Treasure

After I talked with a friend that has Fibromyalgia (Fibro) and is going through some of the same issues that I am, I decided that I wanted to start going back to physical therapy.

She said that she was going to a place in my hometown and that it was helping her.  I told my family doctor of my desire to go back to pt and he got the ball rolling.

My first visit was this week.  Before I went I called and asked to talk to one of the therapists.  I was quizzing her about what she knew and what techniques she uses.  I have been around this block before and I learned a few things, so I wanted to make sure it would be worth my time.

After agreeing to meet with a therapist I made an appointment that was around lunchtime so I could go on my lunch break.  The lady that checked me in was very friendly and very informative.  She made me feel comfortable.  She walked with me to the second floor and showed me exactly where to check in and where to go.

Then my therapist came into the room.  The first thing she did was ask me if it was okay for an intern to come into the room with her.  Some people don't like having another person in the room but I see it as an opportunity to help educate another person about Interstitial Cystitis (IC), Fibro, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Vulvodynia, Sciatia, etc,etc.

The therapist basically had me do some leg lifts against her applying pressure so she could see how strong or weak certain muscles are in my leg.  She also started me back on a core stabilization exercise that my former therapist had also taught me.  

If you are like me and you have IC you may be afraid to try anything new or out of your normal routine in fear of a flare.  She wanted me to do 10 reps, but I only did a few and said that I would have to build up to more.  Shhh...IC is all about keeping the bladder calm.  We must not do anything to upset the bladder!!

Physical therapy is a commitment. You have to be willing to give up some time, energy and there is always homework.  It is just like going to the doctor.  If you go and don't do what they recommend then you may not see the full benefits.

If you think you need to go to Physical Therapy then I suggest the following:

1. Commit yourself to the time it takes to make your body feel better.  This may be a lengthy time commitment, but a healthier body is worth it.
2. Call the therapist and ask questions BEFORE you go.  For me it is always the fear of the unknown that makes me more nervous.  Once I understand what is going to happen the calmer I am going to be.
3. Know Your body's limits.  If the request is to do ten reps then start out with three for a few days.  If your body tolerates it work your way up to ten reps.  You won't be punished if you do less, but your body will punish you if you do too much!!
4. Listen to all of the advice a therapist gives you, do your own research and decide what is best for you (and your bladder).
5. If you don't make a connection with the therapist after a couple of visits request to see a different one.  It is your body, time and money, so make the best of it!  I think these suggestions could apply to anyone that goes to a therapist,doctor or starts an exercise program of any type.

I feel that therapy is a total body commitment.  To make the most of your investment know what is best for you and make sure the care you are receiving is quality care.

It reminds me of what we studied at Bible Study this week.  We were studying Mark 12:28-34. 

"To give your all to God" as my Pastor put it.  Let's just think about the heart.  The heart controls our emotions, desires and affections.  If we want to know what are affections are then we need to look at what occupies our time and what motivates us to do what we do.

What are heart longs for is what we treasure the most. Matt. 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”  How do we get to the point where Jesus is our greatest treasure?  I think we can do this by reading His word and praying to Him that He would be valued as the greatest treasure in our heart and...spend time with Him.  Set aside some time each day to be with Him only and only Him. Use this time to praise Him, pray to Him and read and meditate on His word.

Can you imagine how your life would change if Jesus was your greatest treasure?  You think about that and let me know your thoughts below.  I hope you will take the time to listen to this beautiful song about God's love.

 

For more information on Physical Therapy

please visit Proaxis' website:

http://proaxispelvicpt.wordpress.com/

For more information on Interstitial Cystitis 

please visit the ICA's website

http://www.ichelp.org/

For more information on Fibromyalgia 

please visit the Fibromyalgia Network's website

http://www.fmnetnews.com/ 

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com

You can follow me on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bb65ichope 

You can follow me on Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

Purr-fect Peace

Ok, let me make sure I understand this correctly.  You want me to lie down on a tiny little bed and then they will slide me into this giant magnet for about 30 minutes??!!  All of this AND I have to lie perfectly still?

But I am claustrophobic AND I am more anxious NOW that I have Interstitial Cystitis (IC), Fibromyalgia, IBS, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Vulvodynia, etc. etc.!! But I knew a MRI would be the next suggestion.

