Just becase I don't look sick.....

Hello Everyone!

I have had some pretty darn difficult days lately.
My IC has been flaring, out

of control, and I've been hurting.

All my life, God has blessed me with a high tolerance to pain.

Well, just because I can tolerate the pain, more than most, doesn't

mean I'm not still having to cope with it.

It just means I've learned my body, and have learned to breathe,

and work through the pain.

 I might not be screaming or crying out in pain, but this doesn't mean

 I'm "pain free."
Some days, I am crying out in pain, but those days are less often.
I am more of a silent sufferer.

All my life, people have said to me, if you were in pain... you would be more.....

No! I am in pain!  Please understand that each person handles pain

differently.

I may have days that are worse than others...on the days where my pain isn't

keeping me in the bed, I might feel like putting on make-up and looking decent.

This doesn't make me all of a sudden pain-free.

It means I am a strong women who chooses to smile through the pain,

and with the help of the Lord, take each day at a time.

Sometimes, people say to me, "You don't look sick," and I want

to say, does sick have a look?

Stop Judging the outside appearance of people.

This is my prayer.

I choose Joy.. Even in my Pain.

All of the people who live with chronic pelvic pain, or just chronic pain

can probably relate to this more than the average Joe.

Thank You Lord for your promises. We know that you understand us all

and I am thankful for that.

Help me today to show more compassion to others,

even if I don't think they look sick.

Texas Tornado has become a quite storm

Hello Everyone!

I have been sick lately, and haven't had the energy to blog.

I am having to accept my physical limitations.

This continues to be the challenge of my life.

Realizing that God has a plan for me no matter what my situation

may be, is empowering me with the strength to press on.

Sometimes, I look around and get discouraged at my circumstances.

Instead of focusing on things I can no longer control,

I am choosing(one step at a time) to focus on what I can control.

My attitude about my situation is the biggest thing I can

control immediately.

The Lord is always there to lift me up. He reminds me constantly

that He is constant. His attitude never changes. It is always the same.

 I can put my energy into Him, and He will help

my plans to succeed...no matter what.

His timing is not the same as our timing. I have learned

that I may have to wait, and my answer might be different than His,

but He is ALWAYS there for me to lean on, and to see me through

even the very toughest trials.

This week has been a rough one.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday!

We praise you Lord! And we thank you for allowing our trials

to strengthen us.



Everyone has a valentine today!!

Happy Valentines Day!

What, is she talking about?? Even if you don't have someone special

on this earth yet, Our heavenly Father is a friend that LOVES you more than

you can comprehend. HIS arms are always wide open for you!

He comes to rescue us, to comfort us, to LOVE Us!

That is TRUE love.

Sometimes, I wonder how a perfect and blameless heavenly Father would

want to have anything to do with me; a filthy sinner.

That's the incredible part about it all.

He Loves us in spite of our sins.

When we ask him to forgive our sins, he does. BOOM!

It's done. Wow! That's it? Yep!

That's it. If you accept it, it is yours free.....FOREVER!

I love you Lord.

Thank you for loving us all in our worst, best, etc.

You are worthy of all our affection.

This is a very beautiful day.

I woke up early feeling so much better than I have lately.

I was ready to shed the crud!

I had it worse than all of us. Well, somehow, my husband escaped getting fever,chills, and all that yuck that goes along with a cold.

I'm thankful for that.

The kids are back to normal. Poor Mom was the one who suffered the worst.

Oh well, I will take it on for them.

They are most definitely worth it!

I can't believe how big they are! What happened?

Stop growing!!

Julia wants to be a nurse someday, and possibly model some too!

Brett would like to be a video game designer.

I have wonderful kids. Sometimes, I want to wring there necks,

(just kiddin')

but they are still great!

Feeling sick, blue and need to be rescued!

Hello everyone.

Wednesday, I was doubled over in pain.

It was a horrible day. One I will never forget.

I have female issues in addition to having I.C.

Sometimes, It's tough to understand why I am suffering so much, without relief.

But, then I think of all the people out there in the world who are suffering; some worse than me.

This is my inspiration to keep going.

It lifts me up to read and listen to others who have chronic pain, or have something else very debilitating.

Today, my pain has lessened since then, and I'm able to cope with it better.

