The Ultimate Healer

What an amazing God we serve! It has been a long time since I have posted, due to the fact that I have been quite ill recently with what was thought as Fibro Myalgia as I was diagnosed a year ago next month. HOWEVER!!!! I love saying that....

Since a lot of people have been asking about what is going on, why i have spurts off of facebook and not been writing on my blog, I thought i would start at the beginning and inform everyone at the same time of what is going on and my update as of today!

This all began with sudden pain in my lower back and abdomen area that seemed to hop and skip to different spots around my stomach and bowls about two years ago. I have earlier in life been diagnosed with an irritable bowl condition that acts up during stressful times. I first went to see my new family doctor, who took me off all medications that I was currently taking to see if it was the meds that were the problem. Without my dosage of meds that I normally took, I took a turn for the worse, and became very tired, and unable to communicate effectively as well as sunk into a bit of a depression caused by the pain. My family doctor finally put me on the dosages that I began with, and due to the fact that my sed rates were extremely high and I had gained 30+ pounds in two months, he sent me to an endocrinologist Once seeing the endocronologist and finding nothing there, I was sent to a rheumatologist, again because of my sed rates being so high as an indicator of infection or inflammation. My rheumatologist began a medication regiment to help ease the pain and help me lead a more normal life. As the pain medications began to work, and I felt quite a bit better, he then diagnosed me with stress induced Fibro Myalgia - a condition that effects the muscle and tendon connections causing pain. No one knows why anyone gets this, and there is no cure. So, you are on medication for the rest of your life.

Last month I was experiencing more pain than normal in my abdomen and although I am on medication (high doses of vicatin in fact), nothing seemed to take care of all of the pain. For three days I was down, and only was able to get through it during sleep with the help of my muscle relaxers. After three days of this, I decided this wasn't the normal fibro myalgia acting up, but had to be something wrong. After calling the rhumetologist and was told to go to my family doctor for an ultra sound, I went to see our family doctor and was given an ultra sound and a upper GI test. The ultra sound verified that my gallbladder had VERY large stones at the neck and my doctor said that it would probably be the cause of my pain and should come out as soon as possible. After seeing a surgical consult and being told that if I were to go through with the surgery that I would have a 70 percent chance of complete healing of all pain, we decided to go for it! My doctor also stated that he was not arrogant enough to say that the diagnosis of fybro myalgia could be pre-mature, but that it is definitely possible that this surgery could cure all of the current pain.

I was scheduled for surgery and it went very well. I had made it and I wasn't nervous until the Dr. started my first iv. I had told him I was a little nervous, he smiled and said it will be OK, and that is the last thing I remember until I woke up in recovery telling the nurse that I was concerned she was having a bad day because she wasn't smiling very much. :) she perked up after that and told me it was her third 12 in a row, and just needed a day off...so pray for her if you can remember.

My surgeon was great...and said that despite what the test results were, I DID have imflamation of the gallbladder and that we were wise to get it out when we did. He also said that my stone was so large that he had to cut a larger incision to actually get it out through my belly button! Every thing else looked good, expect he could confirm for me that I might still have a bit of irritable bowel syndrome, but nothing that couldn't be controlled with diet and meds.

I am doing well recovering at home---AND HAVE NO PAIN THAT I HAD HAD BEFORE! PRAISE GOD! However, due to the fact I have been on heavy doses narcotics for the last 18 months for pain, I am in a 5-7 (day 5 is today) day rough detox period -cold turkey- to get my body used to not taking them any longer. Then will be in a easier detox for about a month to rid my body of everything. It sounds weird to me and almost unbelievable that I have to detox and go through withdrawal from the pain meds..., but I have NO pain and it seems that the surgery has been successful in getting rid of every problem thus far -- except for this recovery period to get off the pain medication safely. There are some minor side effects (shakes, chills, trouble sleeping and some unmentionables that I wont share) --- BUT, once this period is finished we are confident that I should be back to normal (whatever that is) and doing really well.

Day 5 today - I have had a wonderful day and spring cleaned 3 rooms in my house with two preschoolers and a big baby puppy running everywhere! Took it easy this evening but feel great. I really can't believe or begin to explain the difference--and that is WITH the side effects from the withdrawal! God is truly amazing!

This for me is a huge answer to prayer. Some at the beginning of this process thought it was all in my head and called me(and still think) I am mentally ill -- (hahahaha) however, I know different - and now the doctors have found proof of that fact! I praise my Lord for how he works to heal and make us completely whole - even with missing body parts!!!

Thanks to all of you who have supported me in this process and journey to this point. I am excited to get back to real life living and writing more on my blog!