Jesus is for the Wounded

The knife in the soup pot

Published on January 19, 2015January 20, 2015 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

Just when I thought I could get my act together and get a little cooking done, some absent-mindedness took over.

It’s not that I meant to cook the paring knife in my stock pot filled with bone broth. Oh no, that would not enhance the flavor or nutrition at all! Tee hee. It’s just how it goes sometimes. It fell in after cutting up the one carrot allowed on my low oxalate diet and I was too foggy in the head to pull it out. “I’ll do it later,” was my thinking and later came in about 5 hours. Sish.

Ever have a day like this? Sure, we all have. You find the salt shaker in the frig or your boots in the car. After travelling with TWO 15+ hour stretches plus another 10+ hour jaunt these past 8 days, this issue was actually our “new normal!” Where is the hair blow dryer? Well it’s behind the driver’s seat in the truck of course, attached to an extension cord. (And this saved everything when multiple locks froze on the camper more than once!)

Sometimes a little insanity is just what a person needs. Keeps things fresh, right? Here’s an extreme example that is my reality today. When I start convulsing it might just be due to a need to clear some satanic warfare and not the mold residuals from my husband’s breath and trip to a known water-damaged building. After all, when the convulsions continued this afternoon it wasn’t long before we discerned that he had already de-contaminated and more was going on here. We probably had chatted a little too soon after the exposure to the mycotoxins I cannot tolerate. Yet I love talking with my beloved River Bear! It’s so easy to forget the insane myriad of details that must be followed in the normalcy of everyday life actvities.

This time there was a battle going on. Not just at stake was a fluke of mismatched tasks in following our protocol. This was real. We knew from other episodes that Satan has used this illness to temp us with divisiveness, to misplace anger and bitterness, to doubt God’s soveignty and more. Praying through it, keeping me from harm in the process, citing scripture verses, and singing hymns set me free once again. We deal with this NOT because I am not indwelt the Holy Spirit by the way. I belong to Jesus. The Lord will always be the victor for those who believe. Even Satan cannot snatch us out of His hand.

Spiritual warfare can sway us from the hope we have in Jesus Christ. So that is the test here. Yet I will never be moved. (Ephesians 6:13) No amount of hassle, suffering, horror, or weirdness will ever change my mind. Such is the power of faith in the One who will trash Satan and his demons into the lake of fire someday. Jesus remains THE VICTOR on the throne and delivers us from evil. I just get extra doses that strengthen this spiritual gift needed for the life crafted for me. And then you get to read about it!

Hey thanks, Gentle Reader. And be encouraged. THERE IS NOTHING that can separate you from your Heavenly Father’s love either: no matter what happens on this earth. (Romans 8:38-39) Come into a personal relationship, a closer relationship with Him through His Son and dwell in His house forever. And don’t worry. While things will never be perfect here, they will be in heaven. No knives in the soup pot! Just bliss, joy, peace, love, happiness, and the spiritual food of the angels as we sit at the feet of Jesus taking in His glory.

Oh yeah. And the Bear who loves me will be there too. So glad. :j

The Bear Who Loved Me

Published on January 19, 2015 by Jesus is for the Wounded3 Comments

On second thought, if I wrote this blog and you read it then I would have to kill you (to save my marital discretionaries!). Just kidding! Next blog! ;J

If I get to see you . . .

Published on January 16, 2015January 18, 2015 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

If I get to see you in the coming year, please understand that I will be singing songs of joy in my heart! Social isolation has been one of the most devastating effects of serious illness from these past 3 years. Should the Lord allow the circumstances for me to get out for an activity other than medical or a trip to the grocery store, I CELEBRATE!!!

