Those of you in treatment for a serious illness know what this title is all about: trying to figure out what will bring recovery or remission without making you feel worse! Oh yeah. Patients battling chronic illness talk about “herxheimer reactions.” That is where either die-off or some kind of healing crisis brings on worsening of symptoms and even new, noxious symptoms. Not fun. So what is a person to do? Unless otherwise advised by your trusted healthcare practitioner, here are some things that have been helpful for me:
Slow down your treatment protocol or take a break in treatment.
Try only one new thing at a time and at a lower dose if possible.
Take binders such as benonite clay, activated charcoal, chitosan, and binders of heavy metals (e.g. Intestinal Metals Detox).
Drink extra fluids especially pure water.
Add some hot lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Eat bitter foods which help support liver and kidney drainage channels (such as select herbs, radishes, dandelion root tea).
Do what you can to keep your bowels moving at lease once every day, minimally!
Step up your preferred method of detox such as salt water baths, infrared sauna, colon hydrotherapy, and exercise as tolerated. Even massage, physical therapy, and chiropractic care can help release waste products trapped in your tissues.
Add nutritional supports for detox as you can such as glutathione (or precursor of lactose-free whey powder), vitamin C-rich foods, and minerals (such as magnesium, Dead Sea salt baths, Celtic sea salt, Quinton Quintessentials, and the like).
Make rest a priority! Healing takes a lot of energy!
Pray. The Lord cares, hears, and will lead you unto Himself if we but call upon His name: Jesus Christ. There is no greater comfort than this Gentle Reader.
So this is where I am at these days. Last month I had to take a nasty antibiotic for the same infection and it hurt me badly so I ended it at the short end of the recommended treatment range. Then I stepped up nutritional supports before adding a new treatment. I tried to add a new biofilm-buster when treating a gut infection and reacted poorly, so I will take a break from it for now. This month I was able to tolerate hot lemon water with manuka honey which is a combo I have not tolerated in years! Changing brands of glutathione helped me to start taking this critical element in the 3 phases of detox, yeah God! Also, using a combination of binders has helped slow down some overnight convulsive episodes. I hypothesized that killing infections released toxins inside of the bacteria and fungi targeted, contributing to an increase in episodes. So these days I am really glad for the leading of the Holy Spirit, and a myriad of webinars from really smart researchers who suggested binders. “Yeah God” for the relief that has followed.
I guess then it is time for a nap. No matter that it is a beautiful day outside. Naps are a beautiful thingy too ya know. Lord willing, I am going to get well!
Recently a gal came into my life who has a major vocal talent. I love the full alto robustness of her singing voice and the special emphasis she can put just about anywhere in a song to make a verse, an ending phrase come alive. Very few musicians can go way beyond the sheet music and take you with them every note of the way . . . as if you are sharing in all of the emotion and beauty pouring out of the Creator’s expression manifest before you. I love moments like this. I love listening to her sing. Her music gives me goose bumps now and always has done so.
I had the privilege of performing and competing in the top choir at my high school for all of my three years there. Our teacher, Mr. Herr, was an accomplished tenor and pianist who occasionally shared his talent with us when singing the male solos; this included part of Handel’s Messiah one particular Christmas. Before the concert he took a bus load of us teenagers to an old Catholic cathedral in downtown Detroit to sing the choral sections of the work from the balcony as the giant pipe organ accompanied us at full volume. I will never forget that sound! Our voices lifted high as if to touch the vaulted ceilings painted with Biblical scenes that I would not really understand for another decade. My tender frame shook with the majesty, the magnificence of the moment when all the harmonies blended together in perfection. The entire church swelled with the sound of music. What a great experience to carry us through our concert at school shortly thereafter. Well done Mr. Herr!
A fellow choir student told me early in my senior year that the only reason that I made the Chorale was my ability to sight-read written music. The comment was a slam for sure. So my talent wasn’t good enough but somehow my ability to read music made up the difference? I didn’t understand but still was crushed. Regardless, I made every early morning rehearsal, class session, and concert throughout the school year. My mom sewed my blue maxi skirt and plaid outfit herself that all of the girls had to have made for the concerts. And she did make it to the concerts, thankfully. She made a point of telling me, however, that I could do better if I would just open my mouth more when I was singing. Geez. It’s a wonder I made it through my senior year of Chorale after all of that nonsense.
