Ashley's Journey to Wellness - Entry #7: My Mayo Clinic Update & Thoughts on "Complaining!" - Ashley Boynes, Community Development Director, WPA Chapter

As my “readers”, coworkers, friends, and family know, I spent last week at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I ended up having to stay a day longer than expected and while I was there, had many tests/procedures done and (luckily) many things ruled out, which was a blessing!

I decided to sum up my trip as succinctly & easily as humanly possible!

The hospital itself was BEAUTIFUL – more like a combo of a hotel + museum than a hospital. They had art from Andy Warhol (his “flowers” collection – Loved it!) and others, and artifacts from when they opened in the late 1800’s, as well as gorgeous and unique blown-glass chandeliers, plates from the White House, an old-fashioned “carriage” ambulance, etc. Notably, almost everyone in Minnesota – especially the hospital staff and hotel ppl – were extremely nice, accommodating, pleasant and helpful! It WAS really cold (high temps of 5 degrees, windchill factors of negative 27!) but it is quite neat because there are enclosed walkways connecting everthing: hospital, mall, hotels, salons, restaurants, stores, etc.

Thankfully, while I was there, they ruled out: diabetes, thyroid/adrenal problems, diabetes. The neurologist also doesn’t think it is Multiple Sclerosis. While I am “at risk” for MS, and “on paper” have many symptoms, upon physical exam she was not impressed enough to want to do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) especially since brain MRI from 6 months ago was normal. Yay! Also, my bloodwork did not indicate any malignancies, thank goodness! Lastly, my Rheumatoid Arthritis is showing as fairly under control from an inflammation standpoint – more in-control than it has been in years. I still do have pain (for instance, today = mega flare!) but, who knows, it could be from osteoarthritis or back problems or fibro or even from my Celiac Disease! (which is what I went to Mayo for in the first place.)

I got a few diagnoses, some of which I was already aware of, some of which I was not.  Nothing that I am extremely upset about; most are not a big deal. I have osteopenia (this I knew of) which is the precursor to osteoporosis and means low bone mass/low bone density. I am borderline Vitamin D deficient, as well (from the malabsorption part of Celiac, which all of my problems are related to) and need to stock up on Vitamin D, Calcium & Vitamin K. Luckily, I like the Viactiv chocolate vitamin chews, they are gluten-free, and, I do not have to go on another medication for this! That’s a plus! I have slight hearing loss in the upper register, accompanied by nonstop tinnitus (ringing in the ears) – no tumors or blockages show up on MRI & my auditory canal looks fine upon exam! More good news! The rest of my audiology exam was fine and so they think that the ringing/slight hearing loss is from Celiac damage, or maybe even my past bout with Bell’s Palsy, and nothing they can really do, it is not particularly treatable or curable – I could have the ringing forever, or it could stop tomorrow – the slight loss is permanent but is not too bad that it affects my life. I’ve had this for almost two years, and at most, this will be a slight annoyance that I will, in time, not even notice, most likely!   I have scoliosis, which means my spine is slightly curved, which I never knew….and also some sort of bump or bone fragmant on my C4 Cervical Spine that I’ll need to get looked at (again, something I didn’t know about, but it could be contributing to some pain, my knee problems, sore neck, headaches, etc.)   Last but not least, I have a tiny cyst on my kidney but it is nothing at all to worry about according to doctors. Don’t know what it is from, but  I don’t really care, since it isn’t anything to worry about! It is just something to monitor again in a few years and is basically not a big deal.  Oh, and I was also diagnosed with chronic daily headaches and migraines, as well as slight neuropathy, all of which I already knew that I had. The neurologist at Mayo said she can’t say what caused/causes them but would guess they are Celiac-related, like everything else probably is.

