@tesseract and all
Wow. I definitely came to the right place for help. So many insightful suggestions. I will make it a point to carve out time to practice these techniques. I am also rededicating myself to get off the sugar wagon to stabilize my health more. I am believing this will be a good routine for me going forward.
I am feeling positive tonight about my process and progress. Thanks all.
@ghandigirl @gbs @lovendures, and others whose posts touched me over these last few days.
There have been, in myself certainly, and in others in/on the Forum statements of anxiety and pain, not just about the situation in Israel but in terms of our own lives as well. Tuesday night I did my usual protection meditation and I did sleep, deep and well for four hours—but woke up at 3:30am Tucson time, immersed in fear and pain, inundated by fear. As I asked for help in climbing out of the re-visited dreadpain, an affirmation/poem my husband found during the final days of his illness kept coming into my mind, strongly enough (Thank you Larry) that I was impelled to get up and find it, right “now.” So I did, and it helped enormously. I don’t know who wrote it, or where Larry found it ten years ago, but here it is:
I am Made from the Light and Love and Power of God.
All things are condensed Light.
When I eat, I am consuming Light.
When I speak, I speak the sound of Light.
When I dress, I clothe myself in Light.
When I bathe, I bathe in Light.
WhenI breathe I breathe Light.
When I see, I witness the Light in all things.
When I touch others, I feel the Light.
I am nourished in all ways through Light and I nourish others with Light.
After reading it out loud several times, I was able to go back to sleep, without terror filled empathic inundation, for another few hours. When I did get up on Wednesday I did not watch any TV, news or otherwise, but later that day felt impressed to turn it on. What little I have watched is CNN or David Muir on ABC & I agree with @lovendures, that CNN has had powerful coverage—what Jake Tapper, who was on when I watched that afternoon, called, “bearing witness.” I will never forget his face as he listened, after asking the young lady to “bear witness.” It was all he could do to keep from weeping.
Now I knew I did not want to hear a survivor’s story & so I started to turn the TV off, but felt Spirit strongly telling me to please keep it on. I can’t remember clearly the order of what happened next, whether Pres. Biden spoke before or after the young lady survivor (whose story was horrendous and haunts me because I did watch it) but what Biden was saying, live in a speech for Jewish American leaders, was, “the Torah teaches us that God made stars to "Give light on the earth and separate light from darkness. Give light on the earth and separate light from darkness.” (Genesis, ch1, vs 15-18) Biden conflated those verses into one comment but it felt to me that this is what Spirit was insisting I stay on and hear, and that his quoting it in any way, was a message from Spirit to the WORLD that metaphors about Light are more than merely positive reassurance, but do actuality contain Spirit. I was also reminded that the best way to cope, as an empath, with evil raging across the world, is to think, send and BE the Light. I was reminded that one of the first things I ever learned in metaphysical classes was that there are only two emotions, Love and Fear, and that ALL negatives are fear-based. I realized I needed to acknowledge my own fear and horror but not to dwell upon it. Dwelling will not help because evil feeds on FEAR, is nourished, and grows through fear and all its subsets (hate, bigotry, cruelty).
Although I felt there was no way my normal technique of asking Spirit to send Love to others when I couldn’t was going to work for me right then, and that there was no way I could eliminate my pain and horror, I did slowly find that I felt Lighter (intentional use of word!) and reassured once I called on the Light for myself and was then able to send it out across the globe once again. Clearly it was no accident that I was being directed find the Light poem, or that Biden mentioned Light overcoming darkness in his speech hours later.
I have seen little news since then, but hiding my head in the sand is no help either, so although I am very cautious about what I watch and how long, I do watch those who are "bearing witness."
I also believe that it behoove those of us who hear Spirit, to send out healing and Light in whatever way we are personally able during this crisis of humanity.
Jeanne's Circle of Light Meditations are powerful and healing, because I haven't been able to attend lately, I try to send to the group energy anyway. Time is fluid on the other side, I trust Spirit to get my energy to the Circle, and group energy is ENERGY COMPOUNDED!
One more very literal help for me has been Bach Flower Remedies, homeopathic remedies I have used for close to 50 years now. You can get them in any health food store, or online in various places. The links below are in the UK where Dr. Bach lived. They have the most accurate and direct explanations of each Remedy from Dr. Bach, who was a fully qualified UK MD and you can buy them anywhere these days. I specifically recommend Rescue Remedy, which is a combination of five of the 38 “flower” remedies Dr. Bach created back in the 1930s. These flower remedies work on the emotional body, which then helps our physical reactions to anxiety and fear. The two that I have been using this week in addition to Rescue Remedy, are Mustard, because it helps me fight depression and Gorse because it helps build hope.
