Thanking God for Healing Me

Many of you may have seen my previous post explaining how I got relief from fibromyalgia. If not, please view my post via the link below.

http://fibromyalgiaandfaith.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-im-feeling-85-better-and-back-to.html

So now I've been feeling better for almost 3 years. I started to realize I had fallen into old habits giving myself credit instead of the Lord. I just started reading a book from my aunt titled "Praying the Prayers of the Bible."one of the prayers under the section titled "prayers to praise and honor God" Really drove it home for me that I wasn't giving God enough glory. Psalm 103: 1-5 was the passage in the bible the prayer referred to. The caption by the prayer read "I will never forget the things you do for me." How fitting is that for my situation?! I thought very much so. God has blessed me so much and I can't wait for him to bless you through my testimony as well as Dr. Taylor or another bioidentical hormone specialist. Please see the prayer/verses below.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving, kindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s

Please get to a hormone specialist and see if bioidentical hormones can help you heal. I'm also doing the paleo diet, but I only added this about 4 months ago. Feel free to find out more about my doctor and the paleo diet below. I'm not sure, but my doctor could be networked with doctors in other areas doing the same thing that also own their own practice. You could always call her office to see if they could give you any referrals.

Doctor Taylor's Website

Definition of Paleo Diet

How I'm Feeling 85% Better and Back to Work!!!

Hey all! I've been feeling so much better for quite some time now- over 6 months. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke. How did I get better? Well, in December 2011, I got pregnant with my bundle of joy that's now 6 months old, Samantha. She is amazing. The first few months were absolutely terrible. I had morning sickness coupled from withdrawal from getting off all of the meds I was on- which I now see weren't ever helping because I was having daily withdrawal while taking them. So, about 4.5 months into the pregnancy, I started feeling better. Much of my pain went away and I had less headaches. I ate pretty healthy throughout the pregnancy, but didn't go overboard. Just more fruits and veggies than I ate before. We also juice a few times a week (put fruits and veggies into a juicer). A few months post-pregnancy, I noticed the symptoms starting to come back. I now know that I always had a hormonal imbalance since being pregnant helped me feel much better. So what did I do? I went to a hormone doctor. Dr. Taylor in Kingwood, TX specializes in hormone replacement therapy and she takes insurance! I take progesterone daily now. I'm not going to say I'm running marathons, but I am feeling much better. I still eat healthier than I used to, but I'm not a health nut. So that's it everyone! Go get your hormones checked by a hormone doctor. Make sure they test your progesterone level. Most likely, you will have barely any. Oh- and I pay $75 a month for my progesterone and my Dr. visits cost $25. Please try this and get well! :-)

Rain and Fibromyalgia

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a better week last week with your Fibromyalgia than I did. Mine was making me have so many aches and pains. Why? Well, the past week or two has been filled with a ton of rain in the Houston area. It's already humid here, which isn't great for anyone that has a hint of arthritis. When you add buckets and buckets of rain, it's a recipe for a pretty gloomy week.

Don't you hate when you have to push yourself to get "back in the saddle" after a time with really bad weather? It's harder for me now than it was before I came down with the Fibro. Still, though, today I swam for about 30 minutes outside and I'm already feeling a little improvement. I need to get back on that treadmill or walk outside next to get back to normal. I know my dog is really wanting me to get back into my routine because he loves his walks for sure. They've been cut short lately with all of this rain.

So I'm still involved with Celebrate Recovery and I'm still reaping benefits from the program. It makes me realize things about myself that I need to change in order to be able to receive God's best. Reading the bible and program studies helps me to put things into perspective when I'm getting way too anxious about nothing. It also helps me to have a good attitude and keeps me from getting too depressed.

