As I sit here and ponder the change in my lifestyle over the course of the past week or so ... since the beginning of my 7.2 journey ... I reflect upon the effect it has truly had on my life.

Prior to commencing on this leg of life, I thought I felt good.  I went to work each morning.  I kept my appearance clean.  I did things and journeyed through life not really grasping the concept that I was unhealthy. I knew I suffered daily with chronic pain ... but isn't that part of the aging process?  My energy levels were up and down, but I contributed this to the fact that I worked all day and I was supposed to be tired.

However, when I looked outside my world ... at others who were basically travelling the same pathways as me ... I had to realize that something was out of sync.  They worked all day too ... on top of that they had more than one child at home ... a husband to care for ... a home to tend to.  Yet they seemed to be able to do so much more than me.

I quit wearing makeup ... I quit making an effort to fix my hair and would simply wear it in a bun all day!  I told myself that this was fine and again it was all part of the changes occurring in me because of getting older.  I was deceiving myself daily, and I was not even aware of it.

Let's face it ... when you are not truly happy with the outside of you, then you do lose a certain amount of desire to fix yourself up.  I was happy in life.  I was clean and shiny on the inside because of my relationship with Christ, but I was not feeling as if I was giving Him my all on the outside.  I was just getting by.

Since starting on my 7.2 journey, with my daily pain decreasing steadily, people have began to notice the changes in me.  I had my hair done ... I am losing weight ... I am making that added effort to feel good on the outside ... as good as I felt on the inside!  Each day I feel a sense of renewal, sort of like I feel on the inside as I draw closer to God.  I have learned that you can have the better of both worlds ... not the carnal versus the flesh as we know where that leads ... but a sense of knowing that I can give God my all internally and externally.  It just increases my desire to be the best I can be. 

With my added energy and my pain decreasing daily, I have more of me to offer up to Him for His service.  It is such an exhilarating feeling.  It desires me to want more.  It fills me with an even greater desire to work my 7.2 program because it has made all the difference in my life.

So you say to yourself, "I do not need the 7.2 program because I do not need to lose weight", or you say, "I am losing weight on my own."  I know such a person who is losing weight on their own.  They are being very successful at counting calories, and they have lost approximately 40 pounds.  This is AWESOME!  But is that all there is to it?  No!  I know this person well enough to  know that even though they are losing weight, they are not healthy.  Their energy level is no where near mine.  They nap during the day, and then they are ready for bed at 9:00.  They have other issues that contribute to this, but they refuse to make a change and give 7.2 a chance.  They would rather continue on the path they are on, then to admit that losing weight is only half the battle in today's world.

Don't wait another minute drudging through your day wishing you could feel better ... wishing you had more energy to do more things ... thinking that work is all there is because you simply do not have another ounce of energy to do anything else.  Give 7.2 a try.  You won't regret it.

I did not start the program to lose weight, though I certainly needed to.  I was more interested in the testimonies I had heard about the effect that 7.2 had on chronic daily pain ... the testimony from the young lady who has basically been a recluse for years suffering with MS who has declared that 7.2 may have just been the cure she was looking for ... the Pastor who has declared he has such greater clarity on top of going down 3 sizes ... the testimony from people who have declared that 7.2 is what they have been searching for to enhance their overall lifestyles.

If you suffer with chronic daily pain, forms of arthritis, depression, loss of energy, insomnia, and the list goes on, you owe it to yourself to try 7.2.  Don't allow another day go by in defeat knowing it is time you will never get back.  Start your new life today and enjoy every minute!  Check out janetnicholson.sevenpoint2.com.  It is an investment you cannot afford not to invest in!

It is amazing to me just how set in our ways we can become ... how many times we go around the same mountains expecting different outcomes knowing nothing changes unless we do ... how when something has proven to us to be the answer, we still try to defy it and do it our way ... just how terribly set we are in our minds that our way just may be the right way despite proven wrong continually.  This was me yesterday, and I paid the ultimate price for it last night.