My interest in singing changed as I went off to college with my 3/4-sized classical guitar alongside me. My experience got me two “easy A’s” in beginner piano and guitar classes for creative arts requirements but little else. Playing popular songs and sing-a-longs diminished from gatherings at the beach with girlfriends (who didn’t mind when the music always seemed to bring the guys around with a harmonica or their curiosity!) to sing-a-longs with groups of patients at various psychiatric hospitals in which I worked as an occupational therapist years later. Within a decade I had practically stopped everything altogether and my skills, even my voice, eroded. More recently the serious illness I have been battling has changed my breath volume and vocal cords such that my voice crackles when singing worship songs “in church.” Although I will still crank the stereo and give it a go occasionally when the Barbara Streisand CD just happens to get turned up really loudly when my hubby is away! No, no, ain’t gonna rain on my pa–rade!
So I do have a bit of an ear for quality and musicianship which brings me to the point of this discussion: when a person DOES have a major talent I believe it is a gift from the Lord to be shared openly for His glory. It really bugs me that my new friend has received “pukey” comments from non-talented, envious people around her. I hope she can let them go. We come to faith in Christ and are given spiritual gifts to be used for the Lord’s glory, often showcasing talents or even growing abilities already present in the life of the believer. Whether we use our giftedness directly in ministry or just to inspire others as unto the Lord, I believe that we are to let that goodness shine!
Matthew 5:14-16New International Version (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Especially today for all of us who have a creative ability that stands out from the crowd, my prayer would be that we would stand up, finish the performance out in front of the spaces we are given and win glory for the One Who has entrusted it to our care. Delight in-and-develop our talent, have fun with it, and don’t let the pukeys, the naysayers get us down. Going forth with boldness and confidence may just bring each of us the desires of our hearts which is a good thingy, eh? The Lord may have placed those dreams there, waiting for us to take the next steps He will lead us to and through. Oh how He loves us so . . . which reminds me of a song . . .
The following is an excerpt from an article entitled, “The One Who Returned Home” by Naomi Zacharias on page 14 of the recent http://www.rzim.org quarterly newsletter (Spring 2017, I believe). She quotes a letter that recounts a story from Donald Miller’s book Blue Like Jazz, about a friend who was a Navy SEAL.The closing remarks are from Naomi. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did! JJ
(The Navy SEAL) was performing a covert operation, freeing hostages from a dark part of the world. When they entered the room, it was filthy and dark. The hostages were curled up in a corner, terrified. The SEALs initially stood at the door and called to the prisoners. They identified themselves and asked the hostages to follow them, but the hostages wouldn’t move. Alienated and frightened, they instead hid their eyes in fear.
This particular SEAL put down his weapon, took off his helmet, and curled up tightly next to the other hostages. He was trying to show them he was one of them. After meeting their eyes, the Navy SEAL whispered that they were Americans and were there to rescue them. “Will you follow us?” he said. The man stood to his feet. First one prisoner did the same, then another, until all of them were willing to go.
(The person sharing this story) reminded me that Miller concluded this: “I never liked it when the preacher said we had to follow Jesus. Sometimes they would make him sound angry. But I liked (this story instead). I liked the idea of Jesus becoming man, so that we would be able to trust him, and I liked that he healed people and loved them and cared deeply about how people were feeling.”
(The storyteller) shared that it reminded her of what Jesus has been for her. But it struck me how she has embodied this message in her ministry. (The storyteller’s name is Analise.)
When Analise hit rock bottom, the reason she found safety in (a program called) the Word Made Flesh is because they were willing to sit in that place with her; they remember their own lostness and the mutual need for a Savior who rescues us. He did not choose to do this in grandiose fashion. No, he chose the utter loneliness and pain of the cross. And so it is he who beckons us by sitting down beside us, showing us he became one of us. He tells us he is our Savior, and he leads us home — so that we may all be the one who returned home.
Jesus is for the Wounded 
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