Rebounding

I think it best to start with a bit of a recap of the last few weeks. About a month ago now I came down with my first illness of the season; the worst sore throat and swollen glands I can ever remember having. Without insurance I'm not one to call the Dr. at every little sniffle but after 3 days of that kind of pain, it was time. He said it wasn't strep but rather an infection in my glands. He prescribed an antibiotic and prednisone. After a few days the sore throat and swollen glands all went away and all seemed well. Shortly after that a stiff neck made an appearance. Stiffness and tenderness has been a part of my  life for quite a few years now so this wasn't too surprising but normally I can visit my massage therapist, chiropractor or even work on it enough myself to get it to loosen but not this time. Two chiropractor visits and a massage did loosen it enough so I could drive without endangering my life but I just felt like something wasn't right especially when I started needing a nap every day after lunch! I finally gave in to making an appt. with my MD thinking maybe that infection took up residence in my neck somehow? Grasping at straws at this point. MD asked all the questions, felt around a bit then decided to take 3 vials of blood for testing thinking perhaps mononucleosis. WHAT?? MD said it was very rare in an adult my age, but wanted to check and felt it best so not to miss anything else. MD never said what else they were checking for and I didn't have time to ask but when I got home I looked everything up and liver and kidney were included also blood sugar. The wait was a bit disconcerting but the call came the next day and everything was normal. Well...good, but what's next? I'm to finish the prednisone which will be finished tomorrow and if I'm not better call back...as if I can afford to after an unplanned blood draw to pay for. I am feeling better but I'm still concerned that now I'm finished with the meds I'll be back to square one. I keep working on my neck with hot/cold therapy, my theracane and just plain stretches. It feels like it gets looser, but the pain is still there when I get it in certain positions....like head down. Strange. 

It's been an awful winter what with all the drama at church, businesses in trouble and just plain winter. One of the things that came to light this winter was the unofficial diagnosis of fibromyalgia. My chiropractor firmly believes I have it and after his own assessment, my MD said he agrees. 

I've been thinking and praying about some of the changes I'm going to need to be making. In our ladies Bible study we started this week in Joshua. I read about the ark of the covenant and it was obvious how important it was that the ark go before them as they began their journey. When priests stepped into the water of the Jordan while holding the ark, the waters were gathered up and the way made clear. Lesson for us? When we allow God to go ahead of us He leads the way, clears the path, makes clear the path we should take. 

I've been praying so much about how I've been feeling and it's so interesting how the Lord has begun to show me one thing and then another about how to fix me. 

I knew I was going to have to be intentional and diligent if I'm going to feel like myself again. This week I put my crown straight on my head and jumped in with both feet....literally.

In my research regarding what possible things can be wrong with me one of the things that I noticed was the lymph system. Well, that made sense seeing as how I had that infection in the lymph glands of my neck. 

I've just been feeling so 

                                                              CLOGGED...like everything is just stopped up and/or stuck. The best way I can describe it is I feel like a sopping wet dish rag that needs a good twisting ring out. So what to do for it? Well besides the usual, drink lots of water, eat healthy food, exercise, one of the things was  

rebounding. 

In my day we called it jumping on a trampoline...now it has a fancy name....rebounding. I have a mini tramp so I decided to drag it out. I had forgotten how fun it is to just jump up and down and let everything jiggle. It's important to shake, rattle and roll and just let everything hang loose and floppy, even the girls shouldn't be too restrained...so that's what I did. It did feel good like things were just getting shaken up in a good way. I also discovered it's good for balance work...good thing I had the presence of mind to put a chair next to the tramp...just in case I needed it....and I did...but not much which was encouraging. 

In addition to rebounding, 

dry brushing 

helps shed dead skin cells (and encourages new cell renewal), which results in smoother and brighter skin. More importantly for me, it assists in improving vascular blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. I added dry brushing to my list. 

Last year I did something very unusual for me. I enrolled in some summer Tai Chi classes. I found them to be good exercise and great for stress release but with my teaching schedule I couldn't continue during the winter months. Whether by coincidence or divine appointment my schedule opened up just as my teacher was advertising her next class series. I don't have much money to spend on myself right now, but I just couldn't pass this up so I signed up for 



Tai Chi 

and I had my first class this week. AMAZING! I'm still not quite sure why I connect so much to this form of exercise, but I just want to learn more and more and it makes me just feel good. Tai Chi is all about 

alignment; 
head, 
neck and 
spine, 
but also the alignment of 
mind, 
body and 
spirit, 

also balance and 


breathing 

which brings me to my next point. 

Several weeks ago the Lord has been nudging me to start singing in the church choir again. I'm a choir member from like forever. I joined school choir at the tender age of 9 and never left. I also joined my church youth choir and toured with both them and my high school choir for three years each. I was also in two ensembles at school and one at church. During my high school years I was doing so much singing my father saw to it that I take some voice lessons. When I went to college I joined up there too and traveled on tour with them as well and took some more voice lessons on the side. When we moved to our current home I joined the church choir but having young children at home I found the practices and commitment difficult, especially since I was playing the piano on occasion and learning the organ. I quit and hadn't gone back until this week. I went in very hesitantly. I don't sing anymore...haven't in years. I don't sing in church anymore because I'm playing the organ and reading three lines of music is enough to keep me busy, trying to focus on words and breathing just puts me over the top! I even stopped singing around the house for some unknown reason. It took me some time to remember how to breathe. I mean...I'm alive, so I breathe but singing breath is different...full, from the diaphragm. My mind knew what to do but my body wasn't getting the message. It took several weeks and probably some of the other techniques I'm discussing here to get to the point where I felt like I was doing it correctly. I actually finally felt it come back in church today...while singing. I suddenly could just

breathe.  



Singing 

can have some of the same effects as exercise, like the release of endorphins, which give the singer an overall "lifted" feeling and are associated with stress reduction. ... And singing necessitates deep breathing, another anxiety reducer. Not to mention the act of singing with a group gives a sense of belonging, community and unity. 

One of your blogs that I've begun following is entitled "Just Breathe". That's so important and so true. I have to take it a step further though...I have relearned how to deep breathe. Just breathing isn't enough, it has to be deep and full and with intention. For the first time today I am feeling the healing effects of full deep breaths. I actually read somewhere recently that people with fibromyalgia are usually shallow breathers. Interesting. 

Interesting too that one of the hymns I've been practicing on the organ this week is O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing which has these words: 

Jesus the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease, 'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life and health and peace. 

Spring arrived this week! 
I'm pretty sure this time. 

I ventured out one day at noon and enjoyed my lunch on the front steps. I still have the rosy cheeks to prove it. The sun bouncing off the snowbanks is quite intense but oh I sure needed that 

sunshine...

it went all the way to my aching bones. So healing. I can't wait to be able to walk barefoot through green grass again. Did you know that has a fancy name now too? YUP...

Grounding, or earthing, 

refers to connecting electrically with the Earth. A growing body of research is finding numerous health benefits as a result of the physical body being grounded.

Ok, so where am I going with all this? 

Whether my condition is the result of an infection or the effects of fibromyalgia I am seeing that I'm being led to stress reducing activities which tells me perhaps this is mostly a stress issue that could be compounded by the infection and fibro. 

I don't know which of these activities is helping me...maybe it's a team effort but I'm starting to feel better. I feel like when I stretch the stretch actually goes somewhere...it's no longer quite so stuck. Don't get me wrong...I still have a very long way to go, but at least I feel like I'm on my way and I'm praising

God 
for His guidance as He has gone before me, 

leading the way.