If you have read my previous blogs up to this point, you know by now how I suffer ... or did suffer ... with chronic pain daily.  Since starting the 7.2 program, my pain levels have decreased by at least 90%.  On top of that I have lost weight, have been sleeping so much better, have increased my energy levels, have stopped losing hair every time I brushed it or washed it, and the list goes on.  Knowing this firsthand and experiencing the freedom of pain, you would think I simply would not be tempted to sway from the program.  Yes, I have cheated on the program but I still have been very conscious of what I put into my body.  I have found through research just how dreadful the effects on your body are when you eat nothing but processed foods ... fast foods ... junk foods ... fried foods ... fatty foods!  I am not saying you have to delete these foods from  your life forever, but when you do eat them, it should be lesser than more.  They should make up the majority of your food intake.

Last night I suffered immensely, and as I wondered what was going on, it dawned on me I had not done any of the 7.2 program all day.  With everything I was trying to accomplish yesterday, I simply overlooked the most important thing, besides God, that I have working in my life right now when it comes to pain control.  Because of this oversight, I was in so much pain I could not even roll from side to side.  It hurt to breathe.  I felt as if I tried to move my head, then my neck would simply break off from the pain.  My normal pain areas were good, but it was as if my disease decided to check out new turf.  I finally pulled myself from the bed ... no little feat ... and managed to hook up my heating pad.  I was hurting to the very depth of my bones.  After some time I had to accept the fact that heating pad was not helping.  I decided to take a hot bath.  So at 5:30 this morning, I was sitting in a hot tub of water with hot rags around my neck, and I was continually pouring water over my body.  I took four 7.2 Discovery tablets prior to getting in the tub, and after about 30 minutes, I felt the pain slipping away.  I got out of the tub and I returned to bed for much needed sleep.

I got up this morning knowing I could not make it to church.  My body was simply drained.  You can bet it will not happen again.  I am back on track with my 7.2 program, and I will not repeat the same mistake in the future. 

Today, I am going to work on my website, write an article that has been on my heart for sometime, and press on.  I hate having missed church as it means so much to me and is critical to the beginning of my work week.  Spending time in fellowship with other like-minded Christians ... praising and worshiping God ... and just giving this day over to Him is what strengthens me for challenges that lie ahead.  How are you spending your day?

To learn more about 7.2 please visit my website at janetnicholson.sevenpoint2.com.  You won't regret it!

As of this morning, my PH level is 7.5.  I am so excited.  It gives me a sense of control over my body and physical well being, something I have not felt in a very long time.  I realize this is just the beginning, and even though my level is 7.5 now, I have to maintain it.  I have to keep it there so when, and if, I cheat it will not drop a great deal.

As far as cheating goes, I have not really been tempted since starting the program.  It is amazing to me how my mental concept of this program has changed my temptation levels.  Thursday night at Bible study, we always meet to eat first so everyone brings a covered dish or a desert.  I brought ice cream, toppings, and Cool Whip.  When everyone was digging in, I just sat there and chatted.  I was not inclined in the least to eat the ice cream.  This was a BIG feat for me! 

Yesterday at church, afterwards we eat.  Again, I was not tempted.  I sat at the table with everyone and fellowshipped, but I did my shake and was very content.  I am not sure if I have lost the desire or just crave so intensely to be pain free that my body has made the decision for me. 

I had another day without Advil and I slept like a rock last night.  I never got up one time. 

I realize this may not resonate in your mind as big achievements, but to someone who fights daily with fibromyalgia, MS, forms of arthritis, etc., it is a HUGE VICTORY!!  I am not where I want to be by far, but each day I am improving.  This gives me something to aim for.  I can finally see a future that I had only envisioned or watched from the sidelines for so long.

I did not get my Memorial Wall or Prayer Page up and running this weekend as I had planned.  I hope to do some work on them this week so stay tune and have a truly blessed day!!!

