needs of others when your own pain is first and foremost in every single day.  God used this to mold me and shape me and prune me.  All of these were painful experiences, but I truly believe He did this so that my heart would be one that would 'break' for others.  I see your pain, I feel your pain, and I sincerely want to do anything I can to relieve your pain and make your life joyful!

The answer for me was, and is God!  I don't know where I would be today without all of the miracles God worked in my life.  I do know that I would not be sitting here at my computer writing to all of you, my friends, students, and faithful followers were it not for God and all the Miracles 'He' has performed in my life.  For example, all of the "Professionals" who were finally able to diagnose and treat the causes of my chronic, debilitating illness.  This illness was so bad that when we built our home 12 years ago, my husband and our builder decided to make every doorway 3 feet wide because they thought I would very quickly need that space to maneuver a wheelchair through each.  I didn't find this out until about 3 year ago.  And, no, I no longer need that wheelchair that I used to be forced to use from time to time.

I am speechless when I think of the people who were sent into my life to encourage, uplift, inspire, diagnose and help me to heal.  My friend and mentor, Jim Cockrum and I have talked about this many times calling them "Divine Appointments".  You may not believe in them, but I certainly do.

I don't want to push my faith on you knowing that every person has their own beliefs, but in telling a story of me; "Beautifully Broken Me" as my friend Molly Alexander writes in her blog, I cannot forget the obvious and must share with you how I got to this point in my life.  That's what many of you have been asking me all these years.  I do believe God has led me on a path for many years for a specific purpose, and that is to be able to help and encourage YOU!

"By picking up the pieces of a broken life and putting them back together, a person cannot help but be changed.  This change is a beautiful thing that results in a deeper understanding of others and their situations, and gives us a chance to share our experiences with them, showing them that there is a way out – a light at the end of the tunnel."


"I believe that I have not just been broken, but put back together by God in a beautiful way – a way that I could have never imagined on my own."  ~Molly Alexander~

Molly has expressed my own thoughts and feelings in such a beautiful way.  Isn't it amazing that I can now see, live, and enjoy the beauty around me?  I am blessed every time I look into my husband's eyes and see how much he cherishes me.  I am blessed when our home is filled with our boys, their wives, and our four precious grandchildren running around calling "Mimi come outside and play with me." "Mimi do you have a surprise for me?"   "Mimi, read to me."

God has used over 30 years of pain and brokenness to bring me to this place; this moment, where I am right here and right now.  He brought me here for a very specific reason and that is to be an encourager of those of you who are suffering and in pain!  There TRULY is hope!

Sharing God’s Comfort

Aug10

 
"Sharing God's Comfort" By, Nancy Alexander

2 Corinthians 1…


…and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

I have gone through a lot being sick since I was 28 years old.  It has not been easy for me or my family.  I am posting about this on my blog a lot lately because I receive so many emails from other women who are going through the exact same thing as I did.  As I was reading this morning, this verse touched me. 

I have had troubles, have felt pain, exhaustion, sorrow, and hopelessness.  But this verse tells me that God has used this to comfort me, therefore giving me a heart to comfort those who are going through the same thing by sharing God's comfort I received.

A New Morning…

Aug8

"I Can Be Cured" By, Nancy Alexander

From Fibro… to Freedom…

It is a new morning… the sun is just starting to rise.  This day will never "be" again!  What will you do with yours?? 

I am planning what I should do with mine… what will I write on today that will make a difference in someone's life?  What can I do that will please God?  I have prayed for a new "Spirit" for today.  I pray that God will fill me with so much Grace and Love that it literally spills over onto others I come in contact with.

I am soooo grateful for my loving husband, and a marriage "Made in Heaven"!  Steve loves me, he cherishes me, and he supports my business.  He encourages me, helps me plan, write, and develop this business which is a gift from God.  Steve is helping me finally write a book — on my life and my battles with Fibromyalgia.  So many friends and customers have been begging me to do this to help them in their journeys fighting this awful disease.  The title will be: 

"I CAN BE CURED"   –   "From Fibro To Freedom" 

 

Pray that God will bless and lead me on this journey in my life.  It will be painful at times… it will be joyful at times… and I'm sure these times of remembrances will bring many tears. 

