LADY BLUE'S TESTIMONY- THROUGH MY PAIN

ty, tourist.. You and Darlene are wonderful, dear friends to me, and you always manage to know just what to say or do to cheer me up. I love you both and cherish your friendship. I especially appreciate all the prayers you have prayed, and continue to pray, for me..

Here is another installment on what I have learned during my recent 4-month long bout with being incapacitated. My 2nd back injection was on February 23rd, and so far it is working very well.. A big part of why it is working so well is due to the fact that I was forced to slow down from going full speed ahead to tiny baby steps, and being on bedrest helped alot too, to keep the swelling of the herniated disc down.

Now that I'm finally pain-free after what seems like forever, this is what I have learned as I look back and reflect. I have learned that sometimes, we NEED to slow down and walk slowly, whether we are ill, or trying to make a major decison in our lives. All my life, I've been used to taking big strides, and my back (and God) forced me to revert to making baby steps for awhile. I'm the type of person who can't stand moving slowly, so I tried to keep taking big strides, and only harmed my health all the worse because I thought I knew what was best. I relapsed each time, until I finally accepted that in order to regain my health, and resume my life, I needed to do as God wanted and take baby steps.

I have learned that if you persevere long enough, your hardships WILL pass. It took nearly 4 months for my trial to pass, and I can finally glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel. I am every day making progress in my recovery, and getting closer to the sunshine in the land of health. I have learned that you need to trust God in any situation that comes your way. He alone can get you through anything. There were days of sheer agony that I cried out loud to him, begging him to rid me of this pain, and seemingly received no answer. God works in mysterious ways, definitely, but he also answers in HIS own time. In my foolish arrogance, I expected instant relief. I have learned that when illness falls upon you, you have to be pro-active and work with God to make yourself better. I have learned not to be so stubborn the next time I get ill. I have learned to listen when he speaks to me by intensifying or lessening my pain, both of which he did. Believe me, I learned some lessons the hard way during my time of being confined to bed. Lessons that I would not have learned without feeling such intense pain. God uses our pain to teach us lessons, most definitely.

I have learned that God's way is always best. Not my way, or the doctor's way. God is the great physician. He uses doctors to further his divine healing, but he also used me as an instrument in my own healing by making me pretty much crippled for 4 months, being able to do much of nothing but stay in bed and forcibly recuperate..Now he is using me in my recovery by providing nice days so I can get outside and walk around and regain the strength in my back and left leg, which is still very weak. I live in Vermont, and several times recently we were supposed to have gotten snowstorms and didn't, and instead received good weather and sunshine. I believe God allowed that for a reason, so that I could get on with my recovery.

This is my testimony of what I have learned through my pain, and ongoing recovery. To whoever reads this, I hope my story blesses you and inspires you to never give up. God bless you all.

Ankylosing Spondylitis - The Arthritis Society

sometimes diagnoses is the first step. Many doctors are unaware of this. once diagnosed you know that the worst thing if this is your disease is to be on bed rest. For this condition keeping active is important along with diet as there seems to be food triggers. This kept coming to mind for you so thought I would share. I thought about it in another thread where you mentioned being bed ridden (i think the do people live here thread lol) Anyway my husband 48 was finally diagnosed. God bless you with healing.

thisgirl, thank you. It's not arthritis I have, it is a herniated disc and degenerative disc disease in my back.. I will take a look at the link you posted.

Once you read up on the disease you will see it presents as degenerative discs and herniated. the discs fuse. Its incorrect to think of this as an arthritic condition as it is a condition of fusion and effects the si joints, the shoulders, elbows, knees. My husbands right hip is fused & his left is on the way. Just so you know its incredibly painful, the image of this disease is the hunch back.

keepitsimple, thank you. If it weren't for my faith in God, I would not be here today to share my story with others. God walks with us, I know this for a fact.

oh believe me, I know all too well how painful this is.. In my case, the disc is bulging out and hitting the sciatic nerve, which in turn causes the pain..I doubt I'll turn into a hunchback..lol..