My 2007 Lyme resolutions - please add - Lyme Disease Message Board

6Blues · 12-27-2006, 10:32 PM

I've done new year's resolutions in the past. Some have worked and others not much.

It certainly can't hurt me to set reasonable goals for myself and try to stick to them.

You know, even if I only adhere to these for a scant week, it's better than not having stuck to them at all. I will allow myself to do what I can. I will not compare my present self to my old self. I will be gentle.

During the year 2007, 6Blues resolves to:
- quit smoking once and for always
- spread the word on Lyme disease
- keep to my treatment as well as research alternatives to my treatment
- take my pills each day and chart my health
- pick up my 5lb weights once a week and/or do soft yoga once a week
- eat small healthy meals at least 3 times a day
- forgive myself for mistakes such as: sleeping on the sofa instead of my bed, skipping a pill, eating at Wendy's, drinking wine with an ambien to get a good nights sleep
- treat those who avoid me because of my illness and/or ran away from me with courtesy and respect (this is a toughie!!)
- find a spiritual way back to my church
- reach out to new Lymies with compassion and understanding
- leave my house once a month, showered and wearing clean clothes, to meet an adult for lunch or see a movie or volunteer at a fundraising event or go to my parents for dinner
- return a few of the phone calls I get when I am too sick to answer the phone and let voice mail answer for me
- medidate in order to bring my mind in synch with my body
- continue to visit this board to offer understanding and help to newbies and oldies in hopes that my experience may help some stranger

On the flip side, during the year 2007 6Blues refuses to:
- accept that I am as good as I will ever be
- give up fighting this disease
- accept that this is as good as my life will ever get
- lie down and pray that I don't wake up
- let my kids get away without taking out the trash or carrying thier dirty clothes to the laundry room

Thanks for letting me articulate my feelings here.

I have always spent new years out at some fancy dance place with a handsome guy, my hair done, my nails done, fancy underwear, dressed to kill in something stunning and black, dripping in sparkling jewelry in spike heels and a feather boa --- ready to dance the night away.

I find it amazing that I looking forward to being home with my kids, maybe going out to a diner and talking about the year past and our hopes/expectations for the year ahead.

It was selfish of me to record my personal goals here but I felt it would be appropriate. All of my do's and will-not-do's are directly related to Lyme.

In addition, an exercise like this can get us all thinking and learning from each other.

jojo · 12-28-2006, 06:22 AM

MicBlues.....

I think this is awesome! You ask me how I keep a good attitude?

Look at you Mickie....Your going to kick this lyme crap...and it is making you stronger...LOOK AT ALL THE GOALS YOU HAVE!!! These are words from a STRONG PERSON! YOUR NOT GIVING UP!!!! I see a very self motivated Lady in you...

You have been and are an inspriation to alot of us...

How you get through every day with being ill and holding down a job and raising kids is beyond me...

May I add one on for you??

Pat Yourself on the back each and every day!!!

Thanks MicBlues for being here to share and help others

Your gonna kick this lymie butt in the year 2007!!!!!

Hugs to you.....

KeyLyme · 12-29-2006, 06:47 PM

6Blues, I completely agree w/ JoJo. You are an inspiration to us all. I don't know how you are able to hold down a job, raise kids all by yourself and deal with Lyme's all at the same time!! You are one tough cookie! I really admire you.

I noticed on one of your resolutions that you wanted to find a spiritual way to get back to church. I know from my personal experience that I have truly learned the concept of completely relying on God. When one's body is as broken as ours and our lives are in shambles, all we have is God.
If I may share a personal story with you...just bear w/ me there is a point to my ramblings. A few months ago I was SEVERLY depressed. My remission was over with and I was back to square one. I knew God was in control but I was so overwhelmed w/ sadness and frustration that I had a really hard time focusing on God. I felt forgotton by God.

One night I was up ALL night b/c I was in severe pain. So, to make the time go by faster I was thinking about how I would like to redecorate my house. I was thinking how I would love to have 2 rounded back leather chairs for my living room. Of course, things like that are horribly expensive so I didn't give much thought to it.