On a completely different note, I just got done watching a program on NBC about 2 year colleges that have popped up everywhere in the last few years known as "for profit schools." I think it was on either Rock Center or the program before it. These schools aren't like the state school I went to where you pay a low tuition for a full four year bachelors degree. These schools usually only offer a 2 year degree and the jobs you get right out of these schools usually don't pay super well. How much do these schools cost and what are the names of a few of them? For example, the Art Institute costs about $60k or higher for just a 2 year degree. If you get student loans, though, you will most likely have to end up paying back over $100k with interest included. I know that over 4 years for a bachelor's degree my state education (which is just as good or better) today would still be about 10-12k per year currently. Over 4 years, that's about 50k. Many degrees require a little over 4 years these days, so maybe $55k. That's for a bachelor's though! Not an associates like many of these schools offer. I know I'm going on a rant here, but I have never felt like the cost of these "for profit schools" are worth it. Former students were discussing how they feel like they'll never pay off their student loans. Why? Well, they're not able to do enough with the degree they got. They would need to go back to working more than one job at once in order to put a dent in their loans. Isn't that why you go to school in the first place, though? To not have to work 2 jobs later like you are now to get by? I guess the view I'm trying to rant on about is that you should really comparison shop when looking at colleges for your kids or yourself. See how good their career services centers are at placing people in good jobs, check and compare tuition costs, and any other things you are concerned about. Just don't leave those first 2 out like too many people I know have. I just really hate that the federal government is giving out federal funding for tuition that isn't worth the money! Plus, many former students end up defaulting and us taxpayers pick up the bill! A much higher percentage of the students going to these types of schools (rather than traditional colleges) end up defaulting, by the way when compared to those that go the traditional route. How do you guys feel about that? Just wanting some dialogue on this...

Anxiety and Depression Help: Celebrate Recovery

Hi all! I hope you have had a good week and haven't had any flare-ups.

I talk a lot on this blog about my issues with anxiety and depression. These issues seem to be common among those who suffer with Fibromyalgia. It seems as though we're always looking for ways to keep these bad habits in check- or at least I am.

How am I curbing my worrying and low moods lately? I've joined a group at church called Celebrate Recovery. This program is nation-wide now and lots of churches have adopted it or some other form of it. The program helps those with addictions such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and other substance abuse issues and that's mainly what it's known for. What people don't know is that it's also for people with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, anger problems, and many more bad habits. It works somewhat like AA, but there's praise and worship as well as a curriculum that is Christ-based. I've gone 3 times so far and the feeling of peace it's giving me isn't measurable. I feel so blessed. The church gifted me a Celebrate Recovery bible and it's the easiest bible to read that I've ever come across.

If you struggle with the same issues that I do, I suggest you find a Celebrate Recovery group in your area. Child care is usually provided for free. Don't give up if you're not crazy about the first one you try. I went a couple of years back to one at another church and it didn't help me nearly as much as this one has so far.

I'm excited about this journey to peace that Christ is taking me on. Join me and comment on your experience!

Pregnancy and Fibromyalgia

Hi all! I'm obviously behind in my writing!

I wanted to write this to let you know how I was doing. I'm 6 months pregnant with a baby girl. It's so exciting because she will be our first child. There are a lot of anxieties I've been feeling about being a new mom. Will I be good at it? Will I be able to keep up with her?

My husband and I have already bought the crib and my parents have sent a lot of items such as clothing, bedding, toys and more. We are so blessed! We haven't set up the nursery yet, but everything we need is there. It's a good feeling!

So how have I been feeling since being prego along with having Fibromyalgia? The first 3-4 months were absolutely horrible! We didn't plan the pregnancy, so I had to get off all of my Fibro medicine at 5 weeks. I did it cold turkey because no practitioner could tell me a recommended taper-off dosage. It made me so angry. Why are they prescribing medicine if they can't tell you how to properly get off of them? The withdrawal coupled with morning sickness was really bad. I lost 15+ pounds within the first trimester. I must say I needed to lose it though. One of the side effects (as many of you know) to chronic pain meds is weight gain. Anyway, I've been off all of my meds since I was 4-5 weeks along. I have pain and discomfort, but I must say that the medicine probably did me more harm than good. I'll have to see how things are going once my hormones stabilize after delivery, but I'm planning on staying off of the meds I was taking since they were mainly to help with symptoms, not cure anything.

You know what's been helping me tremendously? Swimming. I absolutely love it. When I swim, it's the best part of my day. I believe that Fibromyalgia has a lot to do with pressure within the body somehow. Swimming seems to relieve me of feeling any pressures in my body and helps me be more flexible. I'm also able to exercise without getting too hot. If I get too hot I feel really sick. Does that happen to anyone out there? Temperature problems and such? What are your thoughts on swimming and the disease and/or pregnancy?

