Feb 7 2018 “I’ve gone from feeling like I stuck my finger in a light socket 24/7 to tolerable pain that comes and goes. I was bedridden for much of the first 9 months of the Guaifenesin protocol, but 3 years in, I am pain-free today, and making dinner for my family tonight.”

October 9, 2017 “So, it’s been 3 years since I started the Guaifenesin Protocol for Fibromyalgia. I thought by now I would be “better”. I thought I would completely have my real body back. I thought I’d be able to travel without paying for it, to run errands and do housework as needed. I thought my pain would be gone, and my energy would be normal. I was wrong. But I am stronger.

This journey started out as a sprint. (“I can do this. I WILL do this. Whatever it takes, I am in it to get well.”) It was intense, and I was determined.

Then, I learned that this was a marathon, not a sprint. I learned not to push too hard, and I paced myself a little better. I enjoyed the good days, and made it through the nasty ones. I knew I was pushing through for a purpose: to get years of built-up phosphates out of my body and to feel well.

Now I’m realizing that this fibromyalgia journey is a bit like some sort of morphed-out, amped-up, wacked-out triathlon, involving much more than 3 events like running, swimming, and biking. This challenge included mountain climbing, walking on burning coals, clawing out from underneath avalanches, and plucking out shards of glass after jumping through countless glass windows.

This is still hard. I am still struggling. The big picture is that it is getting easier. So many of my minor symptoms are gone! The big ones (non-restorative sleep, mad pain, and occasional brain fog) still come and go. The good news is that they GO. And, I sure appreciate the days that they are gone. Sometimes I feel like Rip Van Winkle, having missed out on so many things, but I am so thankful to have woken up from the never-ending nightmare of Fibro.

Next week, I am co-leading a new support group at my church for women who have chronic illnesses. We are reading the book “Sick and Tired” by Kimberly Rae. This book is spot on. Kimberly points out why she thinks chronic illnesses can be gifts from God. (I had to read this list multiple times for each point to sink in.) Chronic physical difficulties, in Kimberly Rae’s words, are gifts.

1. They remind us our lives and our bodies are not really our own.
2. They remind us not to take life for granted. We’re not guaranteed tomorrow.
3. They keep us humble, as we have to ask for help and support from others.
4. They remind us of our need for God’s daily help and presence.
5. They remind us every breath, every beat of the heart, every part of the body that is working, is a constant gift from God.
6. They teach us to accept that we can’t fix everything, and that’s okay.
7. They force us to have courage, to face our fears, to accept what we cannot change, because if we could, we would.
8. They force us to prioritize what matters most, because we physically cannot maintain lives filled with extra things.

Sometimes the best person to encourage someone with a chronic illness is someone else who participates in a morphed-out, amped-up, wacked-out triathlon of their own. Kimberly Rae was right, and I needed to hear what she had to say.

If you are someone who has a chronic illness, let me just tell you that I get it! I get the daily struggle, and the roller coaster of emotions. Know that, no matter how hard your battle, you can do this. You will be stronger because of it.”

~ Nancy Batch. You can see more of Nancy Batch and her story on her Facebook Page Nancy’s Journey Back to Health.

For more information and more success stories on the Guaifenesin Protocol, check out the links in this post and the Tags under the post 🙂