So if I might ask for a few accommodations when we get together and you graciously oblige and I still get sick then blame any negative symptoms you may witness in me as the consequence of illness and not you! Very few folks live in a “clean room” like we have here at home. I did not clean at this level either until it was a matter of survival. Steve did not engage in my extreme mold/contaminant behavior strategies until two years ago. These strategies are necessary for this season of our lives together. Overall I do better when we follow certain guidelines resulting in less reactivity, the worst of which are fewer seizure-like and convulsive episodes which continue daily. We are implementing some “due diligence” from what we have learned to reduce my suffering with the goal of eliminating this illness altogether. We believe that the Lord has allowed these trials for mysterious reasons and ultimately His glory. He is good!

Both Steve and I recognize that there are definite signs that I am getting better. We have trained our eye to search for even tiny changes in the pattern and intensity of episodes, pain, and reactivity to keep us hopeful that one day I will be well. It is happening! So please don’t be discouraged when either one of us might mention that I had a rough night or you witness a significant setback. Recovery is a long, jagged line of progress, setbacks, and lateral “bunny trails.” The overall trending is positive!

The most important accommodations that would be helpful if we get together are as follows.

Meeting in a public place: Select a place with less noise and less loud music. Newer buildings are generally better than older ones; please no historic buildings or ones with known basements or crawlspaces and history of flooding. Restaurants that make their own food with fresh ingredients are better able to modify dishes to meet my food sensitivities. This rules out most fast food places! Letting me know the name and phone number of the establishment ahead of time will allow me to contact them with my needs and make the experience of ordering food more pleasant for both of us! Please do not wear cologne or perfume that day. I will need to greet you and depart with a “virtual hug” to avoid exposures to hidden elements that might be on your clothing or coat. Forgive me if I sometimes forget this step in the joy of the moment when I see you!

Meeting in your home: This is still a situation that I avoid since there are too many variables at this time that may cause serious problems. I cannot come over if you have 1) ever had flooding in your home of any kind from a leaky toilet to a wet basement or 2) have older carpeting. If you are willing to have me then please remove all fragranced products at least the day before we are scheduled to be together (such as plug-in or spray air fresheners, candles whether lit or not, potpourri, etc.) Keeping windows cracked open in cooler weather or open in warmer weather to allow fresh air inside always helps (unless someone is burning something nearby outside!) I prefer to visit in the area of your home without carpeting and sit on non-upholstered furniture. Wood, plastics, and leather are best.

Staying overnight: If we are invited to stay overnight then we will either bring our own linens, blankets and towels, or ask that you wash and dry everything in fragrance-free detergent and softeners (including dryer sheets). Please replace a moldy shower curtain liner with a new one! I will bring most of my own food and hand soap where possible. Providing non-cured, non-smoked meat cooked only with salt, plain oatmeal, plain salad-type vegetables or zucchini/cauliflower without seasonings will be a HUGE treat! I will always bring the extra condiments and food that I can tolerate.

Yeah, I know that this is a lot for a busy household to prepare! Thank you for helping us out with this stuff. Steve and I are exceedingly grateful to have recently obtained a travel trailer which has helped manage all of this tremendously well. (It is a lot of work for us too, I tell ya!) Both of our families and many close friends now live out of State so travel is necessary to see them. This single change in our mode of travel has allowed me to leave our home overnight much more safely and go places from which I have been cut off for most of the past three years. We are humbled and blessed! I really like having a mobile safe house that has already opened up my world, provided privacy during setbacks on the road, and aided sleep with a really comfortable bed that can be hard to find when away from one’s own humble abode at home. Thank you Jesus!

Visiting Daniel and Elizabeth in Alabama

We are hoping that the ongoing extreme avoidance and dietary strategies are temporary; some level of precaution albeit more relaxed than the current level will likely continue for some time. How long will we need to do all of this? We simply do not know. We believe the Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is due to mercury toxicity and we finally have the correct treatment protocols to get me well. I have excellent medical guidance and a proven treatment plan to follow. We are hopeful that I will be in better health within this year! I AM GOING TO GET WELL!!!

And that Gentle Reader, is much to celebrate! JJ

It is enough

Published on January 12, 2015January 25, 2015 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

We had decided to pack four gallons of water just in case something went awry during our second cold weather camping trip this season. The related online blogs recommended this among other tips such as purchasing a heated hose and waiting to un-winterize the travel trailer until we had traveled enough south to avoid freezing temperatures overnight. And so we prepared accordingly reviewing our long “To Do” list of stuff over and over again before heading out the door. Check!