My (third) upper endoscopy went quite well, it seems. As far as the surgeon could see “to the naked eye with the scope, everything looks ok…which is good! (In some past ones, there was visible intestinal damage.)  They tried to get aspirations of stomach fluid but there was not enough to take samples of . They did, however, manage to take 8+ biopsies.  While I was  at the Mayo Clinic, I got an X-Ray of my spine, Bone Density test, 16 vials of blood taken, CT of abdomen/pelvis, and an upper endoscopy with 8 or 9 biopsies. I also had consults with gastroenterology, endocrinology, rheumatology, and neurology docs and gave some of my blood to be part of a Mayo Clinic Celiac Study. One test that they sent out may not be back for a month. This test was for autoimmune enteropathy.  They are also looking for amyloidosis and Collagenous Sprue &  true Refractory Celiac but since my endoscopy looked OK they do not think that it is either of these, and I hope not b/c these are more dangerous than regular Celiac, but like anything I will get through whatever it turns out to be!

I have to wait til all tests are back to get a true plan of treatment. For now, I am sticking with all of my meds/supplements and infusions, etc. along with the gluten-free diet, of course. Also, I am starting chiropractic treatments again. I recently joined a gym and hope to do more yoga, and am trying to eat very healthily as I’d mentioned in past blogs. (For instance, my dinner last night was spaghetti squash & split pea soup….yum! I’ve really limited sugar & dairy intake as well and try to eat organic when possible and also limit carbs….well…aside from on the weekend! haha) So for now, I wait. It seems most or all of my problems are from the Celiac Disease. It is unknown how long I had this for, and therefore may have had it without knowing, and therefore not treating it. My arthritis meds probably masked the symptoms of the Celiac Disease which was good on a “comfort” & “quality of life” level but which wasn’t great b/c I didn’t know I had it and so the disease progressed. As many of you know, most people do not have all of these complications with Celiac Disease, in fact, it usually isn’t a big deal at all….so if you get this diagnosis, do not be scared! (Also: just a tip. If an immediate family member has Celiac Disease, you are advised to be tested for it just to be sure! Many people have it WITHOUT presenting any symptoms!)

One good (GREAT) thing about the trip was that I got to eat a lot of GOOD YUMMY gluten-free foods & all the restaurants there have gluten-free menus and the food was amazing! (Raspberry creme brulee, pistachio gourmet gelato, cheese ravioli, pizza, all GF! OK, so I didn’t follow my little diet plan, other than staying gluten-free, of course, while I was there b/c I had to fast a lot and so I felt that I owed it to myself haha! And I had to drink liquid Barium Sulfate one day, so that night I felt like I deserved to eat something fab!) I also hate flying and was quite anxious over that, but all of the flights went well! I had appointments most days from 7:40 in the morning, until 5pm or later in the afternoon. So, there was not much free time and this is something you should be prepared for if you ever have to go. In fact, we ended up having to stay longer than initially expected – but they really did try to cram EVERYTHING in there! (My Mom and I DID manage to get fabulous steam facials at the salon/spa in our hotel, AND enjoy the pool/jacuzzi each night, which was nice! My wonderful boyfriend also surprised me with a sweet card and flowers sent to the hotel, so I did have some very nice moments during the trip and “made the best of it!” Photo to the right is my glowing skin, no makeup – except lipgloss – afterfacial….I was feeling refreshed and rejuvenated! I recommend that everyone get one at least once in life.)

I would recommend the Mayo Clinic to anyone who has unresolved health issues and who is able to be seen there. It is busy, but the hospital is easy to navigate, everyone is friendly, the doctors are very knowledgable and seem to actually care, and there are many neat and historical things to check out while you are there….to make the trip a little more pleasant!

Being there put a lot of things in perspective. It really makes you think that things aren’t that bad, when you see cancer patients, and you also see all the things that they test you for – any of which could have came back positive, and, in that moment, could have been life-changing. So I’m thankful that I went. I’m thankful that they were able to rule things out, and I’m certain that my health has nowhere to go but in the direction of better! At least, I hope