I will be praying for you today – that you have a joy-filled and pain-free life! Have a marvelously Blessed day.  Think of someone today who needs you; love someone today who may be unlovable; and give thanks to God in every single thing whether it be good or bad!

With God's peace… Nancy  

This is Why…

Aug3

"This is Why…" By, Nancy Alexander

Your Emails are the Reason Why…

I received  this  email this morning.  When I get emails such as this (and I receive them weekly, sometimes daily), my heart is broken.   It is broken because ladies, and sometimes men too, go through extreme pain, hurt, withdrawal, and even disbelief from doctors, friends and family when they come down with this mysterious ailment — Fibromyalgia.  They have to go way too long before finding the correct help and cure!  AND YES… THERE IS A CURE!!

 


Most of you know that mine started when I was 28.  I am now 60!  That was thirty-two years ago!!!!!! When are things going to change?  When are these ladies going to receive, first of all… understanding and belief that they are really sick, along with sympathy, and help from their own family members, and the top notch medical care they need and deserve from our many "learned" physicians in our advanced and educated country for this illness???

 

FIBROMYALGIA IS AN ILLNESS!  IT IS NOT IN THEIR HEADS, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THEY CAN "WILL" THEMSELVES TO BE OVER, IT IS A DISEASE!!


 

I become overwhelmed with anger from time to time knowing the despair and hopelessness these women feel as they are fighting a battle for their very lives, and it hit me this morning.  So many women write me for help!  I want to help them!  I want to tell them exactly what to do to get well!  I want to tell them they ARE NOT crazy!  I want to tell their husbands, their children, and their friends that they need respect, they need comfort, they need top notch medical care along with BELIEF that they are really sick with a "legitimate" disease!


 

I have told my husband soooo many times that I had wished to have been diagnosed with cancer instead… or with a heart-attack… or with some other "horrible" disease.  At least if I had been diagnosed with one of those people would have really believed I was sick.  But in 1978 and 1979, people didn't believe me — they thought it was "in my head", and doctors actually told me it was "housewife syndrome"!

 

Okay, Nancy… calm down!  Today is not 1979.  Fibromyalgia has been proven absolutely and without a doubt to be a disease; to be a horrible, debilitating disease, which not only hurts the person who has it, but every single person that they love and care for!   A chronic disease of any type affects every person in their household.

 

So, today as I read this email (as I do all of the others I receive) and see that people are still suffering before they get help, I get really angry!  This is totally unnecessary for someone to have to feel the shame and embarrassment that I felt for sooo many years.

 

But now, I can thank God for my illness, my pain and for each step along the way in my life because I CAN encourage, help and support women who cannot find the help they need right away!  I can show them love! I can tell them they are not alone!  I can tell them that I understand!

 


Email from a young woman in California: 

"First of all I would like to thank you for sharing your story. I am a 27  year old woman who has and is going thru several health issues. I also struggle with Fibromyalgia.


 This started when I was 24 and only a year into marriage. This kept me in bed rest because I wasn't able to walk or do much for myself. My wonderful husband, who has stood by my side thru all of this, would have to even bathe me and brush my hair because I couldn't do any of this for myself.

 

I went thru depression, anxiety and panic attacks because no Doctor knew what I had. Finally they diagnosed me w/Fibromyalgia and with a virus called mycoplasma. I felt no desire to live at times because I did not want to spend the rest of my life in such misery. Needles to say I wasn't able to work and help bring money into our household; which made me feel worthless.

 

It was thru those darkest times that I found God. With time, some treatments and with our Lord's grace I have been recuperating. I even went on my first jog again. That was something I thought would never be possible again. God has been so good to me and blessed me with my husbands love and support.

 

Now we are struggling with starting a family because I started pre-menopause at the age of 22. I wanted to keep my mind and body occupied and away from negative thoughts and since I made some of my own Christmas decorations last year I thought I'd give it a try and sell some…THAT IS HOW I CAME TO FIND YOU.  Who has inspired me and given me some confidence.

 

I purchased your Secret Vendor List back in May and I am purchasing things and getting things ready to start making and selling Christmas wreaths….."

