“O N E • Y E A R ! What a difference a year makes! Looking back I’ve had fibromyalgia and hypoglycemia symptoms my whole life, off and on, and with varying intensities. Stuff as a child and a teenager I thought were just normal that everyone dealt with.

Summer of 2012 at 31 it really kicked in when I injured my arms and the pain just stayed. It affected my life, caused me to stop doing things I loved and even made normal, daily life painful. Other things began popping up. In the summer of 2015 my neck went into spasm for no apparent reason. I couldn’t move it and the back of my head was so tender I couldn’t even lay on a pillow.

Then my hypoglycemia kicked in big time. I passed out one night and after that came my first panic attack and constant anxiety. Suddenly I had heartburn non-stop, GERD and IBS. I was constantly terrified and sometimes light headed. Then came all the doctors, specialists and tests. I saw my PCP, cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, rheumatologist, physical therapist… I had an ER visit, multiple X-rays and ultrasounds, SO MANY blood tests, an MRI, heart testing, nerve conduction testing and months of physical therapy… They could find nothing. I was given meds for GERD, Gabapentin for the nerve pain, anti anxiety pills and meds for the constant nausea. NONE of it helped. I was dismissed time and again by specialists and was even told, “You’re doing this to yourself”.

But God answered my prayers. Painful, sobbing prayers where I didn’t even have words to say anymore. The answer wasn’t an easy one, but He had been preparing me and teaching me in His own timing for what was to come. A diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Hypoglycemia. Signing up for a difficult year, getting worse before you get better, on the Guaifenesin Protocol.

I had wished for a “magic pill” so many times, and here it was, though not what I expected it to be. I had to also do MY part for it to work, and more importantly I had to TRUST in Him. I took that first pill not knowing exactly how it was going to go but believing the Lord had given me answers, and I had to be obedient and follow through on them.

Yes, it has been difficult, and YES, I got worse before I got better, but where I am now a YEAR later, PRAISE GOD!

My anxiety and panic attacks are gone, I actually sleep and have more energy now, my heartburn, IBS, GERD and daily headaches are GONE! My arm, neck and hip pain are SO much better that I actually WANT to do things again, and I DO THEM! There are SO many other improvements and my life looks so much different than it did 365 days ago.

I have been changed for the better, physically yes, but especially SPIRITUALLY, and I wouldn’t take any of this painful journey back because of it. My prayer since diagnosis has been that He would use this in my life in any way He chooses. It’s not fun or easy to put all this out there, but time and again He has shown me that I need to keep doing just that, so I can love and comfort others who are suffering with the love and comfort He has given me in my suffering. I’m not 100% percent yet, but I’ll get there, singing His praises all along the way!”                                    Erin’s Facebook tags: #hismerciesareneweverymorning #godisgoodallthetime #faithful #2corinthians1:3-4 #isaiah43:1-3 #oneyearguaiversary #oneyear

~Erin. (Written June 3 2018)

If you would like more of Erin Woods story or information on the Guaifenesin Protocol or Fibromyalgia, check out the links through this post and the tags under the post. 🙂