Since I have had sciatica http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/sciatica-topic-overview
for over 8 months now I went to my "regular" family doctor.  At first he ordered an EMG or Electromyogram.  This simple test given by a Neurologist measures the electrical activity of muscles at rest and during contraction. After the EMG was over I asked the Neurologist what he thought.  He said something similar to "It confirms that you have sciatica." Hmmm, I already knew that, but I guess that was the first step when choosing to go the "Western Medical" route.

When the pain first started I was going to Physical Therapy.  I told my therapist that I have chronic pain and numbness that starts in my bottom and goes all the way down the back of my left leg and into my foot.  The constant pain is usually on the 5-6.5 scale.  When it is really bad it is 7-8.  This is not an unbearable pain, but it makes it hard to sit or stand for more than 10 minutes without pain.  And as I have mentioned in other posts, if the seat is hard, forget about it!!! I just can't deal with the pain.

At the end of my treatments my therapist was mainly focusing on my Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, sciatica and pudendal nerve pain. She did connective tissue mobilization, stressed the need for and showed me exercises for core stabilization and taught me stretches to do at home.  We even tried a few rounds of "dry needling" just for fun...just kidding it was NOT fun, but I was desperate!!  It didn't help me.

The thought of the MRI made me very anxious.  I asked the group at my Bible Study to pray for me.  After Bible Study a friend came up to me and said "I will be praying for you."  She went on to say that she had a fear of water, but when she was baptized (in a river) that the Peace of God came over her and she was fine. I felt like the guy who was bonked on the forehead in the V8 juice commercial...why didn't I think of that?  I just needed to ask God for his peace.

It didn't make me feel any better that the doctor's office waited until the day before the MRI to call and ask me all those questions to see if you are able to have the test done.  But the strangest thing happened during this conversation.  After the young lady asked all the questions she said "Well, you are healthy, so you can have the test."  I said "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute I'm not healthy I have IC, Fibro, etc. etc.  She said "My Mom has IC."

She went on to explain that her mother suffers a lot and is constantly trying new treatments.  This is usually the case with most of us IC patients, because there is "no one cure fits all" plan.  Most of the time there is much adversity in the life of an IC patient.  As I fought back the tears I asked her to please share my blog address with her Mom. I also let her know that the ICA has a Facebook page for support. I told her that I haven't met anyone in my hometown that is struggling with IC and I would love to make a connection with her if she is interested.

The next morning when I had the MRI I took the medication that the doctor prescribed to help calm my nerves.  The technician covered me with a blanket, gave me earplugs and asked if I wanted a washcloth to cover my eyes.  I said yes to the washcloth and lied down on the table and continued to pray for God's Peace.  By the time the MRI was over I was asleep...talk about Peaceful! 

 Trust in the Lord and He will give you a peace like no other.  Only He can give you Purr-fect Peace in your struggles...trust Him.

Let me know your thoughts or suggestions below.

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com

You can follow me on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bb65ichope 

You can follow me on Pinterest:

  http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

 
 

Why NOT Me?

“So long, sucker! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha …”  

POW! POW! POW!  I woke up to a noise that sounded like gun shots! I went to bed at 9:00 that night because I felt so awful. I had felt terrible all week. I wasn't sleeping more than a couple of hours at a time.  It was taking me a couple of hours to fall back to sleep and this night much to my disappointment was no different.

I think I would have paid my neighbors not to shoot those fireworks that woke me up.  I needed sleep more than anything else.  I wonder if they would have taken the money and used it to buy more fireworks!??!  Or would they have told their children that they couldn't shoot fireworks this year because we live near a crazy lady who doesn't have any New Year's spirit!!!

All week my Firbromyalgia (fibro) had been flaring.  I felt achy all over, my head hurt, my hair hurt, my feet hurt and everything in between.  But I had to crawl out of my only place of comfort (my bed) and go to work.  By the second day I was miserable.  I went to work and we needed to box up 2013 files...the last thing that I wanted to be doing.  Fortunately for me it would be a short day and we would leave early.  I was looking forward to going home and going to bed!  Then I remembered I had a doctor's appointment at 4:00.  No rest for the weary!