Why Do I Keep Stressing?

OK, here goes. I feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world because I explain all of these ways to de-stress and I hardly do them myself. When I first discover them, I do them faithfully. Just as many of us are with diet and exercise programs, though, I fade out. It's such a horrible habit, though. Stressing robs us all of so much and we gain absolutely nothing from it. It keeps us from getting things done, eating right, losing weight, keeping awake enough hours in each day, and doing well at our jobs. For the Fibromyalgia patient, it keeps us from feeling good. So there it is! I've confessed to all of you. I have to turn this boat around now. From now on, quiet time with God, exercise, and meditation are musts! Let's keep each other accountable guys!

Hebrews 12:10-11
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Isn't that the truth?!
I am making a commitment to live a more disciplined life and be better to myself. Worrying all of the time is a sin that many of us with Fibromyalgia commit. It will be hard to stop this habit and start new ones, but I believe our rewards will definitely outweigh the pain of our lifestyle change.

Fibromyalgia: Ups and Downs

Do you ever feel like you're an emotional basketcase? I've heard I'm not the only one... I feel like a crazy person with no patience or grace. Does anyone else out there feel this way? Anyway, I notice that the more I exercise, the less mood swings I'll have. Trust me. I know how difficult it is to exercise with this terrible disease, but if you do it when you're feeling emotional there is a definite payoff. It doesn't have to be traditional exercise either. A lot of people aren't into that sort of thing. Raking leaves and cleaning the house are a couple of activities that have to be done anyway and give you plenty of exercise. Why is this good for your mood? It helps to release endorphins. Us Fibromyalgia patients can use all of the endorphins we can get.

What other way can you help your moodiness when you're going crazy with the fibro ups and downs? Watch a really sad movie or something and just let yourself have an all-out cry. Trust me, it helps!

Another suggestion:
Laying down on your back, put a pillow over your face and let out a few huge screams and imagine negative energy leaving your body. For extra release, do the "biking" movement with your legs in the air at the same time.


Psalm 37:24
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

We will all fail to keep our cool time and time again. It's important that we remember this verse and ask Him for forgiveness for our transgressions.

Blessings,

Michelle

Fibromyalgia: Has it made your faith grow strong or weak?

When I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I was very angry with God. How could he put me through this? I haven't had a chance to have kids, my poor husband is now stuck with a disabled person for the rest of his life, I worked so hard in school to get a good career, and the list went on from there and seemed never-ending. Before I was diagnosed, though, I must say that I had little faith in God about all that was going well in my life. I had met a wonderful God-fearing man, we were financially stable (when I was only 22), we had just bought our first home, and the list of great things went on and on. I was still negative at the time, though. -And I definitely thought that I had done all of these great things, not God. Sometimes I wonder if I became ill in order to become more faithful and remain a servant of God. Maybe it was a test, I sometimes wonder. Who knows why we all fell ill with this disease called Fibromyalgia. All we can do is try to remain positive and learn about how people the bible talks about dealt with situations that are similar.

What a wonderful God we have -- He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us. -(2 Corinthians 1: 3-4) TLB

Maybe we go through our struggles so we can be better witnesses. I know this: God has a purpose for our suffering. There have been many who have suffered in the bible and we tell their stories still today. Just turn to Him, read His Word, and find some peace in Him. This always works for me. I know, Satan usually has one way or another to keep us from reading the bible. Stay strong, though, and read at least one verse a day. It will help you!

Grocery Store Visit, My Bad Culinary Skills, and a Great Bible Verse about Learning

Ok...I have to level with you all. I have not been eating like I should lately. I've been doing it all- fast foods, fried foods, lots of bread... but I'm going to get back on track. I'm not the best cook, so the way I try to start out eating much healthier is making stirfry meals. I usually buy some fresh squash and zucchini. I go to the freezer isle and purchase frozen shrimp, lots of frozen broccoli, and frozen carrots. I also buy chicken from the produce area. These ingredients combined with salt, pepper, and olive oil can make a great healthy meal. I buy whole grain brown rice to get filled up. If you're like me, you probably need to start out easy. These meals are a great way to do it.