I’m also very thankful to have this as a venue in which to share my story. I try not to complain, so when I get to vent through writing and share ALL of the ups & downs, goods & bads, and the reality, simply stated, of every day life for myself and many others like me, it feels wonderful. No one should have to suffer silently, and, ya know, we all have our “down” days…  but having an online community of support makes staying positive a little easier! One thing that saddens me is that some people – usually those without health problems – think that ’stating the facts’ is complaining. If I tell someone that I have a headache, or “oh my arthritis is flaring today” – I don’t see that as complaining. Do you? If I have a “the world is out to get me” bitter attitude, or whine 24/7, or do the whole “woe is me” thing – that is a different story. This is annoying, as are people who complain constantly about nothing, not knowing how good that they have it. (That’s a whole other blog in and of itself! Ha.) I complain about 1/10 … maybe even 1/100 … of how much I COULD be, and that’s more than some peopel do – I know many people are suffering and do not feel comfortable venting AT ALL. That isn’t fair to these folks. So I want to tell you ALL that if you are hurting – physically or otherwise – vent to me! Bring on the complaining! I truly don’t mind (if you do actually have real reason to complain)….because, for me, sharing your own story is part of the journey, part of dealing with your struggles, and, I think, a part of healing! Also: look at it this way – if someone asked how you felt one day and you were feeling fabulous and healthy and happy and said so, there isn’t anything wrong with that. However, if your health is bad, and your answer is, “hangin’ in there” or “not so hot today” or something along those lines – that is seen as negative to some. Why? It’s just as true an answer as “fine” — and a heck of a lot more honest! What are your thoughts? Should we have to mask our truth? No one wants to be friends with a Negative Nancy or a Debbie Downer, but, the reality is that these things ARE *our* reality! This being said, you do not have to become cynical, bitter, or pessimistic all the time – that’ll get you nowhere fast….and we have to learn to keep on smiling & to “play through the pain!” You can still be nice and sweet to others, be happy, and lead a wonderful and blessed life, but also still be honest and true to yourself and others about what you were going through. I think that it takes a strong person to be open and honest. So, I invite you all to share in my journey by sharing YOUR own stories, because, after all, one of my main purposes seems to be to let people know that no matter WHAT you are struggling with, healthwise or other, you are NOT alone!

Have you had an experience with Mayo Clinic, good or bad? Any questions for me about my trip/experience? Do any family members of yours have Celiac Disease? If you have questions about being tested or going gluten-free, let me know! Do you think that talking about your health is complaining? Please share any stories, thoughts, questions, and comments. I hope that all of your treatment plans are working, and that you are all on the path to wellness with me! Thanks for reading and for your ongoing support! I love the feedback and comments!

Stay well,

~ Ashley Boynes

Community Development Director

Arthritis Foundation, Western PA Chapter

“Voted Best Blogger in Pittsburgh!”

Click here for Entry # 1 in Ashley’s Journey to Wellness – Come Along for the Ride!

Click here for Entry #2 in Ashley’s Journey to Wellness - It Could Always Be Worse

Click here for Entry #3 in Ashley’s Journey to Wellness – Being a “Patient” Patient

Click here for Entry #4 in Ashley’s Journey to Wellness – X-Rays & Holidays!

Click here for Entry #5 in Ashley’s Journey to Wellness – Nutrition, “Hair-Pain”, Dermatofibroma & a Fresh Start!

Click here for Entry #6 in Ashley’s Journey to Wellness – Insomnia & the Mayo Clinic

Also check out our other Rheum for Wellness blogs and be sure to leave a comment and share with friends! Recent entries include a celebrity guest blog with singer & American Idol contestant Justin Williams (a cancer survivor at age 27!), a piece on the importance of sleep, an entry on advocacy, volunteerism, and the 2010 Advocacy & Kids Summit, and more! Check them out! Don’t forget to check out our chapter webpage, too, for exciting updates at: http://westernpennsylvania.arthritis.org and our new Arthritis Radio episode with Congressman Tim Murphy here!

[Via http://arthritisfoundationwpa.wordpress.com]

Authenticity

I have been on hiatus for over a month now trying to prioritize the important things in my life and also to figure out just what direction I want to take this blog. I have struggled with making a decision because I am a lover of everything and it is difficult to narrow down what I am passionate about. This has led to the creation of numerous blogs that have gone untouched and has kept me from posting something that is really important to me because I felt it was not in line with this blog’s purpose. But, life is writing and writing is life and from now on this blog will be about both.