As I waited in the doctor's office I was in fear for my life again.  There were so many sick people!!  A little boy that was sitting very close to me was coughing.  His mother said he had been lying around all day and not talking (How did I know this? She was on her cell phone and I heard every word of her conversation...Don't get me started on that!).  Another lady walked in that looked like she had just crawled out of bed.  At least she had a towel around her mouth to save me from the germs.   I tried to melt into my seat, hold my head low and pretend I was invisible so the germs would not invade me.

When they called my name out to go back, I moved quickly. I was hoping to be safe from the germs.  When I made it back to the final destination I quickly washed my hands and hoped for the best.  A mere 2 hours later I was back in my car to head home.  Of course I needed to drop off some prescriptions at the  Pharmacy first and then I could finally go home and rest.

When I'm in a fibro flare sleeping is difficult. I go to bed early in hopes of getting plenty of sleep.  Then I toss and turn and flip and flop for hours before drifting off to sleep.  It hurts my skin to touch anything.  I feel like my skin is crawling and I just can't be still.  It is a terrible feeling because I am dead tired, but I can't go to sleep.  This is after I have taken several sedating medications and a sleeping pill!

My legs were hurting, my shoulder was hurting, my bladder was hurting and my back was hurting.  I had 3 heating pads in bed with me.  It was hard to decide where to place the heating pads.  I decided on my legs, shoulder and bladder.  Of course I rotated some of it around during the 2 hours.  I was also having hot flashes.  I would start out hot and kick all the cover off of me, then I would be cold and I would put all the cover back on me only to start the cycle again and again.  What a night!  I woke up every couple of hours and it took me just as long to get back to sleep.

On New Year's Day the only time I left the house was to go pick up my prescriptions.  My husband drove and on the way home it reminded me of how I felt after my surgeries.  My body was weak, my bladder was burning, I had vaginal burning, it hurt for anything to touch my pelvic area (including clothes and the seat belt).  Everything that usually hurts was in overdrive!  So for me the Interstitial Cystitis and the fibro combined make me feel as if I have just woke up from anesthesia, right after someone sliced me open and took out my insides...yep, that about sums it up...and oh yeah, I even had the severe nausea that I pretty much have now on a daily basis to go along with it.

When I am flaring and not able to sleep I want to use the time to at least pray, but my brain is so tired that I have trouble doing even that.  I am sick!  I have to concentrate on making my body feel better and it uses all my energy.  I can barely take care of myself much less think of others.  This is very hard for me.  It feels so selfish.  I want to do more, but I can't...my body just won't let me.  So then I can add guilt and depression to the list of things I am feeling.

By Thursday I started feeling better.  Life was good and I was so thankful for so many things. I had peace in my heart.  Is that the reason I go through all of this??  To make me more thankful for good days and to have more empathy for others when I feel better??  Maybe so, but it is hard to be patient and remember any of that when I am going through it.  I just feel miserable and I want to stay in bed, stay away from others and just rest!

The other day I talked to a fellow Christian friend that has fibro and faces other health challenges with her children.  We talked about how we say "Why me Lord?"  But as she pointed out, why NOT me?  She explained that her challenges have put her in situations to witness to people that she never would have met if not for the challenges she faces.  I feel the same way.  I want to use my pains and sorrows to let others know that there can be peace and our relationship with Him is still the same no matter what is going on in our life.

Prayer for the day: "Father, I thank You for the peace You have given to me, which does not depend on feelings or circumstances." from Billy Graham's website: http://crossmap.christianpost.com/devotionals/billy-grahams-devotion-find-peace-with-god-psalm-2911-15998

 

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com

You can follow me on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bb65ichope 

You can follow me on Pinterest:

  http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

 

Learn, Live and Hope in 2014

I want to remember 2013.  I want to look back on the year and remember all that has happened...good and bad and see what I have learned.

This year I knew that my job at the Telephone Company would end. I believe that this was the cause of some major stress in my life.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to find a job, which caused me AND my husband much stress. I prayed for months that God would lead me in the right direction and of course He did!

Then there were months were I stayed nauseated most of the time, I couldn't eat, I was in pain constantly and I could only sleep a couple of hours at a time. I was miserable!!  I went to my Interstitial Cystis (IC) doctor and he started me on anti-depressants that changed my life for the better.  He suspected that Fibromyalgia was causing some of my problems.(He was right) This taught me that you have to keep trying new treatments to keep your symptoms under control.  Even if you think you are doing all the right things.

