I finally have my 1st appointment on Monday to start treating me for LD. It has been a long journey to just get diagnosed and find getting up everyday and going to work an absolute struggle. From what I have read, it will get worse before it gets better.
What gives you strength to get out of bed and keep going every day?
As far as religion and the Bible goes, I look to God for strength and try to find out what God wants me to learn through all of this. I try to think that this is my "cross to carry". Every time I pray, I start off in the right mind frame and tend to become frustrated and bitter that God would put me through this. I feel guilty, knowing I should not feel this way and find myself just stuck.
I force myself to work because without work, I have no health insurance to make me better. Getting through each day of work is unbearable.
I was just wondering what other people use to give them strength.
Posted by donaldmn (Member # 16717) on :
LA
In the same boat as you except been sick since 2006 and treated since Sept. 2008, still struggling.
Also force myself to work to support my wife,daughter and for health benefits. They are my strength to get out of bed each day.
As far as God is concerned. The Bible is very clear that although God will allow pain and sickness on the Earth, God is not the author of pain an sickness, Satin or the devil is. God loves each and every one of us as his children and wants a loving relationship with all of us.
When you want to get angry or mad at someone putting you through this place it on the devils work and keep praying to God to be with you and help you through this terrible struggle. It has helped me greatly to know that there is a loving God who will never give us more than we can bear, just seems like it sometimes.
Keep the faith that you will recover and that day will come sooner than later. Peace.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
My faith.
Donald is right...God is not putting this on you. Pain and suffering began when Adam and Eve messed up! So you can thank the devil that we now have pain and suffering in this world.
God is here for us. He loves us and rejoices when we are healed, by whatever means. Sometimes we get supernatural healing and sometimes we don't! I'll take either!! Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
Initially I didn't have a choice.
With two young children (later diagnosed as well),
There was no thought on how I would get through.
Just that I had too.
I decided to look at Lyme as a blessing and an opportunity.
It allowed me to see the symptoms in my children and husband (can't put a price too high on that).
It allowed me to get closer to God, my spirituality and myself.
It allowed me to be grateful to just be.
Obviously prayer helps me through.
However, it is a prayer of gratitude.
Thank You for letting me see a new day and watch my children grow.
Thank You for letting me get diagnosed and find this board.
Thank You for Lymetoo who directed me to my LLMD.
Thank You for this board..
There are endless thanks I can give and do give.
Try to find one thing to be grateful for.
Even if it is 5 minutes of no pain.
That may help you. It certainly helped me.
Sending you prayers of healing and comfort.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Again, Geneal... You're so welcome. That's why I'm proud to be here.
So I thank God for that too! Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Good question.
I think for me it is those who have showed care and concern and help along the way.
God...in many different ways to show me he is there.
Simple things in life.
Learning to live within my limits...took me a long time to learn this...lots of rough waters before I learned this and tossing my cookies...still have times when I don't listen to my body and over do it...tricky business
many times just getting through the next 5 min or you fill in the blank minutes.
The good times...when I am able to do things I once took for granted.
Hope...this waxes and wanes too
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
Deciding to have a thankful heart was the biggest challenge for me (especially with lyme rage)and the biggest prize.
God tells us to find contentment in ALL things. Oh, that's a tough one. But when we seek it and ask for it, He will help us find it (eventually) and it makes all the difference.
Thank you, Lord, for where I am right here, right now, and for being with me every step of the way.
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
A combo of what everyone listed above (straight-up giving it up to God, no other choice but to get through it believing that "this too shall pass", etc.)
Also, when I am able to, it's been helping others (with Lyme resources/advice or even in simple ways, like opening the door for someone or being able to be there for a friend in need; a chronic illness can be so isolating.) and being proactive in terms of the politics of this nonsense and in my own treatment and care.
Makes me feel useful on the days that I just want to stay in bed and cry or get angry or zone out on TV or whatever. Even just today, I was on a walk with my dog today and ended up talking with someone whose so-and-so may have Lyme, gave my contact info, etc. Makes me feel like there may be a reason for everything after all. A couple of fellow Lyme buds on this board have helped me tremendously of course as well. If you need someone just to share info and emotions, just a PM away...
Or, sometimes just simply allowing myself to feel the depression, worry, or frustration for a certain amount of time: "I am allowing myself to have a half-hour of these things" and then putting them in a box in my head for a while.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Thought I had also agreed with Geneal as to focusing on what I am able to do vs on what I am not able to do...
