A JOYFUL NOISE

I know that traditionally in December, I send out my Christmas card along with a letter about my year and maybe even a photo. This year, I didn't get around to finding the correct card or writing a letter in time before the year ended; so this is why I write this post--- just to let you all know I appreciate your friendship and love once again this past year. I continue to struggle with my physical pain and low energy. I still can't work full time and sometimes even helping my mom around the house takes a toll on me... my pain level increases and sometimes so bad that I have lay down for a good while. You will read about some of my trips I made over the year. It wasn't easy at times with my constant pain, but God gave me strength to enjoy time I was able to spend with friends and family. Throughout the beginning of the year, I continued to go through tests after tests to figure out or rule out things that could be an underlying cause of all this pain. It wasn't ...

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite time of year as well as my favorite holiday. I love fall... the changes of the leaves, the smell of fall air, the change in time, etc. A time to really reflect on the blessings God has bestowed upon me and the blessings yet to come. Yes. Fall. A wonderful holiday. It's no surprise that this year, Thanksgiving, again is my favorite time of year. But tonight. Tonight is Christmas Eve. I seldom ever go out on Christmas Eve by myself, but this year I was blessed to be part of the worship team on Christmas Eve and again tomorrow....Christmas Day. I love the songs of the season. Every year around this time, I do my annual "tradition". I listen to Christmas music on the radio or my iPod/MP3 player as I do chores around the house or do my crocheting, or reading my books. I go into the "back" of my closet and take out my 3 Christmas movies that has a touching story behind it. I watch them. I cry. I hope for a bet...

As most of you all know, I've struggled with health issues all my life. Recently in the past 3-5 years I have had stomach pains that has left me unable to work; I can barely do much of anything without feeling the affects it has on my body. It's been quit depressing. MY GI doctor has done all he could over the past 5 years and with all of the GI tests coming back negative (except for the gastroperesis coming back positive) as well as most of the medications not working, the GI doctor was ats the end of the road. The only thing the GI doctors thought it could be was over active neuro-pathways leading to and into my stomach area They referred me to the pain management clinic at UVA. UVA is really the only hospital I would go to do get anything major done. I've been a patient there for 32 years and will continue to be a patient there. Today I saw my pain management doctor, Dr Johnson. She seems very nice and very willing to help. It was agreed that I was showi...

Lately, I have stewed over the meanings of "trivial" and "normal". Sometimes when people ask me how I'm doing, the matter of fact is that I can't really answer that in fear of not being truthful to myself or others. I can say "I still struggling and still having a rough time", yet the truth is, this illness has been going on for a while. Not just with my recent years of stomach issues, but also with what NF brings with the disease (compromised immune system, trouble with sleep, easy infections, vision instability etc). Then again, I tend to also say I'm doing "ok" because this illness (including my GI issues) is just a part of me that I know I have to endure and it's part of my every day life. People also say to me "I bet you wish your health will return to normal". Honestly, I don't know how to respond. My entire life (yes, since I was born), I've faced doctors, hospitals, etc no less than 10-12...

This past Sunday, I came home from church and a special gathering, very tired and in some pain. Long days are hard on me, mostly physically and especially if the night before I didn't sleep well. I decided to lay on the couch and flip TV channels. I came across Discovery Fit and Health and saw a preview of a man with deformities like myself. When it was made known that it was Neurofibromatosis ( or NF--the condition have) I was intrigued and continued to watch it. It was something I can relate to and I have never really known anyone who has suffered from this disorder as I do. There's no cure and basically it's a life long cycle of surgeries after surgeries. I know a lot about this disorder due to myself suffering from it but also my own research on the topic. When I was watching this show, it blessed me in so many ways. As a background, NF has two types: Type I and Type II. Type I is the most common and least harming to the body; Type II has a huge ...

I apologize for not doing the "best" of job in updating you all on my health issues. For a period of time, I've become so overwhelmed and frustrated with my not feeling well, having to check in to the ER, doctors appointments, etc. Sometimes it's so hard to go through this and share with friends. I don't want to burden any of my friends with my health issues, even though I know they will always pray for me. Back in the beginning of September, I had an appointment with my GI doctor, Dr Perua and Dr. Henry. All of you know that for the past 2-3 years these stomach issues of pain and nausea has been baffling to not only myself and my parents, but with the doctors as well. They had hypothesis, did various tests, and still they couldn't figure out what was going on with me. The did; however, know that I have gastroperesis which is the slow emptying of the stomach. Normally the stomach will empty 100% in 2 hrs; with me, my stomach emptied only 37% in 2 h...

That was the title of my talk with the ASP kids yesterday. And it was really fun and a blessing to me as I got to share some truths about life and in it all how God takes care of use and uses us for HIS Glory. For a few years, between 2005-2007, I would be on again off again as a discipler to the kids. I shared my testimony to the kids back then as a way of showing them that God uses everything we go through as a means to glorify and exalt His name. It's hard to believe that the kids who I helped back then are in college! YIKES! When I moved back to Lyndhurst in 2007, I was sadden to have had to stop attending ASP and being a disciple to ASP kids who mostly live in the coaches behind the church. I loved being part of ASP for a while and it was hard.....really hard to have given it up; I couldn't do it, not only because I was further away from the church, but because I had a full time job.... an 8-5 job; so I couldn't participate. But God's plan ch...