Reach Out and Touch SomeoneOn January 27, 1999, I quit my job because of extensive pain in my head. Since the early 60's I have had problems with my neck. It was not until 1982 that I was diagnosed with a movement disorder called Torticolis (which causes involuntary movement of a joint, or in my case, the spastic muscles in my neck caused wear and tear on my cervical spine). From 1987 to 1990 I had four surgeries resulting from pinched nerves, degenerative arthritis and degenerative spondylosis (narrowing of the spinal canal}. Usually I was able to go back to work within six to ten weeks after surgery, but was left with pain from the arthritis. With God's help, medication and a tens unit, I was able to continue working. But as the woman with the issue of blood, the problem never went away. In 1997 and 1998 I began having numbness in my head that eventually led to extensive pain from the base of my head to the front. Tests in 1998 did not show anything. As stated at the beginning I quit my job because I could no longer take the stress of work and the pain. After a myelogram in 1999, it was discovered there were severe problems between C1 and C2. The doctors said my spinal canal was half the size of most people and that without surgery I would either become paralyzed all over or I would eventually die because the arthritis was right at the brain stem. During surgery on March 25, 1999 the doctors (two) stabilized my neck with a rod attached to the base of my skull and the end of my cervical spine. That night I quit breathing for about 3 minutes after an injection of medication for pain, but God was not through with me so, He, through the doctors and others saved my life. A lot of the pain, the things I said to my family and friends, I do not remember - to God be the glory. I was taken to ICU, but at 4 am that morning I fell out of bed and hit my head. I remember the pain of hitting the floor but nothing else. The doctor sent me home one week later. On the second night I passed out and had to be taken back to the hospital. On the following Sunday I had a severe headache all day. At the insistence of my family, a CT Scan was done of my head which showed excessive fluid on my brain. I went back to ICU where another doctor put a drain into my brain and hooked it to a pump to see if this was going to continue. It did so I was scheduled for surgery to have a shunt put in. That same day the nurse discovered I had an infection in my incision so I had to go to surgery to have that washed out and packed. Also, sometime during all of this I had a light stroke, which only affected my right leg. Eventually, the shunt was put in and after a month on ICU, I was allowed to go home. With help from my Heavenly Father, the prayers of people at my church, my wonderful family, my doctors and physical therapist, I made a great recovery. Yes, I have been prayed for many times for healing of the movement disorder, but to this day I still have the movement even though I cannot turn my neck. What God revealed to me was that I believe with my head for healing but not with my heart.
One of Paul Harveys sayings is.. "and now for the rest of the story". In December, 1999, I would wake up beween 2 and 5 am, with a headache. I would take two Tylenol and drink a cup of coffee and sleep in the recliner. The recliner actually became my bed. After some physical therapy and exercises, I was down to about two headaches a week. When I went back to see my neurologists she decided to treat me for migraines. The headaches began again that night after taking the medicine prescribed. I stopped the medicine, but the headaches lasted for about a week but became more intense like someone stabbing me with a pick. My husband got up most nights and sat with me, he anointed me with oil but nothing helped. After a week of this I got up on Sunday morning and felt that I could go no further. I had prayed and done everything I knew to do but nothing helped. My doctor was out of town so the doctor on call said he could give me a pain pill. I told him no, a pill is what started the pain. He said he couldn't do anything for me. I told him about the surgery and how he knew this I don't know...? but he told me that one of the pills I was taken could be increased at night. In fact he told me to take a half one then about 10 am. I took the pill and laid down on the bed. I told God that I was giving all of myself to Him because I could no longer fight the headaches or the enemy. Whatever happened to me from that point on was up to Him. I placed my Bible on my body, which I had been doing all week, opened it randomly and went to sleep. When I woke later, the page I had opened to was a Devotional written by Ruth Bell Grahm. The title was "Commit to God". Following is what was writen. "She said the Amplified Bible pictures us committing our load to God by rolling it onto Him. It is helpful to note that we can roll something that is too heavy to carry or to cast. What are we to commit - to trust - to God? The scriptures she gave were Psalms 22:8-Ourselves; Psalms 55:22-Our Burden; I Peter 4:19-Out Souls; Psalms 37:5-Our Way: I Peter 2:23-Our Cause; and the last Proverbs 16:3-Our Works. That very afternoon I began to get better and I have not had a migraine headache since.
God also gave me a card ministry through the church (which was a miracle itself) which I did for 6 years. As I began this ministry, I realized that just sending a card was not enough, I had to pray for the people also. My prayer and challenge then was - Will you reach out and touch someone through a similar ministry? With over 2,000 people attending our church, it's hard to know how to help those who are in need. A card, a phone call, or a visit can make a world of difference to that one who is sick, needing comfort in time of loss, depression, needing Jesus.. and the list goes on. It doesn't matter who you are, they just need to know there are people who care enough to pray for them. "The harvest is great but the laborer's are few."
On May 17th, 2007 I had back surgery at L3, 4 and 5 with 3 rods put in place. Would you believe I was given the same pain medicine and once again God spared my life. It has taken over a year to recover and I'm still not where I'd like to be. I did give up the card ministry. I just did not have the passion for it anymore, but getting involved with Rachel's Bible Study and setting up a blog has been a real blessing to me. As I told someone recently when I started this, I did not feel I had a friend at all (except Jesus), now I have a world of friends. I know this is long but I felt I had to post the whole story not a condensed one. It is my prayer that someone will find hope and faith.
I leave you with this verse, I Peter 5:10-11 10"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."
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