Thriving

It's been over 4 years now since I wrote this post after being told I have fibromyalgia. That was just a year and a half into our marriage, and was a really hard season. I was trying new prescriptions, some that would make me sick or make my heart race, and was completely exhausted. I remember laying down when I got home many nights until dinner, and going to bed early after dinner feeling like I had no quality of life. I remember going to church or running errands many times, and I laid down in the passenger seat because I was either dizzy from the medication or had a bad headache and needed to cover my eyes. I grieved a lot that year, when so many doctors told me this will never go away. I grieved for my young hubby who married a young wife, with an apparently OLD body.

Recently, I was spending time with the Lord and felt him telling me he's brought me through this battle for a reason: to help others. My goal for so long has been to help others - that was my major in college (family services), but maybe my area of helping people has shifted because of these challenges I've walked through. I still have fibromyalgia ya'll. Maybe some day I won't? But today, I still get some head pains (though they go away now, and I can usually use essential oils to help my neck relax before it progresses and gets worse), still have days with overall achiness, fatigue, and things like that, but my perspective has been changing. I have been surviving for these years. The last years of my 20's! I have pushed through each week, to get to the weekend to rest my body physically and emotionally, and do it again the next week. 

At the beginning of this year though, I told myself this would be a year that makes a difference. I want to start thriving in this life, rather than surviving. I want to enjoy the days of my life, and keep pushing myself to try new things to help. One thing I know I need to incorporate is exercise. I've also been researching other natural things to try, now that I got off all my prescriptions last fall. I can say, now that I'm off those meds, that my body feels cleaner, inside out. It used to feel complicated whenever I had symptoms - I never knew if it was me or a side effect from the medication. Now, I can see more cause and effect. I also can notice more of how foods I eat may impact my body, and how changing one thing may help. I thank the Lord for helping me get off them last year, and pray this year is a good year to find more relief RX free. 

I did start going to a new chiropractor a few weeks ago and have been so thankful! The team has been really great to help from a well rounded approach. We've talked about the fact that if they fix the physical things in my body that need aligned and start to stretch out my muscles, but I'm stressed all the time, I'm still likely going to feel sick. If I'm eating fast food for every meal, I'm likely not going to feel great. It's all a balance - I want to eat foods that support my body, take supplements and support my soft tissues in my body with essential oils, watch my stress and keep myself emotionally balanced. If any of those are out of whack, I'll feel it. Maybe you don't have what I have, but maybe this info will be a good reminder for you too? Many times in our lives, we try to eat whatever we have time for, not focus on our body's needs, and expect to feel great all of the time, and I've come to learn, it's not very realistic for many of us. 

Anyway, all this to say - this is a good year! I used to cry often, feeling like I didn't have a great outlook on my future (since I was told this likely will get worse and what not), and now I truly believe I have more control in this situation to help myself. The future is bright! It all depends on our perspective. We also have to keep trying, and not give up on something the Lord has set our hearts on. Getting off those RXs was a boost of confidence for me, and also made me research what to do to help my symptoms without those meds. 

What ways are you trying to thrive this year? You can do it! It starts with one step, and you'll feel so proud when you start on your journey to thrive. Let's do this, friends!

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