In June my daughter announced that her and her fiance would be getting married in October.  I was excited, but yet frustrated by my physical limitations to prepare for the wedding.  Thankfully I was feeling well enough to do some shopping and planning to help with the wedding and the wedding shower. We also had to rely on his family and our family to help.  This reiterated the importance of family to me.

The last few months before the wedding were very stressful.  But the wedding was beautiful and it was worth all the money and time we spent on it.  This reminded me how special love is and to look beyond someone's skin color in order to know them better.

When I found a new job at the Construction Company that suited me so well and has so much less stress, I knew it was the best fit for me.  This reminded me to always lean on God and trust that He will guide my steps if I do.

A few months ago I had to "break up" with my physical therapist. And even though it was hard, I think it was the right thing to do.  As I learned from an IC friend, I was making room for another patient to benefit from the knowledge of my Therapist.

So as I look forward to a new year, I want to remember the things that helped me through this year. I hope that 2014 will be good year for me and all my friends and family. I also hope all my friends and family who have IC, IBS, Fibro, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Vulvodynia and other health and emotional issues will 

Learn, live and Hope in 2014!!

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com 

You can follow me on Twitter:

  https://twitter.com/bb65ichope

 

You can follow me on Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

 

Dig A Little Deeper!

 

Kutless "O Holy Night"

This is a great time of the year! I love hearing Christmas music like the song above. I enjoy planning family meals...But I kept thinking, what am I missing?

My tree is decorated, my house is decorated. I even took a small Christmas tree to work to decorate our office...But I still said to myself, what am I missing?

I asked for Christmas lists, completed almost all of my shopping (done mostly online of course!) and have even thought of stocking stuffers...But what am I missing?

I know the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I've read the Bible story and I know the words...But I thought what am I missing?

This week I began to realize what I was missing...I was missing a deeper joy of Christmas!  For me the joy of Christmas is found in many things, but I wanted to dig a little deeper...

I have some ideas that will make the joy of Christmas even more meaningful in my own heart.  I am going to do some things that will help others.  Not just for my family...my family has everything we need. I'm going to go out of my way to help others.  Having Interstitial Cystitis, Fibromyalgia, IBS, etc, etc has slowed me waaay down, but there are still things that I can do!

I am going to invite friends to Christmas dinner who are living far away from their families. I'm gonna dig a little deeper and give the waiter or waitress at the restaurant a little extra tip.  I'm going to help a family who is having a hard time this year. I'm gonna dig a little deeper and put some money in that little, red kettle every time I hear those bells ring. I'm going to try to cheer up a friend who doesn't have any Christmas joy.  I'm gonna show my love to everyone I see this year.  I'm going to say "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays!!"



"What have we done with the true meaning of Christmas?" my Pastor asked our congregation this morning. I thought it was a brilliant way to get our attention and to take it to a personal level. The birth of Jesus is a joyful and wonderful gift from our Creator.  God showed us His amazing love for us by sending His Son. We all are so wrapped up (pun intended) in the activities of the season, that we forget to share the joy of Christmas with others.

If we cannot find joy in our own celebration of Christmas, then how can others see Jesus in our lives?  If we don't have love in our own hearts then we cannot share the message of Jesus with others.  Jesus wants our heart ♥  This year I challenge you to stop and take the time to dig a little deeper and find out how God wants you to show His love to others this Christmas!

For more information on Interstitial Cystitis please visit the ICA Website

http://www.ichelp.org/

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com

You can follow me on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bb65ichope 

You can follow me on Pinterest:

 http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

 

Another Year Wiser??!!

Feeling sleepy and extremely tired when the alarm went off I wanted to just keep sleeping.  Outside it was a cloudy, dreary, rainy morning...Ugh! The worst kind of day for me, but I had to go to work.

Did I mention that it was my  birthday and now I am 48 years old? Of course it was a dreary day...always is on my birthday!  See my blog post "IC Tired from my last birthday. http://bb65ichope.blogspot.com/2012/12/ic-tired.html.