Pic from http://dianabanana510.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/food-food-everywhere-and-not-a-bite-to-eat/

I purchased some Hamburger Helper for when I feel like cheating and eating fast food. At least I'll have a side of green beans. Did you know that Hamburger Helper has some box meals that are gluten free? I picked up the cheesy hashbrowns box to try it and see if I felt different after eating it (compared to a regular box meal).
You know what I love? V8 V-fusion. I really like this drink because my husband hates veggies and it helps him to get what he needs. It's a little expensive, but for me it's worth the extra couple bucks. I notice that it helps me a little bit when it comes to my regularity- probably because veggies have fiber.
This post may not seem all that interesting, but this is me telling about my day at the grocery store.
I want to try some new recipes for Fibromyalgia, but I need to start out very easy since I never learned to cook. I'll update you on my culinary knowledge status from time to time on this blog.

Here's the bible verse of the day:

Proverbs 12: Whoever loves Discipline loves Knowledge, but he who hates correction is Stupid.

I'm using a bible verse about discipline and knowledge because I need to learn this essential skill. I know I'm not alone in this. Please, if you have easy recipes that are Fibro-friendly, post a comment.

What the Bible Says about Depression and Anxiety

Do you believe that God can conquer all? I certainly do. The bible is the most powerful weapon against Satan and bad thoughts and feelings. Do you suffer from depression or anxiety? A lot of people with Fibromyalgia suffer from these conditions, including me. It is an ongoing battle. Here are some bible verses that can help you cope with your depression and anxiety and maybe even forget about negative thoughts for a while!

Picture from http://portialwaysliterature.wordpress.com/

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (KJV)

Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psalm 37:3-4 (KJV)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 (KJV)

There are several more where that came from. I don't know about you, but when I spend time reading the bible I tend to get a feeling of peace from it. It doesn't last forever, but that's just a sign that I need to open my bible again and start reading God's Word. I wanted to end on that last verse in the book of John because we should take comfort in the fact that God has conquered the world. There is really nothing to fear if we just know that, accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives and follow God's Word to the absolute best of our ability. All of us Christians are supposed to try to be like Jesus. Do you think Jesus was depressed and worried all of the time? Of course not! He wouldn't have been able to do everything he did for us! Thank you Lord for sending Him as an example for us to follow!

Cravings and Fibromyalgia

I don't know about you fellow Fibromyalgia sufferers out there, but I have some cravings that are so strong sometimes. They are usually from sugar or carbs when I'm not even trying to stay away! I'm guessing this could mean that these foods are bad for me and I need to start eating better yesterday. This is easier said than done, but I need to do it. I've heard a lot about different diseases and conditions are much more tolerable on a low sugar and low carb diet. The trick is to remember to be conscious of what you're eating and to make sure to eat something every 3-4 hours. I grew up eating out a lot and that usually means doing the complete opposite of what I just described. If you too have problems in this area and can offer advice, please comment!

Just Found This interesting info about what you are craving and what you really need. Enjoy.

Bible Verse for Today:

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. -Genesis 1:29


This is a verse I should really review and see if I live my life according to God's plan. So much temptation out there when it comes to food...

Reading and Sleeping

Ok, Ok, I know reading can sometimes give us who suffer from Fibromyalgia headaches. When you are feeling well, though, and just cannot sleep, try reading instead of watching television. It has been hard for me to break my habitual TV watching, but there are great health benefits when it comes to reading over watching television. First of all, reading really helps you sleep. It also can help you learn things while only a few channels do that these days. Also, you are forced to think more when you read.

When you are having headaches that make it more difficult to read, listen to an online sermon or an audio Bible online. This can help you sleep as long as the person's voice is not too dramatic. There are dramatic versions of audible bibles online also.

In the bible verse below, God explains to us that sleep is important. Although working all night and day without sleep may seem profitable, we will not get nearly as much done without sleep. We as humans become sluggish, make mistakes, and should not be behind the wheel when we don't get in our daily rest. Try some of the methods I mentioned above and see if you have any luck falling asleep faster.