A WEEK later, I took a different way home than normal and I saw a garage sale sign. I normally don't go to garage sales b/c mostly they're full of junk but this one I thought I'd stop at. As I drove past the house, I saw the exact chairs that I wanted! It was at the end of the day and the gal was putting up everything but she kindly stopped so I could ask her about the chairs.

She said that she had many people interested in them and wanted to buy them all day but for some reason, she just felt like she wasn't supposed to sell them. I told her about the chairs I wanted really bad and long story short, she sold me the chairs for $25 a piece! I told her my story and she said that I was definitely meant to have the chairs.

So, as I was driving home w/ my new chairs I thought "why on Earth would God choose to give me these chairs?" Right as I thought that I KNOW God spoke to me. He said, "If I care enough about you to get you these chairs, just wait and see what I'm going to do about your health.". At that point on, I have had a peace about my situation that I can't explain. I know God hasn't forgotton about me and that he has everything in His own timing. I keep remembering the verse, "God can make all thimgs work for good for those who are called according to His purpose." So even though bad things happen to good people, if we trust God and trust His timing, He will cause all things to work for good!

Since my "chairs" experience, things have really come together. I finally have a dr who is treating me based upon my symptoms. I can't say that everything is perfect b/c unfortunately, the world we live in is full of sin and evil and bad things happen to good people. But I keep trusting God b/c I know He's not going to let me down.

I personally believe that before we can get to a place where God is able to heal us either through conventional medicine or miracles, we have to go through a journey. How does it benefit us to go through a trial and not learn anything?! That's why we must come to a place where we have learned the lesson behind the trial and then we are able to receive the blessing. Just look at Job...need I say more?

So whenever I start feeling down or am having a bad day, I just look at my chairs and know that God is thinking of me and loves me. He's healed me once before, He can do it again! I really recommend reading the book TrueFaced. It really refreshed my spiritual life.

Sorry I wrote a book!

6Blues · 01-01-2007, 01:27 AM

jojo and standish - thanks!!

Just popping to say it was a tough night but I got through it.

I had a big holiday dinner at my parents house where my big brother, his wife, and his daughter were visiting. My mom has so much arthritis and her diabetes makes her sick, that I offered to do all the cooking and bring it over for a big traditional family meal in the dining room.

I cooked last night and this morning and I pushed myself too hard, but I made it through the day. It was great to be sitting there with them laughing and talking.

My big brother just came through a long term illness and he is very understanding about what I am going through. He is also going through tough demmanding times with his daughter and his marraige. We had a good time listening to each other, laughing, cryng, listening again.

My kids went to thier friends to sleep over so I came home alone and spent new years eve watching a South Park marathon. It was my first new years alone.

I was ok with it but got sad when I heard fireworks going off around the neighborhood. Then I got sad thinking back to the boyfriend I had before getting sick and how we spent 5 new years eve's in a row together and how it stinks to be home alone.

The self-pity party wasn't bad. I've had worse.

I pray, pray, pray that this year brings better health to all of us. Even a slight improvement in symptoms will brighten someone's life.

I pray that the recovered stay recovered with no symptoms sneaking up and catching them off guard.

I thank God for this venue to join a community of people who understand and comfort and support me.

A blessed and healthy 2007 to all here.

Linnyloo · 01-02-2007, 06:35 AM

McBlue-you are amazing!!

I woke up this morning determined to document my resolutions but I see that you already did it for me!!

You have said it all! Whenever I need a reminder to draw strength or compassion all I have to do is read your post!

I agree with Standishtrio. Although having Lyme really bites, I have learned so many lessons about life, pain, relationships (and lack of them), friendship, compassion and understanding by having this disease that I would never have learned with out it. I am trying to be open to all of this so that I can move forward on my path and I believe that these lessons are there to be learned to make us better people. I don't post often but this healthboard has shone me that there are still wonderful people in this world that are willing to help each other. I don't have a lot of knowledge about this disease yet so I can't always be helpful to others but I do appreciate those who are.

God Bless!