Oh, one last thing ... my husband bought a new set of scales yesterday for the house.  Being this was not a weight loss program for me ... though it is for many ... I have not worried about my weight.  With the scales sitting in front of me this morning, I decided to step on them.  I weighed in at 213.5 ... I have lost 4.5 pounds.  Not too shabby as a bonus on top of everything else!

Have a truly blessed day!

I promised you guys a picture of me when I started on the 7.2 program, and here they are.  UGH!  I hate to even look at them, but it is what it is.  The only thing that has changed since the taking of these photos a few days ago is my hair.  I had a keratin treatment put in and it has changed my facial appearance leaps and bounds.  You know how it is ... when you do not feel good on the inside and your appearance is less than appealing, you have no desire to better yourself.  I always wore my hair on top of my head, in a ponytail, or pulled back because I simply did not have the ump to do anything else.

Since starting to take an interest in myself a few weeks ago, it filled me with the desire to do something different and so I got a keratin hair treatment.  I now desire it even more as I am feeling better daily.  Here are my starting stats:

(1) Weight 218 (lost 7 pounds on my own when I started to change my eating habits); (2) PH level was 5.5; (3) chronic pain daily as I have outlined in my previous posts; (4) when I would wash my hair, it would come out by the hands full.  I would say to my husband, "I am shocked I even have hair left".  He blamed it on the hair color, the hair spray, etc.; (5) skin dehydrated a lot even though I would drink a fair amount of fluids but not what I should have; (6) nails brittle; (7) up to 3600 mg of Advil daily to ward off pain (to be able to tolerate it ... not totally alleviate it as that was not possible); and (8) lack of sleep for various reasons ... pain, insomnia, stress!

I have been on the program since June 18th and today is June 21st ... four days!  Here is what I can tell you thus far:  (1) As to my weight, I do not know.  I have decided to only weigh one time a week because again, as much as I love losing weight, it is not why I started this program.  PAIN was my driving factor!  I will let you know after 1 week what I have lost; (2) PH level as of this morning was ... are you sitting down ... I am so excited to say 7.0!!!  Yep, you heard me right.  As exciting as that is, I realize that one day of 7.0 is not a total victory.  I have to get my body in such good health that 7.2 is my average daily PH level.  So, in essence, I need to reach a 7.5-8.0 daily level so when I cheat, as we all do, then my PH level will drop to a 7.2; (3)  I am not out of pain by no means, but I can honestly say the past two days have been so pleasant.  My pain levels have been so much better.  This alone fuels my desire to continue with 7.2 to see where it takes me.  Heck, I am thinking that if this continues on an upward spiral, I could be playing softball again next year!  Being out of pain is the primary reason I am giving 7.2 an opportunity to show me it is for real.  I researched it, listened to testimonies, and then viewed first hand what it is doing in the lives of others and I decided it was for me ... if you can relate to anything I have shared, then 7.2 is for you too ... check it out here; (4) I told my husband that I did not know whether it was the keratin treatment or 7.2, but my hair loss has just about diminished.  It is truly awesome!; (5) I have improved on my liquid intake.  I drink mostly green tea ... Arizona Green Tea Zero because it has less than 1 gram of sugar; my skin is looking better but not where I want it yet; (6) nails have improved 100%; (7) I have not had Advil in two days.  This is a HUGE feat.  It does not mean I am out of pain by any means.  Because of how I have suffered over the years, my tolerance for pain is quite high.  What I consider workable pain would be horrible for most people.  I am still in pain, but the fact that I have not taken any Advil ... again that is BIG!  Let me stop here for a minute and comment further on the pain issue.

You have to again realize that I live with pain daily.  As much pain as I suffer with, I am sure the young lady I told you about that suffers with MS has far greater pain than mine.  She is living a life today that is steadily improving and is of a far better quality than she has had in YEARS!!!  Feeling my level of pain today and remembering what 7.2 is doing for her only drives me on.  I feel certain that if I remain on this program and get my PH levels where they should be, I too will have a pain-free life.  It is a day that I could only achieve through God's grace.  I feel in the pit of my soul that He brought this program into my life ... and the lives of others ... at just the right time!  The effects of taking daily the amounts of Advil that I was ingesting comes with issues of its own.  It will play havoc on your internal body over time.  To be two days without any is truly an answer to prayer.