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2)

Careers for those with Fibromyalgia

Have you been denied of disability for one technical reason or another? You are not alone. Many people with this condition continue to go to work every day even though it makes them much sicker. Most people with this disease have to be able to have a lot of time off from work in order to keep their job due to constant flares.

First of all, a job that creates a lot of high-stress situations would not be good for a Fibromyalgia patient. Life, of course, always has its stresses that are unavoidable. Those aren't the ones I'm talking about. I'm just giving some advice to those of you who are thinking of taking on a position that will be accompanied by a lot of stress. Don't do it. It's hard enough for those of us with chronic pain to deal with stress to begin with. Try to find a job that is big on work-life balance. Ask around to see how people like working for the company before deciding to work there.

If you cannot be reliable enough for most employers that require physical attendance of their employees, you may want to consider remote positions. A lot of job sites highlight telecommuting as an option that you can check off in their advanced search options. You can also start working for yourself. Freelancing is very popular these days. The disadvantage to Americans, though, is that you are competing with people in 3rd world countries. The best freelancing area to be in is definitely writing. People that do not reside in the United States are going to have a harder time adapting to American readers. This is why many companies will pick an American writer over someone from another country because the quality is usually higher. One of the best sites for this is elance.com. There are several other sites you can get listed on and bid on projects. It would be wise of you to research certain terms like keywords, keyword density, and SEO before starting to bid on jobs. The best way to get definitions of words these days is to type in "define: 'the word'" and read all definitions. This will save you time. Dictionary.com is also a useful site for definitions. You can also become a freelance web designer. This takes talent and education, though. These two things take time to develop, so you might need to do some writing for a while first while you take continuing education courses related to web design and graphic design. Last of all, do not discount church groups when it comes to job networking. Let them know your skills and that you have to be able to work from home. You'd be surprised at the amount of small business owners that are ok with the idea of people working for them remotely.

Bible Verse of The Day:


“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19

We have to trust that God will meet our needs even though it is hard to see that happening in our current situation. Be resourceful and educate yourself about opportunities. Try to keep a level head throughout the job transition or search process. God will see you though.   

Multitasking and the Fibromyalgia Patient

I don't know about you guys, but I find it really difficult to multitask since I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I think this must go along with stress management because it has to do with managing your thoughts and not getting overwhelmed. There are products that help people like me and you. There are several books and full out programs to help us stop sweating the small stuff. I am thinking of trying a few of the programs out. I don't have much to lose, but a lot to gain.

Here is our bible verse of the day:

Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest. (Luke 12:25-26)

Isn't that so true? Worrying takes away time from our lives. We cannot get that time back that we spent stressing about something. God is stressing here that we should all just do the best we can. He is also saying for us to be humble and recognize that we cannot even add an hour to the day, which would be a small thing for God to do. Instead, God wants us to pray for his help in the matter, organize our thoughts and do the best we can. I know it sounds so easy, but stressing and worrying are hard habits to break. Just keep praying to Him and you will succeed.

Bible Passage of The Day:


Psalm 27:4-5
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock. (NIV)

Do you tend to seek God when you are dealing with the pain and trauma Fibromyalgia can cause? What about when you worry about money? I know I've done my fair share of that. If we trust God and truly seek him, we wouldn't worry about money, though. He will keep us safe if we just keep our eyes on Him. We get so used to feeling pain that we tend to look toward other things to help us feel better. I know I need to make it a point to pray any time I'm feeling weak or when I'm in pain. 

I sometimes listen online to this awesome preacher from Dallas, TX. His name is Tony Evans. One sermon I listened to was about how we can all be so stubborn in letting the spirit of Jesus Christ in our hearts. He was explaining how our souls are stubborn by nature because we have a sinful nature. We have to continuously keep ourselves in check by being in the Word and praying. 

You don't have to read to be in the Word, either. I know how reading a whole lot can tend to make me feel tired and/or give me headaches sometimes. You can always listen to sermons or listen to the bible online. There are several great pastors to listen to on this site and you can listen to different versions of the bible on the second site.

http://www.oneplace.com/

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/

I hope these links help you to stay in the Word! Blessings to all of you!

