Category Archives: Chronic Illness

While it was still dark…

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While it was still dark… Mornings. You either love them or hate them. I am a lover of mornings and I will now gladly list some of the awesome things I enjoy about being up early in the morning. (For clarification, getting up sometime before noon is not early morning, ahem. Just sayin’.) I’m talking EARLY, anywhere from 4 to 6 a.m.

  • Coffee. No need to add anything here. Enough said.
  • The quiet. There is no one to bother you, no as-soon-as-I-rise-my-mouth-goes-96-miles-per-hour-with-incessant-questions in your ear. Just you and the quiet. And Jesus.
  • Sunrise. This has to be one of the most amazing pictures God paints for us every single morning. Naturally, sunSET is just as spectacular but with the sunrise it seems it is just you and God, enjoying it together.
  • Morning prayer. Early morning prayer. I am not one that thinks you can only pray early in the morning. Sometimes I might as well have waited until the afternoon because my eyelids won’t stay open and I am so sleepy it is anybody’s guess what I actually said to the Savior. Thankfully, He understands. But when I push through, there is nothing like starting your day with the Lord of the universe! It makes all the difference in the world. Before social media, before email, before television, the newspaper or even others if it is possible, give me Jesus.
  • Walking. This used to be my absolute favorite activity before the sun would rise. I would slip on those walking shoes and be out that door while the family was still relishing the last few minutes before the alarm would go off. Meeting my SIL at the end of the driveway, we would start our 3 mile trek, waking up the body as we went.  I miss it terribly.

I can seriously go on and on about the benefits of being up in the early morning hours but you get the picture. I am afraid if I don’t get up early I will miss something!

Mary Magdelene thought that too. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” John  20:1 NKJV.

The Bible says she got there while it was still dark. Mary was an early morning person too and today was no exception. She was rewarded with being one of the very first to witness the empty tomb! She ran to tell Peter and the others and the Lord even appeared to her to confirm His resurrection.

Can you imagine being in Mary’s shoes? Seeing the empty tomb, the angel and knowing that your wildest dreams had actually come true? The Savior, the Messiah, did exactly what He said He would do and you were among the first to witness it?

As exciting as that was, it didn’t end there. Jesus still makes Himself available to US every single day, every single moment. He died on that cross for each of us and He rose again that third day so that we could also overcome death, hell and the grave.

The book of Lamentations tells us that the Lord’s mercies are new EVERY MORNING. We have another chance, all things are new! That blesses me every time to think I have a clean slate and when that sun begins to rise I can make it great (as my brother always says) or I can waste it.

Let us resolve, in these last days, to be like Mary Magdalene, not necessarily that we have to be up before dawn but that we be expectant, eager, anticipating what God has for us and for those around us. If we have spent time at His feet we will be able to hear His voice, as Mary did, and have a purpose to GO and tell others that He is alive!

Have a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with your family and friends. May you worship our Risen Savior with reckless abandon and humble adoration. He is coming again; don’t miss it!

For the kingdom

I Choose to be Distracted! 13 tips to help deflect chronic pain (Pt. 2)

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I Choose to be Distracted! 13 tips to help deflect chronic pain (Pt. 2)  Joining my friend, Joy Terrell, for the second part of her wonderful suggestions for helping to distract from chronic pain. If you missed the first one you can find it here! Be blessed!

Yesterday, we focused on things that you could gather ahead of time and have ready for those days when functioning is a chore all its own. Today, there are other helpful activities that do not require any physical things but are just as helpful!

Distracted

Before dismissing these, give them a try. Remember, focusing your attention away from your pain is the goal. Keep your brain busy! Don’t allow your thoughts to wander back to your pain.

• Prayer or meditation can be calming and soothing.

• I find guided imagery to be very effective. All it requires is your imagination. Think of a place that makes you feel happy and safe. Allow yourself to remember the sounds, smells and other attributes that make this place special. For instance, I like to transport myself to the beach. I feel the sun warming my face, feel the sand as my bare foot sinks into it, hear the seagulls squawking, feel the spray of the ocean, hear the waves, feel my hubby’s hand holding mine. You get the idea. The possibilities are limited only by you!

• Controlled breathing is also a great technique. It takes concentration to slow down and control each breath. There are many apps available to help you learn to do this. I have used this when in line at the grocery store, and the pain is screaming at me. You can do this anywhere, and no one will even notice.

• Here are a couple of things that may sound clichéd, but they are useful. Turn your thoughts to gratitude. Yea, I know it’s hard to think gratitude when your pain is a 10. Just do it! Think of five people you are grateful to have in your life. Think of the things they have done to make your list. Think of five blessings you are thankful for. The list could go on and on.

• Another thing that sounds a little bit hard is to do something to show compassion to someone else. No one understands compassion like someone who has suffered their own share of misery. This doesn’t have to be a major production. Write a note in a card for someone who is lonely or hurting. It will make both of you feel better. Send a text that says you are thinking about and saying a prayer for someone. It doesn’t take much to brighten a day. You can’t think about yourself while caring about another person.

