Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

It is beautiful this morning- and quiet. I need to go shower and get dressed because I have tons of things to do today but Halle is still sleeping (because Life Group went late last night) and I haven't had a quiet morning to myself in such a long time I thought I'd just enjoy it for a while and let you know about something great.

For the last six years I have suffered from a weird illness. I first noticed it after I had Chloe. I was working out to get back in shape and after just a few days of working out I'd feel like I had the flu. It took several times of that happening for me to put it together and it didn't seem to make sense that working out was making me sick. Working out is supposed to make you stronger, healthier, & less stressed. I-was-baffled. So I tried supplements like crazy looking for "the wonder pill" and still I got sick. I was tired but not the drowsy-can't-stay-awake tired but an aching tired that went through my entire body. It wasn't normal and I didn't know what it was. Sometimes I would tell Travis, "I have that weird sleeping sickness again" but it was more than that. If I wasn't dealing with the weakness, achyness, ungodly tiredness, and low grade fever then I had trouble sleeping- especially in the last year and then there were the headaches every-single-day. I thought that stress had just shut down my immune system and that as soon as things get better for us I'd be fine. Less stress = no more sickness. I've worked out in the way we think of working out for 16 years and for the first ten of those I never, ever had the symptoms I'm describing. I went through a divorce, being a single Mom and working my way through college without ever having more than the sniffles and then there was this craziness that was rapidly taking over my life and was starting to become debilitating. I've never missed so much church in my life. Sometimes I would be sick for three days but I could be sick as long as three weeks and if I tried to push through it my body pushed back and I ended up in bed for even longer.

I was praying a couple of months ago and asked the Lord to change things for us so that I could be well and He spoke to me and said "You're circumstances don't have to change in order for you to be healed." I didn't know what to do after that but at least God knew there was something wrong with me and it wasn't just me being crazy. So a couple of weeks ago Travis and I were praying about something (I don't remember what) and usually when we pray one of us prays first and then the other one prays. It was my turn to pray last and as I did I felt strongly that I should pray about my healing. I don't think that I prayed a spectacular Billy Graham style prayer but I just asked God to heal me and then I thanked Him because I *knew* He was going to do it. But I didn't realize right away that I was healed. There were no thunder bolts, no electric shock feelings running through my body- I just felt at peace knowing that my creator was taking care of me and that He would heal me. So sometime in the next couple of days I mowed the lawn. Travis told me not to (sorry honey!) but Amanda was whining incessantly about how hard it is, etc. Now, I have to give it to her that mowing Mt. St. Button is difficult with our little push mower- especially mowing the ditch. Move over squats because it kills your thighs- I'm just sayin'. So I mowed it and I'd done it before a couple of months ago and I was sick the next day but this time I did-not-get-sick! I think I realized at that point that God had healed me so I wanted to really test it out so I did cardio on my exercise bike that I've hardly been able to use in the last year and then I did a complete weights routine- upper body-lower body- crunches. I'd done that about a month ago and I was sick the very next day but again- I DID NOT GET SICK! So the next day I worked out AND tore the bathroom apart. Over the next few days I stripped wallpaper, spackled, sanded, spackled, sanded again, and painted the room with 3 coats of paint! My legs and back were sore the next day from all of the getting up and down on the stool I was using (I always take one huge step up so that I can get the strength benefit- I'm really not obsessed!) but I did not get sick! Then my M-I-L was here and we were busy from sun up to sun down it seems and I worked out and I did not get sick!!! So I went from barely being able to run errands without being sick on the couch for days to conquering pretty much everything I want to! I know that I am healed and I'm so incredibly greatful.

So after I realized I was healed I was describing all of my symptoms to my M-I-L and she said, "Amy, that sounds like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". Funny, I'd been to the Dr. and he did a blood test to check my thyroid and to see if I was anemic and he said everything looked fine, I just had a virus and had most likey trashed my immune system from stress. I guess I could have been checked out more and been poked and prodded and MRI'd but the end result would have been the same and I would have spent a ton of money for them to tell me there was nothing they could do. But my 6 year mystery illness has been healed by the one who knew me before I was ever born. I don't care what you call it I just know I was sick and now I'm healed. Praise to our amazing God!