My physical therapist would like to continue to see me and work with my

bladder.

She feels that she will be able to help me improve my symptoms

considerably before a surgery is performed.

She is very informative about I.C. and chronic pelvic pain.

So, needless to say, surgery will be postponed until further notice.

Please continue to pray for me as I'm continually searching for answers.

I will pray for all of you who have I.C. as well.

The Good Lord knows who all of you are.

 

What a week

I'm so glad my kids were well enough to go back to school today. We have been sick around here for days. Coughing, sneezing, sore throats.... yuck.

 I am reading, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by

Author Stephan R. Covey.

 I want to share a little paragraph, that has impacted my life.

He is quoting Emerson: It is character that communicates most eloquently. "What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say."

That is powerful. We all make mistakes in our lives. Sometimes those mistakes change our lives forever, sometimes we can get by without changing our ways... But at the end of the day, when no one is around, who are you?

I have been searching this question in my own heart. 

It's easy to put on a front to others, convincing them you are of high moral character, but what are you really?

I'm flawed!... and let me be the first to 

say that with out the Holy Spirit helping me each and everyday, I would be a heathen! OK, maybe not a heathen, but very close. 

If you haven't read this book, It is a must read! 

I am only on the 23rd page. I feel that the incite I have already gained has changed me a great deal. 

Interstitial cystitis (in-ter-stish-uhl sĭ-stī'tĭs), or as we call it, IC, is a bladder condition that usually consists of multiple symptoms. Most IC patients have recurring pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region, and urinary frequency (needing to go often) and urgency (feeling a strong need to go).

IC may also be referred to as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS), and chronic pelvic pain. Read more about these different names for IC.

Types of IC

Researchers continue to study IC and investigate why IC symptoms can be different in different patients. Many believe that there may be Additional subtypes, called phenotypes, of IC. This also helps to explain why there is such disparity in how IC patients respond totreatments. Of note is the national phenotyping initiative called the MAPP Research Network, which is supported by NIDDK, one of the National Institutes of Health.

Currently there are two recognized subtypes of IC: non-ulcerative and ulcerative. 

• Non-ulcerative: 90% of IC patients have the non-ulcerative form of IC. Non-ulcerative IC presents with pinpoint hemorrhages, also known as glomerulations, in the bladder wall. However, these are not specific for IC and any inflammation of the bladder can give that appearance.
• Ulcerative: 5 to 10% of IC patients have the ulcerative form of IC. These patients usually have Hunner's ulcers or patches, which are red, bleeding areas on the bladder wall.
  

End Stage (Severe) IC

About 5% of IC patients have persistent symptoms for more than 2 years and 5% of patients have end stage disease defined as very hard bladders with low capacity and terrible pain. Many of these patients also have Hunner's ulcers. Learn more about how to treat severe IC. Watch the ICHelp YouTube interview with internationally-known IC expert Kristene Whitmore, MD, from the Pelvic and Sexual Health Institute (PSHI).

This excerpt was taken from the Interstitial Cystitis Association website.

http://www.ichelp.org/ If you or someone you know suffers from I.C. this is a wonderful website to visit as well.
 It's very informative, and explains in detail about I.C.

Thought for the Day

Our true value is God's estimate of our worth,not our peers estimate.

Other people evaluate and categorize us according to how we perform, what we achieve, and how we look.

 But, God cares for us, as He does for all of His creatures, because we belong to Him!

Thus, we can face life without fear.

We are very valuable to God. God's love is constant and patient and welcoming. He will search for us and give us opportunities to respond, but He will not force us to come to Him.

He is eagerly waiting to welcome and forgive us.

Medicine Wearing off too quickly!

Goodmorning to All!

My husband woke up this morning with a hankering to make home-made pancakes. He is really getting into this cooking thing. 

My medicine is wearing off more quickly now, But surgery is on the way.
I have a myriad of female problems along with my I.C. this just complicates
everything. It's been rough, but I'm looking forward to some relief in just a matter of weeks.

I pray that everyone in cyber-space is well today.
My best friend went on a retreat this weekend. I know she is having a great time. I wish I coud've joined them. Soon! and very soon, I will be back to my old "self."

Enjoy the sunshine today. At least here in Texas where I live, the sun is out.
Thank you Lord for the Sun!