It Is What It Is.........

But it will become what you make it!


It is so very easy to get down and out about our situation, the pain, the fatigue.   I have two words to  say to you for that......please don't!     And I'll say right now that this does not run contradictory to my last post about acceptance.   They go hand in hand!   


You're disabled?   So am I!  I certainly don't intend to stop there though.   I have a book on amazon.com.  I have this blog.   I intend to begin lecturing in January.  The information will be on my website: www.elizabethannjohnston.com.


Don't allow the pain to control your life.   I spend most of my days in the bed, but I also climb stairs, play with my dogs, and clean my house a wee little bit at a time.   Now, I could say, I can't clean my house.  I have a rather large house and it can be overwhelming, but what I can do is dust one room at a time.  Clean one section of flooring at a time.  OR...I could hire someone to do it all for me.    I cannot sit in a car very long to travel, but I have an SUV, so my husband puts the back seats down, puts a mat down for me to lay on and I have my chariot!   We live in Texas and we're going to my daughter's on the east coast for Thanksgiving so I can spend time with my family, my incredible daughter and fantastic grand kids!   Where there's a will, there is indeed a way.

Please don't be a "glass is half empty" kind of a person!   My cup always runneth over!   Sure, I have my days, but don't get comfortable in being miserable!   God loves a cheerful heart!     It's all in what you decide to make it!

Being OK with the pain

"What we resists persists".    You may have heard that saying numerous times in reference to numerous topics, but have you ever thought about it in reference to your pain?   Best example:  When you have a sharp, stabbing pain, or a spasm what do you almost always do?  Hold your breath, tighten your entire body, make everything tense, and sometimes practically have a panic attack.  What's the BEST thing to do in that situation?  Take deep breaths, mentally relax your body, tell yourself it's only pain and talk yourself out of it.  It can be done.  I know because I've done it many, many times.

We've programmed ourselves to think that pain is bad, pain hurts, we should panic.   That's the proper response to acute, sudden onset pain that is new.  God gave us that response to let us know something is wrong and we need to take action quickly.


The opposite is true for chronic pain or the little sharp, stabbing pain or spasms that go along with having had surgery, especially back surgery, or even just having chronic pain without the surgery.   In our minds, we know the difference and we must learn to be discerning/ know the difference and respond accordingly. This is the way we stay out of fight or flight which is harmful to us in so many ways, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.  The key learn to relax even with the pain.  Get out of the habit of claiming it!  By that I mean "my back hurts so bad I can hardly stand it"  rephrase: "the pain in my back is high now, but it's getting better with each deep breath I take".   Don't panic!   Pain will NOT kill you even though it may feel as though it's going to at times.  It's these times we must be extra diligent in watching our words, thoughts, actions.   Relax.....it's only pain!      Trust me, I know of which I speak!
Peace be with you!

Prescription Narcotic Medications

I was reading the news this morning and found some really disturbing information about prescribed narcotic medications.   First let me say this, narcotic medication consists of anything from Vicodin to Morphine and everything in between.  It MUST be prescribed by a licensed medical doctor.   Physician Assistants cannot write a prescription for a narcotic medication, though they certainly can write other prescriptions.

Are you ready for this?  It blew me away, I hope it does you as well.  The overdose rate of prescription drugs is 4 times higher than it was this time ten years ago.
Narcotic prescriptions are now prescribed 4 times more often than ten years ago.
The law enforcement agency states that narcotic prescription drug overdoses is now an epidemic.  They go on to say that it is the most serious public safety threat the law enforcement faces.


Did you get all of that?   Did you allow it to sink in because if you are living with chronic pain odds are you are taking a narcotic drug!    Please, I beg you as someone who has almost accidentally overdosed herself,  please pay attention to this!!!   This stuff can kill you even if you don't intend for it to do so!


The doctor went on to say that five years ago they were taught in medical school that even patients taking narcotics for short periods of time could not get addicted but they've since discovered that they were wrong!


You may need narcotic medications from time to time, but please, please, please I beg you look for alternative means of dealing with your pain.   There are numerous holistic healing treatments out there.  Massage therapy, Acupuncture has been proven and is listed by the American Institute of Health as being effective for the treatment of chronic pain, the same for Reiki (Ray-key), a gentle healing touch.  Cranial Sacral therapy is quite effective.   I could go on and on.   Do you know one of the most important things you can do to help with your pain?   Go off of sugar!  


Got knee or low back pain?  Lose weight!


We've become such a nation of pill poppers that we don't even think about what they do to us!   You are  worth trying other means of pain management!   How about PRAYER!  MEDITATION!


I care about you!   Do you care about yourself???


Peace be unto you.