• Doing some gentle stretching and range of motion exercises can be helpful. Just saying the word exercise can sometimes be painful! But, if you can get yourself moving a little bit, you just might feel better.

By now, you may be thinking I am crazy if I think these things will fix your pain.

Here is the bottom line, nothing short of a miracle, is going to fix your pain.

The best pain medications will take off the edge, but never make you pain free. Distractions will not fix it. However, they can get your mind off it. Experiencing pain requires you to consciously think about it. Remember, your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. None of these ideas are intended to be used 24/7. If I can distract myself from the pain for even a short time, that break gives me the ability to carry on. Maybe you are waiting for pain medication to kick in. Dwelling on how much it hurts, will make the wait seem forever. We do have a choice about the way we allow ourselves to react to chronic pain. I think I will choose to be distracted!

385665_437965479547500_1068992269_nJoy is a graduate of Purdue University School of Pharmacy. She is a licensed pharmacist, in early retirement. She is married to her favorite guy, Doug. They are “pet parents” to Kenzi, a golden doodle. Joy has served her church family as a Sunday school teacher, church secretary/treasurer, board member, and a willing helper.

 You might also like her post, Living at the Intersection of Faith and Chronic Illness, along the same subject lines. Blessings.

I Choose to be Distracted! 13 Tips to Deflect Chronic Pain

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I Choose to be Distracted! 13 Tips to Deflect Chronic Pain…

My friend, Joy Terrell, is a survivor and you will be forever blessed by her words. She lives with chronic illness and has been a lifeline for me the past few years in dealing with “issues”. I have quoted her famous line many times that she uses to encourage me when I think that MY ailments and struggles are not as BIG or important as hers: “Just because I have two broken legs and you only have one doesn’t mean that YOUR broken leg hurts any less.” In this two part series, she is helping us to think of other things when the pain is overwhelming.

A distraction is something that makes it difficult or impossible to think about or pay attention to something else. We are all familiar with the consequences of driving while distracted. It is not possible to pay attention to our phones and our driving at the same time. Studies of the brain have debunked the idea that we can be multi-taskers. The brain can only pay attention to one conscious activity at a time. (Automatic and repetitive things like walking and eating get assigned to special networks in our brains that do not require conscious thought. Yes, it is possible to walk and chew gum!)

Even when we think we are multitasking, the brain is rapidly toggling back and forth between activities. Only one thing is toggled to the “on” position at a time. Although distractions often have a negative connotation, I want to look at them from another perspective.

Those of you who live with chronic pain can use distractions to your advantage.

I think we can agree that focusing on pain only intensifies our perception of the misery. I sometimes catch myself thinking, “I hurt sooo bad! Oh, I hurt SOOO BAD! I can’t take this! I hurt sooo bad!”. Guess what? The more I think about it, or say it, the worse it becomes. Especially on the “bad days”, I have learned that distractions are wonderful!

The ability to toggle off the pain and toggle on a distraction takes some practice and some preparation. I can promise it will be worth the effort.

A distraction from pain needs to be something that requires minimal effort.

Thinking ahead and having some options available, before the next difficult day, is important. Use a basket or a box to gather some things that will work for you. This can be a fun project. I am going to share some ideas for distractions that I find helpful.

Distracted

• An activity that requires some level of creativity is great for keeping thoughts off pain. A few years ago, I rediscovered how much I enjoy coloring. Apparently, a lot of other adults did the same. There is no shortage of adult coloring books. Coloring is really relaxing. Thanks to Amazon and other online retailers, you can find what you want from the comfort of your recliner! One suggestion, if you have pain in hands or wrists, look for designs with larger patterns. The idea is not to create more pain! If coloring is not for you, try painting, knitting or whatever creative outlet you enjoy. Put the things you will need in your basket or box.

• Make a list of movies you really enjoy. Don’t go for the ones that always make you cry! Think comedy, or at least happy endings. With a list, you won’t have to try to think of something when you are hurting and your brain is in a fog. If you don’t want to mess with searching for the movie, put an actual DVD in your “bad day” box.

• Include a book of crosswords, Sudoku, word search or whatever you prefer. It is good to have options to fit that day’s mood.

• Include prints of pictures that make you feel happy. Think pets, kids, grandkids, or your favorite vacation spot.

• Who doesn’t feel better with some chocolate? Include a favorite snack.

• A fuzzy blanket, heating pad, or other things that bring you comfort can be added.

• A smartphone can put almost limitless activities at your fingertips. Social media, YouTube, or games can all pass a lot of time. Ask your online friends to send you a funny video or joke. Try it! I guarantee you, it will be entertaining.

There are other helpful activities that do not require any physical things and we will discuss those tomorrow! Be sure and join us for Part 2 of “I Choose to be Distracted”.

385665_437965479547500_1068992269_nJoy is a graduate of Purdue University School of Pharmacy. She is a licensed pharmacist, in early retirement. She is married to her favorite guy, Doug. They are “pet parents” to Kenzi, a golden doodle. Joy has served her church family as a Sunday school teacher, church secretary/treasurer, board member, and a willing helper.

 You might also like her post, Living at the Intersection of Faith and Chronic Illness, along the same subject lines. Blessings.