Getting back to my list above, let's jump to #8.  I still suffer somewhat at night with insomnia and stress so I cannot say I am peacefully drifting off to dreamland, but it is improving.  I am not waking as much as I normally do and that has to be because I am not in as much pain as normal, but this area needs to improve more.

I have another thing to share that I thought was pretty great.  On Thursday night, when I got home from my Bible study, I was pretty wound up.  I ended up going to bed after midnight ... then tossing and turning as I do ... then the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m.  I had to get up.  I could not afford to hit the snooze button for work reasons.  I thought to myself, "How in the world am I going to function on less than 5 hours of sleep?"  I can honestly say once I washed my face, I felt good.  I joyfully went through my day feeling energized and ready to take on the world.  After dinner, I met my husband in town and we went to the mall, then out to dinner.  Came home, fiddled around a bit more, and turned in about 11:00 or so.  I could not have done that ... I am certain ... without the 7.2 products that I start my day with and take throughout.  I can tell you personally and without a doubt I would not have succeeded through this day without something being different!!!!

I contribute this burst of energy on the 7.2 Recovery pills.  I give them favor for many reasons.  I have decided to increase my dosage of them to see how it effects my sleeping and pain levels, but I want to try not to take any after a certain time of day.  Being that all 7.2 products are organic and have no chemicals, pesticides, or the other ingredients that we dangerously take into our systems daily through processed foods, junk food, fast food, etc., you can basically take all you want as long as you maintain a healthy PH level.  You have to also remember that too much of a good thing can turn on you!  Balance and understanding the program ... which is very simple ... 7.2 has made their tools very user friendly ... is the key to success.

Before I degrade myself in sharing these photos, let me comment on one thing further.  The expense of 7.2 at first was something I too had to take into consideration.  I prayed about it daily.  I truly felt led to take this leap of faith.  I kept hearing, "What price do you put on being pain free!?"  Yesterday as I was driving down the road and just again thinking of where my life was going on this program and the expense of it, this is what God showed me.  I am saving over $300 a month on groceries ... I am saving over $300 a month on prescriptions were I taking all that the doctor had prescribed ... if I get completely off Advil, that is another $50 a month savings ... I am going to the doctor less which is saving me co-pays!  This more than covers what I pay for 7.2.   AND, just what it is doing for me is priceless.  We all know that with pain and low self-esteem comes depression which brings a list of negative reactions of its own!  I could write a book just on the effects of depression!  It is a horrible disease ... yes, it is a disease ... but one that is controllable.  Take that leap of faith today and you will not regret it.

Ok, here is what I have put off sharing ... the pictures ...

Today was my official kick-off on the 7.2 program.  I am so proud of myself because I did not sway outside of the program.  When you are in so much pain on a daily basis, you will do anything to alleviate that pain so it is really not as much a struggle for me as it is for some.  Still struggles but the benefits outweigh the struggles.

I forgot to test my PH levels this morning, but I weighed in at ... I am so embarrassed to even say this ... 218 pounds.  A few weeks ago it was 225, but I had started to make an attempt to change my eating habits so I had lost a few pounds.  However, I need to really drive home to you that weight is not my purpose for this program.  The health benefits far outweigh the loss of weight.  I want to feel good ... I want to look good ... I want to be able to undo some of the things I have done to my body over the years.  I want to experience going to bed at night and not being in pain within 5 minutes of laying down.  I want to be able to get out of bed during the night and in the morning without it hurting so bad that I do not want to breathe.  This is what it is about for me. 