Posted by buzzsflybox (Member # 26808) on :
LA, My heart goes out to you. The ONE thing which helped me hold on was that I read somewhere that the spiros invade the cells they don't destroy them like a cancer. You CAN get better. The other is that I just look back when I was truly out of my mind, and needed to be hospitalized because I hadn't slept in 6 days; I recall what Hell really is. Losing your mind. Every day I'm even a little bit down, I just remember those days and say to myself "Boy. THAT SURE SUXED! Life, God, & fate somehow work in disorganised harmony. Nothing stays bad or good forever. Best wishes. Hold on for 1 day at a time. God Bless. Buzz
Posted by fatherguido (Member # 25266) on :
I have goals.
When real sick and forcing myself to work everyday, those goals were small.
I am getting better and still have goals but they are now bigger.
I prayed before bed every night and still do. Positive support from my family also helped immensely.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
Dawn in VA,
Wonderful response! Thank you for sharing!
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
I don't push. I believe in possibilities. I believe I can find a solution. I don't know where, how, when, or what it will be, but I know why I'm looking. The rest will "probably" be found if only I search.
Can't find something if you don't look and you won't look if you don't think it's possible.
Posted by Wonko (Member # 18318) on :
I just try to play the hand I was dealt. Getting sick doesn't change what I want out of life, just how I go about getting it and appreciating it.
I try to trust myself to judge what I can do and when I can do it.
I'm a control freak by nature, so I struggle a lot with forgiving myself when I can't do things on my terms. I try to remember that getting sick is not a character flaw.
I severed ties with people who were not supportive of my situation and found new outlets (mostly online) for handling the struggles of this illness.
I don't always succeed, but I try to live a healthier life overall. That's a work in progress, but is a worthwhile pursuit as it also helps return the sense of control I lost in other areas of life.
When things get really bad, I try to stop what I'm doing (or thinking) and I look at a clock and tell myself "if I can get through the next x minutes, then I'll be ok." So I may start at x=1, and move up until I feel better.
I remind myself of how scared I was when I was undiagnosed, and how relieved I was to learn that there was hope for improvement with treatment.
Posted by Sick Tick (Member # 23003) on :
Go to success stories when you are really feeling hopeless, and see how many folks got better. Got me through some very hard days.
Posted by erikjh1972 (Member # 20964) on :
positive attitude (although tough sometimes) understanding girlfriend. newborn son.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Knowing that if I try treatments, something's bound to work. And in time, I find them. You can too. It takes experimentation.
If you can get to any support groups, you can hear the process that others go through on this journey. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Knowing that we know the score and can help a lot of other folks out there who don't know what's going on. We can pick up the phone and educate others, or however we want to let others know what's happening in order to protect themselves and their pets.
Engaging in personal interests, whatever they might be, in whatever modified form we have to do them.
Any relationships that are special.
Posted by Amelia (Member # 17677) on :
Thank you all for this encouragement. Buzz I loved what you had to say about spiros and yes, we can beat this.
I was talking to a parent yesterday that has a child suffering and she said- it is as much an emotional/psychological disease as it is a physical disease. I think having that hope that we will beat this....
That is what lights our way. I must tell you all...
You have been a tremendous light for me and keep me moving forward and grateful for each moment.
Many thanks-
Posted by blinkie (Member # 14470) on :
For me, #1 is God. I know I'm not alone and this struggle has taught me a lot including that I am now able to see that God has always been with me through my struggles. I couldn't see that before.
Strangly enough, I'm a more positive person now then I have ever been. Of course, it wasn't that way at first. What are the lessons I need to learn from this?
My son keeps me going. I have to get better for him. And, I have to get better so I know how to get him well, should he suffer the same illness.
All the wonderful folks here at lymenet keep me going. I could never have gotten this far without all of you by my side, offering advise and support whenever I needed it.
My LLMD keeps me going. He won't give up on me even tough I've been a tough case.
Getting better and better keeps me going and the brief remission I had last summer keep me fighting. I saw the light that proved I can get well again, I just have to finish solving the puzzle. But, I'm 95% healthier than I've been in more than 10 years so that is encouraging.
Seeing people worse off then me, unfortunatly, keeps me going. I think, "If they can do it, so can I". We all have crosses to bear but it's what we do with them that counts. I want to be remembered as a fighter, someonw who never gave up even in the toughest of circumstances and someone that was positive in light of suffering.
Lastly, knowing that my misery is being used for ministry keeps me going. None of this would mean anything if I couldn't help others.
Posted by LA (Member # 26353) on :
Thank you all for your input. I started my antibiotics on Monday and am more hopeful this week. The last 2 days of work have been better.
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