Blessings ❤️ & remember, We are the Fingers on the Hands of the Everlasting Arms. Each one of us can make a difference, and in making that difference, heal ourselves as well.
https://www.bachremedies.com/en-gb/about/bach-and-rescue-remedy/
https://www.bachremedies.com/en-gb/range/essence-chooser/
https://www.bachremedies.com/en-gb/about/our-story/
https://www.bachcentre.com/en/about-us/
@tesseract What a welcome, and generous post. Thank you for the logical, light-based hope for us to embrace. Thank you for your gift to all here.
Thank you for fully discussing the importance of focusing on the light. I have really been feeling this importance as well, but your words flowed very well to us all here. I also have felt the need to bear witness.
I have limited my news watching, I don't know if the network coverage has become what it usually does after a few days into a long term crisis event. I agree with you a Taper. I don't always like how he anchors his show, but he did an incredible job those first few days.
I have used Bach Flower Rescue Remedy for allergy attacks with good success. Thank you for the reminder that there are other remedies to use, especially when under stress such as now.
And the POEM about light is FANTASTIC!
@Jeanne-Mayell you should make a copy of the poem for your Circle of Light Poem files.
Tonight I got the message, "All things conspire for the greater good." And changed it to... all things conspire for MY greater good.
Had I not been so sick, had the specialist not been booked up until after Thanksgiving and advised me to go to my gp if still unwell, had he not had the same issues, I would not have a proper diagnosis and a treatment plan. I am told I will begin to feel well tlomorrow.
I have been very remiss in leaving you all hanging, so here's an update. :-)
After the last episode of pain, I got back on my meds and then went to Urgent care again the next day. They took new x-rays of my ribs, and the PA, the X-ray tech, and my mom (who was also an x-ray tech for 43 years) all said I had a broken rib (closed fracture). My mom had a rib belt that I used for a few days after that, which helped a lot while I waited for the radiologist's report...which said there was no fracture. I am thoroughly confused. I have an appointment with my regular doctor on Wednesday and I'm going to ask her to look at the x-rays and tell me which is true, break or not?
In the meantime, regarding the situation with my neck, I mentioned before that the original ER doc gave me Gabapentin 100 mg 3x/day (which is apparently a very low dose). When to see the ortho doc the first time, he increased that to 300 mg 3x/day, which is also apparently still a relatively low dose...which I can't imagine. Lordy, that stuff made me loopy. Anyway, when I went back for the MRI report, he wanted to increase it again, and I refused because I was already experiencing less pain and didn't want to take anything unnecessary.
So fast forward to last week, I decided to reduce the pain meds because my neck/back were doing much better and my ribs were much less painful. I went down to 100 mg 2x and 200 mg 1x, then 100 mg 3x, then off it on Friday of last week.
Sunday night I started having some serious issues with sweating, anxiety, breathing problems, etc., and mom suggested that it might be withdrawal from the meds. I looked it up, and guess what? Gabapentin is an anti-seizure med that is prescribed off-label for a crap-ton of things that it probably shouldn't be, and you can develop a physical dependence on it in as little as 3 weeks. I'd been on it for eight. You're also not supposed to stop taking it like I did; you're supposed to taper off over a few weeks so you can manage the withdrawal symptoms - that no one informed me I was going to have. No one - not the ER doc, not the ortho doc, not the pharmacist, none of them - ever bothered to tell me that I could very quickly develop physical dependence on it, and they certainly never said I had to taper it down. All of the online (legitimate) literature says that in order to "fix" this, I have to go back on the Gabapentin and then taper off over a couple of weeks. I haven't done so, and I don't intend to until I talk to someone at the doc's office. I probably won't even do it then because all of the meds are out of my system, and I'd rather not re-introduce them unless I have a damn good reason to.
I spoke to the pharmacist about it today, and she very candidly said that ever since the opioid crisis and restrictions, doctors have been handing out Gabapentin like candy for things they used to give opioids for.
I called the ortho doc's office at 12:30 PM today and was told a nurse would call me back within an hour to discuss what to do, and if no one had called me, to call them back. No one called, so I called back, and after an interminable amount of hold time, I finally spoke to someone who said they would escalate it again. I asked how long I would have to wait this time, and I was told that someone would get back to me by the end of the day. There's one more hour before the end of the day, and I'm not holding much hope of a call today.
Anyway...I have an appt with the guy for my shoulder tomorrow for another eval to see if I really *need* to get an MRI for that, and his office is on the same floor as the ortho doc, so I'm probably going to raise hell with the ortho office tomorrow after my shoulder appt.
For the moment, I'm still having mild, non-painful spasms around the area of the rib that may or may not be broken. My shoulder still hurts a bit, but it's not unmanageable without meds, and I've regained a lot of the range of motion except in a few directions, so we'll see what the doc for that says tomorrow.
For anyone who may be taking Gabapentin for any reason (and there are some very legitimate reasons for it, so no shame), please talk to your doctor about the possibility of reducing/eliminating it and switching to something else if at all possible, and be prepared for a taper period of as much as 6 months depending on your dose/frequency/length of time on the drug.