I want to post a picture ... as horrible as it will be for me ... of what I look like now so that you can see what 7.2 does for me in the weeks to come.  I am going to try to do that tomorrow but for now I just need to retire because 5:00 a.m. comes awfully early.  Then, I will weigh each week and post new pictures each month.  Of course, I will share how my pain levels have changed.  Today I have felt sort of tired, but I am sure that is because my body is so craving so much of the things I deprived it of today.  Though tired on the one hand, I am energized on the other.  I think my body is tired but my mind is not yet ready to turn in.  I just got home from an awesome Bible study at my sister's house.  Even my young son said it was good, and it definitely gave us something to ponder and pray about in the days ahead.

Things are far from over at work with staff being out, but today was a good day.  It was the first day in almost 2 weeks where I felt like there was a ray of sunshine pushing through the clouds.  It felt good.

Tomorrow my son turns 17 years of age.  WOW!  Where have the years gone?  We were sharing some childhood memories tonight on the way to my sister's and it was so good to laugh with him.  I will miss our one-on-one times, but I am so proud of the man he is becoming.  God has truly blessed me with two wonderful children!

Good night ... until we meet again!

Good morning~!  I hope everyone is up and enjoying this morning.  I look forward to this time of day as it is so peaceful at my  house and I get an opportunity to write.  I love sharing and I hope you are enjoying reading my blog and articles.  I have decided to add two additional pages so stay tune ...

Yesterday is over and it was one of those days that you will always remember.  It was a good day and it was a bad day ... it came with good news and it ended with bad news.  For right now, you will have to settle on the good news as I am not at liberty to share my bad news at this point.  However, when I do share it, I will be so glad to show you how God is going to turn what was meant for bad into good!

As for the part of my day that was good, I GOT MY 7.2 PRODUCTS!!!!  I AM SO EXCITED!  I cannot wait to start this new venture and get my internal body in order and feeling good.  I will pick up my PH strips today, and I am off and running in the morning.  Yesterday I was hurting so badly at one point that it hurt to breathe, and my left thumb was so tender that I could barely do anything with it.  But God is good and I worked 11 1/2 hours.  AND, get this ... I am considering playing softball again.  Part of me thinks I should wait until next year ... until the 7.2 can really have an opportunity to do its job so pray with me about this decision.

I have not forgotten the question that was posed to me on one of my Facebook groups about the association between my pain and feelings.  I simply have not had ample opportunity to truly sit down and type.  This blog is not going to be long because I am waiting on a text from my employer saying I can get in early at work.  I so look forward to the day I can stay at home and just write.  Just got my call and have to run!

You guys have a great day and I look forward to our days ahead!

Or at least rise, huh?  Good morning, Everyone.  I hope you had a truly blessed weekend.  Mine was good, but of course the highlight was church as always.  Nothing better than to spend time with like-minded Christians, praising and worshipping our Lord and Savior.  For the past few weeks we have been going to Grace Covenant instead of our regular church.  I am not sure what it is but something draws me to them.  My son and I attended a Thursday night study with some of their members last week, and I really enjoyed it.  Small and intimate is better for me ... more one on one and relationship.  I am not for sure what I will do as far as churches go, but I do not have to decide now.

I was a bit disappointed that I have not received my 7.2 products.  I am so anxious to begin this journey and start to have new health.  I am especially excited in light of what I understand has transpired in the life of a family friend.  This young lady has suffered with MS for more years than I would like to remember.  Beautiful girl struck way too early in life with such a debilitating disease.  For the past years, she has basically become disabled, could not drive very far and a lot of times she would get others to drive her, could not do much in the way of activities at all, and has been dependent on total disability.  She started the 7.2 program seeking pain remedies, as I have and continue to do, in the hopes that maybe this was the real deal for once.  After, I think, 2 weeks, she drove herself to visit a family friend.  Quite the feat for her, believe me!  Then to top it off she advised my family member that she was actually considering accepting an invitation to go kayaking.  WOW!  Her just considering this was huge!  Found out Sunday that she actually went kayaking.  I am mesmerized by what has occurred in her life.  I am so psyched to experience some of this for myself.