For those of you who don’t know, I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Over the past two years these undiagnosed conditions have wreaked havoc on my health, my energy, my spirit, and my dreams for the future. In fact, it has caused my entire life to come to a screeching halt. Along with this illness I am caring for my four year old whom doctors believe is autistic with Asperger’s and can become violent at any second for any reason or no reason at all. I use the work “think” because I have been unable to have him officially diagnosed and have been waiting for specialists to see him for nearly two years now. The waiting lists are so long and are soul crushing for any parent who desperately wants to seek and receive help for their child. As if that wasn’t enough, I also have a soon-to-be-eighteen-year-old son who will begin college in the fall. AND as if THAT is not enough, I lost my job in mid-December because of budget cuts.

What has all this done for me? It has made me stop and reevaluate my life and where I want to go. It has made me realize that I need to be more authentic in all my interactions. I am was a firm believer in perfectionism and never asking anyone for help. I wanted everyone to perceive me as the person who knew how to do everything. But this mask of perfectionism I am hiding behind is not serving me very well. So, I plan to be more authentic in my writing on this blog, to share with you my fears, my worries, and my truth.

The biggest truth that I can share with you right now is that I am terrified of writing. I do not know the first thing about writing and yet the idea of learning everything there is to know in order to become a great writer is overwhelming and stops me in my tracks. I have so many interests (law, politics, neuroscience, psychology, social work, mental health counseling, sociology, criminal justice, writing, reading – you get the idea) that I find it difficult to settle down into one specific area. It is the perpetual “the grass is greener on the other side” philosophy. What I do know for sure, though, is that I want to help people, I want to teach, and I want to write. That is where I have to place my focus.

To start, I would like to introduce my authentic self to you: I am a 36-year-old woman who is still not sure what she wants to do with her life and has not made it past step one in Life 101. I am a woman whose legs hurt so badly some days that she has to crawl out of bed or not get out of bed at all. I am a woman who spends many mornings locked in the bathroom in an attempt to avoid her four year old’s stinging punch to the face. I am the woman who has finally started the journey toward authenticity and finding her place in this often scary world. I hope that you will follow along with me.

[Via http://thenightwriter.wordpress.com]

Unscheduled Transmission....

Wow wasn’t planning on posting but looked and saw it has been awhile…lol… my how times flies when you are lost in the fog! I’d like to say I would do a “things lost and found” post but I’m just too foggy to think it through. We’ve had so many rainy days followed by very cold days and has left me in some of the worst pain I’ve felt in a very long time. I have gotten by with the use of only the fireplace for heat. It’s just me now and my birds and rabbit. Yes the boys are gone….. my youngest left for basic training at Fort Jackson and the teen I was fostering went back to his parent’s home. Boy, life alone and dealing with Fibro is time-consuming….. and energy draining….I’m trying to adjust to being on my own again. I haven’t been alone since getting this ill and stuck in bed most of the time. Everything takes twice as long as I thought it would and I am feeling my age…lol…haven’t been able to make it to the mail box or to the trash bin as both are about a block or so away…..in different directions too…. I’ll need to drive and that means portable O2 tanks…. so I gave in and asked for some help to take the trash to the bin and pick up the mail. I felt so bad…lol… I couldn’t remember which key to use to open the mailbox….. my friend had to make two trips just to get the right key and then told me there was a key in side my mail box and brought it back thinking I could tell him which townhouse had the #333….. but it was the key to open the large lock mailbox for packages…. so he went back for the third trip! I felt so bad about all the running around he was doing…. he even remembered the last time we talked that I said I had used the last of my shampoo and would try to make a trip to the store soon and he even brought that with him.  There have been some unexpected problems I’ve run in to but with some help I have worked it out….lol….. the news paper that I have delivered on the weekend will now be put on my top doorstep and not in the middle of the driveway…..much out of reach with only my O2 tubing…..sometimes it’s the little things that throw you off balance…..which reminds me I have to be careful….. first day alone and I almost fell on my butt tripped on my O2 tubing and today hit the step stool and made to big toe and little one bleed….. hurt my foot and my pride….good thing about being alone…..no one to see me when I do something dumb! I have found that my stress level is lower now and that I tend to spend more time on the phone….. usually when caller ID shows unknown caller I don’t pick up….but now if I feel up to it I do and if it is sales person…..well I’ll yank their chain a little…. like today TV dish salesman I told him I got my cable free from the little gray aliens….talked about them for about ten minutes and when he asked how he could get hooked up with them. I told him to just give me HIS home phone number and I would have them give him a call or he could turn his porch light on and off five times wait and do it again until they come by……lol…..I don’t think he’ll be calling me back anytime soon. Took my mind off the pain for awhile…..well it’s time for this unscheduled transmission to come to an end… so be at peace,  enjoy the quiet times and watch out for low flying aliens until our paths cross again…….. Lila