@tgraff66
Anyway...I have an appt with the guy for my shoulder tomorrow for another eval to see if I really *need* to get an MRI for that,
For anyone who may be taking Gabapentin for any reason (and there are some very legitimate reasons for it, so no shame), please talk to your doctor about the possibility of reducing/eliminating it and switching to something else if at all possible, and be prepared for a taper period of as much as 6 months depending on your dose/frequency/length of time on the drug.
MRIs are well worth it. My recent MRI did show a tear. Xrays DO NOT SHOW tears, only bone fractures. I thought the "no soft tissue trauma" comment in my X-ray report indicated no problems, and that was incorrect knowledge on my part. An MRI may be a very positive thing for you to do—IF insurance approves it of course 🙄. The process is absurd. I "had" to have X-rays before insurance (at least Medicare will not even consider an MRI until after X-rays) I should have gone to the hospital after I fell because they would have done both, most likely, that very day. Oh well. Lesson learned, but one I never hope to use! I see an Ortho surgeon on the 24th to see if my rotator cuff tear is something that requires surgery or will simply be something to address with PT and awareness of what what I can do and what I should not do, arm motion-wise. I do have good range of motion in each direction, but my NP was concerned about strength in that left arm, which is why I was finally allowed an MRI. Luckily I am going to see the same Ortho doctor who took care of my husband years ago when a vascular tumor broke his arm so I have immense trust in and respect for this Ortho physician. At just days from turning 74, I am quite concerned about surgery because I also have a rare blood condition for which I have to take a med (because I am over 65) that would be problematic in surgery. The condition itself (Essential Thrombocythaemia) causes excess platelets (stroke possible) and the med can cause excess bleeding. 🙄 Good times right? 🤣 I will be talking to my hematologist/oncologist, and telling my Ortho about her when I see him. Luckily I trust her also, so I am blessed in care folks.
I am asking that Archangel Raphel and his Host direct you to the Highest and best possible information and people available for you and your specific injuries!
The clinic I go to, just in the past year, started including Pharm-D providers. Pharmacists who certainly appear to know what they are talking about. Again, I am blessed in that the one I see, and who goes over ALL my meds on a regular basis, is more holistic than pill-popping—and he's a pharmacist! Maybe ask if your health care can direct you to a Pharm-D? I get the Gabapentin problem. My sister was on it and another friend and so I learned FROM THEM, not med folks, just how devastating it can be and thus turned it down when it was offered to me. Both my sister and my friend ultimately stopped taking it but at least they had been TOLD about the negatives involved.
My current hematologist is of East Indian culture and when I told her I was taking Turmeric for pain her eyes kind of twinkled and she said, "Good, my culture has used Turmeric for pain for centuries." My previous two hematologists (both older men) rolled their eyes—well maybe not quite that graphic but clearly both thought I was a fool for not taking actual pain meds i.e., Gabapentin. (ET causes bone pain) Since I fell, I have had to take Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen, which I had avoided.
I am not a medical person and do NOT have the knowledge to advise you on pain meds, but I will share my experiences while suggesting you do your own research and then talk to your physicians about alternative meds, where they may be helpful. I take Arnica, Turmeric, and Moringa as non-narcotic pain relief. They are homeopathic, plant-derived, OTC pain reducers. I also research (Mayo Clinc primarily) and I always tell my traditional medical docs what homeopathic meds I am taking. ALWAYS. I also listen to them, even if I disagree, and I seriously consider any objections they might have to the OTC plant meds.......but then I am a Libra.......... 😛 so both sides are unavoidable 🤣 when I was first diagnosed with ET and prescribed this very toxic chemo drug I fought and fought against it, nearly a year, trying to deal with the condition through foods and exercise. (Old Hippie here) My platelets went up. And up. And up. ET comes from a gene mutation the medical folks do not understand and what I learned was that this gene mutation clearly did not heal simply with food and exercise choices. After almost a year, I had to really decide if I wanted to risk a stroke or take the friggin' med. I took the med. I definitely was not ready to cross over from a stroke that could be prevented. My body adjusted. That drug is a necessity for me. Gabapentin was not. Traditional meds and organic meds each have a place in healing. The tricky part is knowing which, when and what to utilize.
I bless each chemo pill before I take it and I thank it for helping me, the same as I do when I use the organic meds.
Know that Spirit is around you. Healing is around you. You are a part of THIS special place. If there was ever a group and a place to heal within, this is it❤️.
Know also that Light, Blessings, and Intelligent Healing Energy continuously envelops you.
Hi all, this is Rennie. I'm new to the forum, longtime lurker. I am nurtured by the soulful prayers, predictions, and insights here.
I just have a brief comment on this thread. I have arthritis and California Poppy extract can be very helpful for easing pain. It can make you drowsy right away so don't drive when you take it. Red Moon Herbs is a good source. Wishing you well!
Sending light to ALL of us for healing, including myself.
@rennie Hi Rennie, welcome!! Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future!