Thursday, June 16, 2011

Pain

Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. Pain may be sharp or dull. It may come and go, or it may be constant. Constant. CONSTANT. 


Constant pain can lead to Xrays, CT scans, MRIs, steroid shots, surgery, more shots,and a trial spinal cord stimulator. 


If you have the flu or a virus, people can relate to that and empathize. It is hard for people to understand or empathize with pain caused by something that can't be seen. It's not like I have a broken bone with a cast or a cut or even a bruise. "Everyone has pain, it is part of growing older."  "You just need to deal with the fact that you may hurt some for the rest of your life." 


NO!  This isn't that kind of pain. Yes, I have the getting older aches and pains when I stay in bed too long or spend a day walking in bad shoes. But this pain is not the kind of pain you just deal with. How do you explain that when there is nothing visible? It is very frustrating and depressing.


I thank God for my wonderful pain management doctor. I am thankful for all the tests that shows them what is going on in my body.I am thankful for the people that invented the spinal cord stimulator. I am hopeful that I can have it permanently because, in my case, it works! I am looking forward to a life with less pain.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Lessons learned at the Gilreath Hilton

I have been self conscious of my lack of hair all of my life. Each decade it would get worse. I have seen the end result in my Granny and her sisters, but was so afraid to try anything out of my comfort zone. Well last Wednesday, God put @Sherrie Gilreath in my life. I went to Second Baptist Church in Griffin, GA to do some ACS Training. Little did I know the big changes God had in store for me. These people welcomed me into their church with handshakes and hugs. I felt right at home. We visited some and then got down to the task at hand. Pulling up out of the "trouble" books that had been handed down from the past Financial Secretary. I worked with Sherrie and Lynnette and we made quick work of reorganizing the COA and streamlining PR Adjustments that had been pages and pages long before. Showed them a few tricks for doing, lets say just one check on the fly. Also got them updated to the most recent version and with all the tax table changes, Pastor Ron seemed to have an even bigger smile on his face when we explained all that to him. And then God used them to minister to me. To make me know what the shreds of hair that i was hanging onto on the top of my head did not define me. That could be let go and I could let the Sharon I felt on the inside be seen on the outside of me. So I did it. With the help of my new friends, we went down to the wig store Wednesday with me a balding woman an I came with a full head of hair. Met the new people at the church the next day as the new me....no one laughed......maybe i an do this. Flew home on friday and noboby laughed....this is getting easier. Went to dinner party Friday night with some friends, nobody laughed.....hmmmm....maybe i will be ok. So Saturday morning i woke up an shaved the little hair i had left off of my head. It was kinda sad that it all fit in one of my hands. But it was FREEING. That crappy hair will not define me as a woman! I felt very welcomed by my church family today as well. It is just so nice to feel like a girl again after all these years, to feel feminine.