Knowing what I do about this young lady's progress in light of the life she has been living, my 7.2 products cannot get here quick enough.  I want to experience this firsthand.  It has been so very many years since I have been pain free.  Though I am sure I suffer no where near as much as this family friend does, it is too much for me.  I am tired of being tired so if 7.2 can change that for me, then I would work two jobs to pay for it.  Then, of course, the other benefit of losing weight on it is a plus also. 

When I start the program, I will post a now picture so we can watch how 7.2 changes me on the outside.  The change on the inside is more important to me, but you will have to take my word for that.  The outer change you can watch with me.  I will not be too happy to post the first picture as I have truly allowed myself to gain way too much weight, but it is what it is. 

Tonight I am going to address the question that was put to me this weekend on a group setting I am part of.  This individual asked me how I associated pain with my feelings.  I think God has showed me how to respond, but I have to run for now and head out to work.  My last torturous day without help, but the troops return tomorrow ... praise God!  It has been so hard at work this past week with 3 of 4 closers out.  To show how difficult it truly has been, my supervisor posted on Facebook that it was the most difficult week of her career.  It has been pretty stressful, but also pretty awesome.  I have been so impressed with how non-closers stepped in to assist in whatever way they could ... making copies ... sending faxes ... doing whatever to help out.  It truly was all team effort or we would have accomplished nothing last week.  More than team effort, it was done without snide remarks, hatefulness, or any type of rudeness spoken or shown.  I learned a great deal through this.  The main thing is just how our behavior is a choice ... we choose how to act and what to say and we do have control over it!

Guys, I have to run for now.  Have a wonderful Monday morning and I will chat with you later.

Up early and getting ready to head out.  I am a bit excited and skeptical at the same time, but hey, we only live once.  How boring would life be if we allowed our fears to lead us.  Fear is not from God!  I am going to get a Keratin treatment today.  My sister, Virginia, originally told me about this.  I spoke with my hair stylist in detail about it last week, so today is a go.  Believe me when I say it could not come at a better time.  Heart is a bit heavy this morning for what someone else is enduring, but you know what ... God has this!!!!  I am so blessed to have the prayer warriors in my life that I have.  How did I ever get through life without them? 

I especially need to pray today about a question that someone presented to me on one of my group sites.  He said, "How do you associate your pain with an emotion such as anger, frustration, etc.?"  I think God has showed me how to answer but I cannot right now but look for the new article coming soon ... smile:)!

Ok, I am heading out ... hope to visit with you more this evening so I can share more about my exciting new venture.  I so want you to walk each day with me through this and other things.

Have a great Saturday and be a blessing to others!!!!

As I was discussing yesterday, I am tired of being in constant pain.  I am tired of having to take medicine all the time.  I seek other alternatives, and after much research, I do know one thing for certain.  Food is a large part of our problem.  The chemicals and junk we put in our bodies are the main culprit for so much disease and pain we endure.

Think about this for a minute ... what must they do to keep processed foods fresh ... imagine the chemicals they have to use to keep frozen food good ... the large quantities of sugar we ingest is unimaginable.  The saying, "We are what we eat" is so very true.

I read the book entitled, "Live to Eat" by Dr. Fuhrman and it was quite the eye opener.  I have spoken to numerous people who were once diseased, obese, unhealthy, etc., who have since changed their eating habits and they say they feel like a new person ... diseases healed, pains gone, weight loss, energy levels increased, skin glows, and the list goes on.  I want that, but thus far I have not found it.

Yes, I have started to eat better and I am losing weight slowly, but it isn't just about the weight loss.  I want to be healthy ... I want to be out of pain and more vibrant in life.  So I have been seeking and trying, and thus far I have found no answers.

I now try another program, which I ordered last night, and I am very excited about it.  I attended a meeting and listened to medical data, scientific data, and the testimonies of walking proof.  I was very impressed.  As I said before, I will try anything to get better but this program seemed different.