Just before our departure, arctic temperatures plagued the entire country east of the Mississippi River from Michigan to northern Florida! Who knew that after driving nearly 800 miles due south we would still be facing weather more characteristic of Indiana than our first destination in the deep south of Fort Rucker, Alabama? We had run the propane heater in the Camp Lite a few times back home to minimize the out-gassing of the relatively new-used mini furnace. We intended to fire up both heaters (propane and electric) soon after hooking up everything upon arrival so we could sleep comfortably. Check! After all it would be about 5:00 in the morning when we got to stop number one.

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace . . . (1 Cor 14:33)

We did not count on the entire camper freezing over along the way! I grabbed the hair dryer and extension cord from the cab of the truck and proceeded to thaw out both door locks. Once inside I discovered that the four “emergency” one-gallon jugs of water were frozen solid as was the entire water system “winterized” with special RV antifreeze! We had our two sport-sized bottles of water 1/2 filled with us in the car and that was it. Closer investigation found some frigid water sloshing around in one of the gallon jugs so we gave it to our pup figuring she would not mind the temp. (Sure would hate to have to choose between man and beast on such a night!) Steve used a, er, warm water stream to punch a hole in the toilet ice seal to make it operational for the night. Check!

Hooking up the water and electric did not go well either. The water spicket had frozen beneath the towel that our southern/Aussie host (formerly from Indiana) had prepared before our arrival. Hmmmmm. When the crochety 30 amp electrical hook-up proved to be broken, Steve plugged us into the standard outlet to get us through the night, thus preventing draining our battery overnight. Oh well, we could live without hot drinks in the microwave: we had the warmth of each other after all . . .

But our bedding felt like it had just come off the train from Siberia! Steve bundled up head-to-toe in Smart Wool and collapsed into bed. I tried to join him but the nighttime unpleasantries I often face reared their ugly head first. Eventually the buzzed feeling I had from the late night excitement, convulsions and checking of Facebook yielded enough fatigue to turn everything off in my head for a few hours. Even the sound of street noise 50 feet from our pillows drifted into the distance. We had made it to see my hubby’s darling youngest son and his wife the next day and I was glad. Check!

Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

Who knows why our lives are so difficult these days. The last two times this past year we gratefully were able to camp with the conveniences of a travel trailer in colder weather we certainly prepared as best we could. It’s not like we did not know what we were doing! I perused and posted questions on multiple camping forums to learn from more seasoned travelers. We purchased some special gadgets and kept snow pants, hats and gloves nearby; Steve donned his biking/paddling headlamp upon arrival like a pro to keep his hands free during the late night procedures. I had enough food prepared in individual and meal-sized portions to keep me compliant with my special diet and the skilled driver nourished for most of our first few days away from home. We did the best we could to avoid disaster and this is just how it goes sometimes!

The next day was a blur for me. Yes, we said hello to Daniel and Elizabeth when they stopped by in their Honda Fit (everything is so cute about these two!) midday. I had not eaten breakfast yet and needed some more recovery/rest time so Steve took off with them while I headed back to the tin can ranch. What happened next can only be called a near-death experience! That one deserved its own blog story so I won’t go into it here.

What is clear is that my writing block of late is definitely broken with some new experiences ordained by my Jesus albeit AFGE if you will (aka “another fun growth experience”)! As in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy turns to her dog Toto after the great tornado, I’ll say it here, “Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore” and that is good. My social and geographical isolation enduring illness at home is now broken for a time. What matters now is faith in the Lord and obedience for His will and I know that His goodness shall prevail. Yeah God!

. . . keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. (1 Corinthians 7:19b-20)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:18; 28)

Be encouraged Gentle Reader. The two partial bottles of water were all we needed that night anyways. It was enough and in our hearts we knew it all along. JJ

There’s popcorn in the bed

Published on January 12, 2015January 12, 2015 by Jesus is for the Wounded4 Comments

Travelling can be both exhilarating and hazardous to one’s health all the same time. Was it Mark Twain who said that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all? Yeah, he would be right at home in our house or rather our travel trailer!

And so I remain grateful for so much as Steve and I continue to navigate very odd circumstances while on the road. We have now passed the halfway mark in an Indiana, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina road trip that has provided much material for future blogging already! This stuff ain’t for wimps and we have proven to be mighty in the Lord. Here’s a peek:

This morning I awakened at 11:30 a.m. delighted to have slept in after a wretched night. Steve was arriving home to the tin can ranch after the closing meeting of his United States Canoe Association (USCA) annual meeting. He was energized beyond his lack of sleep, ready to hit the big water off the coast of Florida. A few bites of ham was all he needed: the outrigger canoe strapped to the roof of my truck for the past 1000 miles would see water at last!

A blast of seizures delayed my plans for breakfast as Steve assisted me with a bite to eat and trip to the bathroom. Then he found a deer tick on his back! We had hoped that the dangerous hitch-hiker was a loner but that was not to be. Within an hour we had found about a dozen on his clothing and the floor around the camper entry. Quickly we searched and cleaned, flashlights in hand until every inch of Steve, the dog, and our home away from home was cleared. [Some parts of the search weren’t too bad! ;)] At last I collapsed again, this time into a pile of tears: why does everything have to be so difficult all of the time?

Steve is a saint, this is true. He quickly switched gears (and clothing!) for the paddling adventure that awaited him at Amelia Island State Park with a fellow paddler in from Arkansas. I sent along two bars of chocolate from our hometown chocolatier to thank him for waiting for Steve plus Steve’s lunch that I had quickly assembled. At last I could ravenously consume my makeshift breakfast of thawed lunch meat, canned green beans, ghee butter, and pumpkin seeds: low oxalate on-the-road dontcha know! Steve soon departed after pumping up the tires of my bike for me: a tag-a-long I’d added in hopes of riding here in the warmer weather . . .

But I was just too tired to do anything but eat and check Facebook after my beloved departed. Oh how I longed to be with him! Someday soon we will again bring the tandem outrigger canoe (OC-2) on such trips so I may join my River Bear on the water. Yes, Lord: maybe this year? Instead Don and Steve will take turns paddling the OC-1 and have a blast surfing the ama (which is the float attached by two poles or iakos off to one side) and waves like true racers. Meanwhile I grabbed the remainder of my bag of organic popcorn and prepared to return to my own version of life these days in my pretty bed. And in due time, I did revive.

It’s raining now as this blog comes to a close. My bike is at the ready, leaning against my inner left leg, with my beloved pup feigning off sleep on the floor just beyond my outer left leg. O.K. so we are now also initiated to winter camping with way too many toys! Funny how I don’t regret hardly anything about how we crafted this trip. Most of the delegates stayed at the hotel where the USCA meeting was held and that certainly would have been more convenient than the RV park we ended up at which was a 25 minute drive north in Georgia. The air was stale to me at the Hampton Inn with the stale scent of air freshener in the lobby. Here amidst the palms we have fresh air ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT LONG! I like that! The rain dries up quickly anyways in the reddish soil sprinkled with pine needles. We will avoid the tick path my hubby took with the dog this morning, no problemmo. Here I can even see a few stars at night peeking through the overhead vents we keep open at night. That’s refreshingly cool and very romantic too!

I could be at home right now in the frigid Midwest, writing my heart out amidst the foot of snow around our home and subzero temperatures. This is better. This is good. This is what living a life of adventure is all about. Why wait for a “rainy day” when everything will never be perfect enough to do the things which call one forward TODAY. This IS that rainy day. And hey, the rain just stopped! I do believe I have carb-loaded adequately too! Where is my bike helmet anyways?

Seeya pup. Ima hittin’ my own road ya all . . .