 

 

So, I have let off some steam this morning!  I have let out some of the anger that engulfs me from time to time.  This young woman went for 5 years before finding out what was wrong. EVEN FIVE YEARS is WAY too long to suffer without knowing what is wrong!

 

I fought with every ounce of strength in my body for almost 25 years before getting a correct diagnosis and receiving proper medical care.  I had to do the research and find out by myself what was wrong with me…while fighting a battle all alone! 

 

It is now my God-Inspired goal to reach these women and help them get the proper medical care they need and deserve!


 

I read this prayer this morning posted by another young woman struggling with Fibromyalgia right now — it is truly beautiful, and touched my heart.  I hope it will touch yours too!


 

"Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.  Teach us to care for people, for all, not just some, to love them as we find them or as they may become.  let Your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved to practice Your acceptance, until we know by heart the table of forgiveness and laughter's healing art."

 

 

 

Fibromyalgia…Yes, I am Being Cured!

Jul16

 

"I Can Be Cured" By, Nancy Alexander

From Fibro… to Freedom…

 

I want to start doing a series of posts about how Fibromyalgia affected my body – explaining some facts about each symptom to you.  There is now lots of help for Fibromyalgia, and eventually a cure!

By doing this, it is my hope that you will begin to understand exactly how some of these strange and often misunderstood symptoms truly do affect you AND ARE REAL!  If you suffer from Fibromyalgia, you'll be more informed as you understand what is going on with your body — and — information in addition to understanding goes hand in hand in leading to a cure.

I suffered physically and painfully for many years with my entire body hurting – even my skin!  Also during these years, I also suffered much stress, embarrassment, and misunderstanding from doctors, family and friends when I would try to tell them how and where I hurt.  At times, this made me doubt myself!  Then, there were other times when I was just plain "mad" because no one could tell me what was going on and no one would believe me.


I want to tell you just a little today about how my skin hurt.  I know it sounds strange to say that my skin hurt, but it did!  Pants with a waistband hurt me, in addition to bra straps, tight collars, socks, and even shoes.  No blue jeans for me…they hurt my legs when I sat down.  I even went for several years not being able to wear a bra, so I would wear baggy clothes in layers to keep people from noticing.  Even temperatures, either hot or cold, gave me severe pain!  Deciding what to wear every day became a dreaded chore.  For me, as well as many of you who suffer from Fibromyalgia, this can cause awful, unbelievably intense pain.


First of all, I had a very low pain threshold as do most sufferers from Fibro.  This low pain threshold is a point where sensations you feel become pain.  This usually varies from person to person, but this threshold is much lower in people who suffer from this horrible disease.   A low pain threshold results in a particular form of pain which is called "allodynia". 


A definition of "allodynia" is pain, generally on the skin, that is caused by something that wouldn't normally cause pain.  Some of this pain can be caused by mild pressure which may come from a light touch, gentle massages, or sheets rubbing against the skin.


These pain signals originate within specialized nerves called nociceptors that sense information about things like temperature and painful stimuli from the skin.  This type of pain can go into other areas such as neuropathy, neuralgia, and migraine headaches.


Most of my pain which came from simple touches felt like having a sunburn all of the time.  This makes your clothes feel like sandpaper and a light touch can feel like searing pain.


I went through an awful time in my life where it hurt me to hug someone, to shake someone's hand, or to even be patted on the back.  I would find myself cowering back from any type of touch. I even sat on a pillow for many years as hard seats hurt.  My husband says that during these years, it was awful for him as well as for me because he could not roll over and put his arm around me in bed.  We slept as far apart as we could in a king size bed because I hurt so badly.


Thanks to the steps I am taking now, I can wear (tight)blue jeans, I wear a bra again (whoopie!!), and my husband can keep his arm around me all night…which he does (that is such a marvelous feeling — Thank You God!!) 


I'll be talking more and more about the symptoms of Fibromyalgia as I also talk about what is beginning to actually CURE me!


Don't give up!  PLEASE do not give up!!! I almost did,and now my life is so totally different.  I am blessed, I am almost cured, and I truly believe with all my heart that you can be too!


Smiles… Nancy