When I went to work, one of the girls I work with gave me a birthday gift.  It was so nice! It was one of those Bath & Body Works gift sets.  We have only worked together for a couple of months, but she hit the nail on the head with that gift...love me some!  When her birthday rolls around I hope that I can return the favor with a very suitable gift for her!

Then when my boss came in, she brought a birthday cake and starting singing "Happy Birthday."  Again, another great gift from a girl for a girl...Yes, I said it...a girl!  The last few years I worked with all men and I felt privileged, if they even remembered to say "Happy Birthday" even after I reminded them, more than once in the days proceeding my birthday, lol!

This year I wasn't even depressed!  I was happy!! I was happy to have another year of wisdom "wink, wink" and I was happy to have a job!  We all shared some of my birthday cake at work and I enjoyed it very much!

My boss asked me the next day, if I felt another year older. I said "No, not really"  Since I have been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis (IC), I feel closer to about 30 years older I thought to myself.  As I have said before, I have the endurance of my mother.  She is now 81 years old.

Yes, I'm another year older and I can dwell on that if I want to.  But it will not change the fact that I am older.  I have IC, Fibromyalgia, IBS, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, etc, etc. and I can dwell on that if I want to...and some days I do.  But it will not change that living with these illnesses are my reality, at least for now.

We can use all of our energy to worry about getting older or we can accept it and be thankful that God has blessed us with another year.  We can use all of our precious time trying to figure out what caused our IC, illness (insert your own problems) here or we can move on with our lives and spend our limited energy on trying to make ourselves better.

I believe when you first get sick with IC or other illnesses that there should be a time of mourning. A mourning for your old life, but when you can't move past that, then you have a problem.

Many of us are going through a storm in our life right now.  We have to stay focused on the fact that this too will pass.  There are some things that we can't change, but at least if we celebrate another birthday we can also take joy in the fact that we are "Another Year Wiser??!!" 

To learn more about Interstitial Cystitis:

http://www.ichelp.org

You can follow me on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bb65ichope

You can follow me on Pinterest:

  http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com

It's A Wonderful Life

A scene from "It's A Wonderful Life"

It's A Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie. In my opinion, it is the best movie ever!  If you haven't watched it or it has been a long time since you have watched it I recommend that you check it out this year.

It is about a man who thinks he is worth more dead than alive.  When I am feeling low and depressed, I have those same thoughts.  In the movie, Jimmie Stewart stars as George Bailey. He decides to kill himself by jumping off a bridge into the water.  That's when his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), appears.

Clarence shows George how many lives he has touched. He shows him how different his hometown of Bedford Falls would be if he had never been born.

Duck Dynasty beards.

Think about how many lives would be different if you were not born.  I think about it all the time.  The world would have less beauty because my daughter would not be born.  My husband probably would look like one of those guys on Duck Dynasty with a long beard.  And my cats wouldn't have anyone to feed them...all joking aside, my loved ones' lives would be different for sure.


Think about how many lives you have touched.  We all have affected our family, friends, neighbors in some kind of way.  Some of it good and some of it bad.  But we all impact other people's lives.

God has created each one of us for a reason.  Our lives may not be going exactly the way we planned, but we were still created by Him for Him.  We all have family and friends that love us and need us in their lives.

 Maybe we can't do all the things we used to be able to do.  Maybe we don't have the exact job we wanted. Maybe we are in constant pain.  Or maybe those are excuses not to do what the Lord wants us to do. What we were made to do. Or maybe we need to change our expectations of what we want our life to be.

My life has made some twists and turns over the last year and a half that I never expected.  But I know that God can still use me, just in a different way.  I can't teach my Sunday School class anymore, but I can still show love to children at church.  I can't be at church for every service, but I can still pray for my church and all of the programs we support.

If we think about all the lives we have changed, then we realize that God is not finished with us just because we are different.  If we all think about our family and friends and how we are blessed,we will understand that we all are "The Richest Man In Town."...You will have to watch the movie to understand that last part.

"It's A Wonderful Life" movie

To learn more about Interstitial Cystitis:

http://www.ichelp.org

You can follow me on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/bb65ichope

You can follow me on Pinterest:

  http://pinterest.com/bbbennett65

You can email me:

bbbennett65@gmail.com