Living with Chronic Pain

There are many people who live with chronic pain everyday. They may not show it on the surface but down inside they are hurting like you would not believe. Getting out of bed is a chore and sometimes it is just easier to stay there. Simply walking through the house can be cumbersome. Some people may have arthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disc, nerve damage, etc. The doctors prescribe pain medicines that can possibly cause more health issues due to the side effects. Be cautious and ask your doctors lots of questions.

I have lived with chronic pain for 20 years and have had numerous treatments. I have taken various medications to try and bring the pain levels into tolerable range. Physical therapy, hot tubs, aqua therapy, a tens unit, steroid injections plus the medications all worked for a little while. I have consulted with numerous doctors about my degenerative disc condition in my neck and the answer is always the same. We can prescribe medication but there is no option to do surgery because of the risk involved and I am too young.

Well about 10 years ago, I had a friend ask me about alternative medicine, aromatherapy, essential oils, etc.
I was afraid to try them, but my husband and I agreed that I had nothing to lose. At first, I couldn't believe the difference it made in how I felt. I thought maybe it was a fluke and that it couldn't be repeated so I kept using them. Surprisingly enough, I was able to do more than I had been able to in a long time. Only thing is that when I have awesome days, I forget that the next day may not be so well for me. By using the essential oils, it gave me relief that I had not had in forever. Winter months are still the hardest for me to get through because of the cold settling in to my joints. I apply several different oils to help me get through my days! The good thing is that I don't have the side effects that I had with my medication. I still consult with my doctors on a very regular basis so they know what I am using and how it is working.

All essential oils are not created equally, so be cautious and read the labels on the bottle. I always recommend speaking with a health care professional. There are more and more doctors/hospitals embracing essential oils. I can provide you a list of some of the hospitals that are using them! The Cleveland Clinic here in Ohio is one of them. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact me.


*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

Is there something missing?

Sometimes we go through life totally unhappy, feeling like there is just something missing! So how do we fix that problem? There are days when we just want to stay in bed and shut the world out of our lives. However, life does not stop by us hiding! Maybe we need to take some personal time and go to a place that has deep meaning in our lives to do some soul searching. Trying to figure out what our purpose truly is in life! When we find that purpose, do we jump in head on or are we afraid? At times, I think that fear stops us from truly following the leading we have on our lives.
To overcome the fear we have, we could seek counseling and try to work through it that way. If we have a relationship with Jesus, we should rely on him to see us through our situation. I don't know about you but I am not always good about waiting for an answer when I pray about something. Having the faith to believe that everything will work out is hard. There are days when I try to do it on my own. Most times, it doesn't always work out the way I wanted it to but sometimes it does.
We can only live in today, because if we keep looking behind it hinders us from moving forward. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here yet. So I strive to make today the Best day that it can be! I had to step back and look at my why! To discover this, I had to ask myself several questions. What do I want out of life? What is my purpose? What do I hope to accomplish by following the path I have chosen? Am I doing my absolute best at my work?
When I help other people, it helps me also. I don't like to see other people in misery and always lend an ear to listen to others problems. If I have gone through an experience in my life that may help someone else, I share it with them. The way I handled it may not be the way someone else chooses to do it, but it may help them to see things differently. If we help one person a day or brighten their life in some small way, it helps us to feel happier. Try doing something nice for someone with or without them knowing it! It could be a word of encouragement, a prayer, a small note to let them know you are thinking of them, or just visiting with them. The list is truly endless! It may change your perspective on life itself. It may change the persons life that you are doing it for. We don't always know what another person may be going through at a particular time!  

Major Gastritis Flare Up

Good evening everyone,
Was sure hoping to be feeling in much better shape than I am. I was diagnosed in December with Gastritis. I thought that I had it under control, but a recent flare up has me wondering. I have read that some of it can be caused by coffee and stress. Well I am opting for the second one which is stress. So where do I start to get this stress back under control? The first place I am looking is to my cabinet of essential oils! This evening, I will be making me a cup of hot tea and adding some peppermint essential oil. Peppermint is known to help with digestive issues. The next thing I will be doing is curling up on the couch to watch the Biggest Loser which I think starts tonight. Normally, I don't take enough me time which is probably part of my problem. I need to make that a priority in my life. Make me time a priority in your life also! Have a great evening!

Breakfast

Good morning! As a child growing up, my parents would always tell me how important breakfast was and that I shouldn't miss it. Thinking as an adult that I could just skip breakfast, grab some coffee and I would be alright until lunch or supper. Back in December, finding out that I had issues with gastritis I decided to change my eating habits. I now incorporate breakfast into my daily routine. I had tried oatmeal when I was a kid but never liked it. My kids eat it all the time with milk in it. I however, don't drink milk. So that posed another problem. But I was on a quest to lose weight and get healthy. My whole life, I have always struggled with my weight. Always feeling like I was going to get too big or I was never small enough. That subject will be another day!

So this time, I added breakfast to my daily routine. That was huge for me! In the beginning, I added 1 packet of oatmeal with water. I could barely get it down. I kept it up because I needed the fiber in my diet and it was easier to eat that than drink Metamucil! Now I am up to 2 packs in the morning for breakfast. Breakfast is by far the most important meal since it gives your body the energy it needs to start the day. It is also recommended by many doctors and weight loss specialists to eat smaller meals throughout the day. But if you work, who has time for that. Most employers are not going to accommodate your eating schedule unless it is written out by a doctor. 

Lunch is another one that is difficult if you work. Most lunches are only a half hour and you can't just run down the street and grab a sub. Plus if you want a hot meal, you may have to wait in line for others to use the microwave to cook yours. Most people don't take the time to pack healthy lunches anymore. I try to pack my husbands lunch for him daily and make sure that it is filled with healthy choices or leftovers from supper.

Have a great day everyone! Eat Breakfast!

Random Thoughts!

Greetings and welcome to my page! There are always so many thoughts that pop into my head and I thought it was about time to put them down on paper. I probably could have written a book or two over the years! I hope that you will come and join me as we go on an adventure together!