A Day at The Beach

After helping my hubby work on a huge project yesterday we had some much needed R&R this afternoon at the beach. It feels good to get out in the sun sometimes with Fibromyalgia. I feel like I can move around easier while in the water as well. Relaxation is so important for those of us that suffer chronic pain. Spending much needed time with our spouses is also important because many of us end up on different sleep schedules than them because we either sleep too much during the day one day or are going through one of the periods where we can't sleep at all. Oh, the roller coaster of fibromyalgia. My mother in law gave me some tea that has been helping me relax. It tastes a little weird but is fine if you add about a teaspoon of honey to it. It is called the dieter's tea? It is in a green box and says "Cali Girl Brand"...She said she got it at the dollar store. Go figure, it's cheap and it helps! You just have to know about it! This tea has helped me digest food better also. So many of us have problems with digestion. I kind of wonder if Fibro is caused by a virus that messes with our digestive system and in turn messes a lot of things up for us. I guess I'll have to wait a few years and continue reading about medical breakthroughs in it to find out...

Bible Verse of the Day:

Luke 4:38-39
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 


Don't ever forget to ask for God's help in dealing with this illness. Pray for a cure alongside me!

Meditation

Meditation can be great when it comes to helping us experience less harsh Fibromyalgia symptoms. Stress is a huge contributer to many diseases and illnesses, including FMS. God wants us to meditate in his presence. It is one of the things he wants us to do daily. I know that the day gets away from us sometimes or it seems difficult. Just try it by clicking a couple of the links I posted below. You can also meditate while enjoying soft music or during your quiet time.

Come away from the people. Be by yourselves and rest. -Mark 6:31 (NLV)

http://www.christian-meditation.com/onlineretreat.html

http://www.thechristianmeditator.com/ (scroll to the 7 minute free trial)

Enjoy these free minutes of peace and try to experience them regularly.

Magnesium Citrate

Many of us who have fibromyalgia have major problems with our digestive system. Some of this is from the medicine prescribed for the disease, while a lot of it comes from the disease itself. Here is a low cost product that you can drink once every couple of weeks to cleanse your digestive system: magnesium citrate. It comes in liquid form and is very inexpensive. Try to eat the foods you should be eating such as fruits and vegetables. If you haven't used the bathroom in several days, this product is essential.

God Bless and Never Give Up on Getting Better!

Envy and the Fibromyalgia Patient

I don't know if you are like me, but as a person who has fibromyalgia I catch myself envying others sometimes. I even envy my previous life. The truth is this disease has taught me that life isn't always perfect. I grew up with many privileges that others simply don't have. I didn't have a family that possessed any sorts of huge problems. If my family did have huge problems,I never knew about it and still don't to this day. I wasn't aware of the suffering that so many people go through because of the choices of family members, health problems, or lack of financial means. I was very lucky in my upbringing. I worked out daily and wore a much smaller size than I do now.
To tell you the truth, I really miss that lifestyle sometimes. I sometimes envy others that have that lifestyle now or one close to it.
Real life is filled with problems though. Jesus wants us to be aware of these problems and help those who are less fortunate. Therefore, if I make being obedient my first priority, I shouldn't want to go back to my old sheltered life. It might receive glory from the world, but it is not a glorious life in God's eyes.

What does the Bible say about envy?

James 4:2-3

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions

What does the Bible say about venturing out to help others instead of remaining in your sheltered life and shutting others out who need help?

1 John 3:17

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

What do you think about these two verses? Do they speak to you? Do you want to add more verses on these subjects? Please let me know your thoughts.

Most Healthy Foods

Some of us with fibromyalgia need to be reminded daily of healthy foods we should eat. I've been noticing that what seems to make me sick is eating too many carbs (even gluten free) and sugar. Many of us have a sort of carb addiction. I know I get cravings that are unexplainable quite often. One of my most favorite healthy foods is either a bowl of cooked dry black beans or a bowl of cooked canned black beans. Black beans are good for leveling our blood sugar. Blood sugar, when out of balance, can cause cravings. They are also a source of protein. Here is a link to a list of healthy foods that I find to be a reminder of what we should look for in the grocery store and a bible verse to remind us that God commands us to eat healthy.

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.