The first thing that truly impressed me is the fact that it is a Christian organization and one of the AWESOME testimonies I heard was from a local Pastor who has gone from a 5X to almost a 2X.  He not only thrived with losing weight, but it was the other changes this program has made in his life that got my attention ... the difference it has made to his life and his health.  I came home and prayed about it, and I am psyched.  Just the idea that this may work for me is beyond words.

Right now as I type this, the pain in my right leg is throbbing and before long it will be in other areas of my body.  I will start my day with six 200 mg of Advil and tolerate the remaining pain.  How much would you pay for relief from that?

Hang with me as I continue my journey.  I will let you know as soon as I get my product and we can travel this road together.  Pray for me as any change in lifestyle is difficult, but I think once you reach the point that I have, you welcome the struggle.

Have a blessed day my friends.  If you want to know more about the products, then go to janetnicholson.sevenpoint2.com.  Yes, I have become a distributor because I am so impressed with the testimonies and data I read that I want everyone to know.  Hang with me ...

As someone who has suffered with chronic pain daily for over 20+ years, I think it would be safe to say that I am always on the lookout for new products to assist me in alleviating my pain.  Over the course of time, I have been diagnosed with MS, Lupus, Fibromyaglia, and the list goes on.  Finally, the end result was that I have Ankylosing spondylitis, which is also called: Bechterew's disease.  I do not take this lightly but neither do I allow it to rule my life.

The day this diagnosis was delivered I had been through yet another battery of tests.  The difference this time was that they did even more and discovered I had a certain gene which you have to carry in order to have this diagnosis and then some other factors lined up to arrive at this conclusion.  I listened as always and left a skeptic, along with six prescriptions in my hand.

I went the pharmacist and filled my prescriptions, and I pondered my journey up to this point.  Over the course of the past 15 years, I have gone blind four times ... not in both eyes but always in either the right or the left.  In order to regain my eye sight, I would have to take massive doses of prednisone orally and topical.  I would bloat up like a balloon and feel horrible not only on the inside, but the outside as well. 

I can remember the first time my eyesight was lost and my body became a foreigner to me.  I was working daily as I had to as a single parent, but my clothes became impossible for me to wear.  I can remember sitting on my sofa and just crying at the hopelessness I felt.  But, as always, God provided.  I had not long met a new friend online from the State of Washington and she sent me clothes she had outgrown that fit me perfectly.  Though I was still bloated and felt horrible about my outward appearance, it helped me to be uplifted and able to push through.

As I took all of these medicines daily, I thought of my mom.  At the age of 47 she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, which over the years caused many other issues and health problems.  I would watch her and my dad daily take so many medicines.   They had a cigar box filled with them.  Prednizone was my mom's drug of choice.  It had to be as it was the only relief she could find from continual constant and daily pain.  Depending on what she had to do on that given day would determine how large a dose she would take.  It was sad to watch, and the side effects are what eventually killed her.

Knowing all of this, I would take my six prescriptions daily and hate it.  I would wonder how many years of my life I would lose by the side effects and ponder what I was really doing with my body.  One day, about a month into this journey, I simply let them go ... my prescriptions that is!  I felt this burning on the inside of me and I knew right then and there that I would rather live in pain then to poison my body as I was.  I threw all my medicines away.

No I know that many of you are shocked and would probably say I deserve the pain I suffer daily now, but that is fine.  It was my choice and one I have lived with daily.  Now, however, it is becoming more difficult to stand by that decision as my pain and ability to do as I desire are getting less and less.

I am up to 3600 mg of Advil daily and that is only to maintain the pain so I can function daily.  I do not remember when was the last time I was actually pain free for a day ...

I will have to resume this tomorrow as I have to get ready for work, but stay tuned!  You do not want to miss the journey I am about to embark on.  It could be a lifesaver for me and many others as well. 

Have a truly blessed day!