Healthy Happenings–Multitude Monday

Here we are at a third week of recounting that which I am thankful. 

As I have mentioned in other posts, I have a history of MS.  I just realized the other day that I was diagnosed 20 years ago.  I was 15.  It’s likely I was sick with it before then.  It looked like MS was going to win over my desires as it was often flaring and making me sick.

In 1994/1995 I started Beta Seron, the first medication to treat MS.  It was/is not a cure, but it was shown to lessen the number and severity of exacerbation.  Doing those shots was no fun, but things did seem to get more stable.

By 2000, I had tried another medication, Avonex.  That one also worked some.  Neither was fun.  Giving yourself shots never gets routine, if you ask me.  I started needing high doses of steroids.  I was in the hospital 15 times over the next three years.  Twice my balance and walking got so bad I needed rehab to learn how to walk again,  Both times I went home in a wheel chair, the second time they told me they didn’t know when I would walk again.

But the Lord had plans for me.  He used the medicine of the doctors and work of the therapists to restore my body.  And I found a specialist who helped manage the MS.  I would do steroid bursts in his office every 3 weeks, we didn’t wait for me to get sick and play catch up.  No more hospital stays.  The steroids made me sick and weren’t any fun, but they helped.

Then in July 2005 I had my last steroid burst.  My body went into a spontaneous remission.  Then we started our family.  I have been pregnant or nursing a baby since November 2005.  And for me, pregnancy and nursing have been very healing.  Thank you Lord Jesus for using my babies to heal me.  I have needed no medication since July 2005 and my doctor has gone from being cautiously supportive of me staying off meds and having kids, to being 100% supportive and considering my course of MS mild!  Praise you Lord Jesus.

My history of walking/balance/strength issues makes every step walked or run a testimony of the Lord’s work.  Every step I push myself to run is a praise report.  Every time I spin my girls in a circle is a beautiful Amen.

And for this and many more things I am thankful.

13.  the desire to be healthy.

14.  the strength to run.

15.  doctors the Lord blesses with knowledge to help others.

16.  a daughter with 20/20 vision.

17.  my new treadmill so I can keep running in our cold Mitten.

What are you thankful for?  Head on over to A Holy Experience to see some breathtakingly beautiful photos and see why others are thankful.