My name is Jolene. I am a mother of five children– three at home. Last year changed my life. I was diagnosed with Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome, a diagnosis of which there is no cure and is described as burning constant pain.
I woke up one morning with my foot swelled and down it went from there. I started researching all this on the internet, and of course didn’t realize that I was filling my mind with negative information. Yes awareness is good, but I didn’t realize how important encouragement, support, and prayer was until this happened.
I started getting really sick lost a lot of weight, ached all over, and couldn’t walk. Depression and severe anxiety set in. The first doctor I went to about the aching and not being able to walk sent me back to my primary physician and would not treat me for arthritis.
This led to a lot of frustration, and I ended up suffering a nervous breakdown, believing I would never walk again. I couldn’t even stand to take a shower. I started medications for the depression and the anxiety, as I couldn’t sleep due to the pain. I refused pain meds, as the Lord had brought me through alcohol and drug recovery going on eighteen years now.
Praise God for my family, my church family, and my pastor as they prayed and helped my husband take care of my children. I came home one month later much more emotionally able to handle the pain and the every day battle that chronic pain brings. I was led to a new rheumatologist who ran tests on me and came to the conclusion I have either rheumatoid arthritis or psoratic arthritis.
I had never met a kinder loving person, and later found out he is a cChristian. Within the last seven weeks I was started on meds for the rheumatoid arthritis, and am not –get this—WALKING! Without a cane, without a walker, I am able to take a shower now, cook, and wow. . . I just can’t express what I am able to do.
I do not take this lightly. God has given me back some of my life. I get up in the morning and I thank God for his grace and His healing. I take time now to smell the roses and enjoy the little things He has given to me and my family. I no longer worry about what other people are doing, I have no anger and no bitterness and I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life serving him totally through ministry with people in pain and emotional suffering.
Before all this happened I had a lot of emotional issues that were showing in my Christian walk. One was unforgiveness and bitterness. God has healed me emotionally in ways I cannot even express. I was brought to Rest Ministries and I praise god as He has given me Christian brothers and sisters who love and care for me, and I am able to minister with a clean heart as well.
My life is now more fulfilling as God has brought me new awareness of others and what they go through. I have good and bad days, but find time to laugh and enjoy life. God has also led me to start a web forum (it’s really God’s forum) its called Peace in Pain because I have found that no matter what I go through He is with me every step of the way and will never leave me.
One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
What more can I say? This verse describes what He has done for me.
Visit Jolene’s web site ministry at www.peaceinpain.com