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU ARE READING THIS POST AND YOU ARE NOT ON THE WEB SITE “LILA LOST IN THE FIBRO FOG….” THEN WHAT YOU ARE READING HAS BEEN STOLEN AND IS BEING USED WITHOUT MY AUTHORITY AND I HOPE YOU WILL COME TO MY WEB SITE BLOG AT WORDPRESS  http://www.lilabyrdakabirdladybyday.wordpress.com  

[Via http://lilabyrdakabirdladybyday.wordpress.com]

Good Greek!

One of the things I’m trying to do is cook more.  A little more than a year ago, I worked myself into a nasty kidney infection and vertigo.  It took months for the vertigo to go away, and during that time my boyfriend and I got into the habit of ordering food since I was too sick to cook and he too tired.  But now, one  year later, we’re stuck in the same pattern, and at this point its sheer laziness on my part (seeing as I’m the one without a job.)  Of course I still have days that I feel really sick (fibromyalgia problems, the vertigo comes back when I have a cold), but that’s no excuse to not cook the times I am feeling well.  But at the same time, fibromyalgia is a difficult balancing act: if I stress my body a little to hard one day, it makes me useless the next (and if it’s really bad, the day after.)  With fibromyalgia and gluten sensitivity, everything thing you do has to be taken slow whether you like it or not.  So I’m still not going to cook every meal, but am instead setting my goal of cooking two nights a week.  I can do two nights a week.

I decided to try my hand at Greek food since it is really effective against my reactive hypoglycemia (part of fibro) and my boyfriend is part Greek.  Win-win.  So I picked up How to Roast a Lamb: new greek classic cooking by Michael Psilakis, mainly because it had a recipe for Avgolemono Soup, the one dish my boyfriend and I (and his mother) have horrendously failed at every single time.

Ironically, Avgolemono Soup is one of our favorite dishes and a staple of every Greek restaurant visit.  For those of you that haven’t tried it, it’s kind of like the Greek equivalent of Chicken and Rice Soup.  It’s chicken broth mixed with egg-lemon sauce (very common in Greek cooking) and either rice or orzo.  Next time you’re at your neighborhood Greek restaurant, try it (I have yet to see a decent Greek restaurant that doesn’t have it.)

Last night I did not feel daring enough to make the Avgolemono and opted for “Pasta with Kima (meat sauce)” instead.  Although some recipes in the book are quite challenging (like roasting whole lamb on a spit), this one was quite easy and yummy.  I am no stranger to homemade pasta sauces; when I was a teenager, I often had dinner with my Italian neighbor and her family.  But this sauce was unlike anything I had tasted before.  I am used to Italian sauces, in which the tomato flavor freshly zings you tongue and is then followed by the meat.  With the greek tomato sauce, everything harmoniously combined to form a single flavor identity that was both savory and sweet.  A real treat!

Pasta with Kima

If you’re ever in the area, try Greek Islands.  It is the best Greek restaurant I’ve ever been to, and is certainly one of the best (if not the best) in the Chicago.

[Via http://sententiaviridae.wordpress.com]

I Was Poisoned by My Body: The Odyssey of a Doctor Who Reversed Fibromyalgia, Leaky Gut Syndrome and Multiple Allergic Responsesâ¦and Her life 10 Years ... "New Revised and Updated"

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Not for everyone! – Y. Fus – Winston-Salem, NC United States

I was hoping to find some sensible suggestions for calming sinus inflammation associated with food intolerances. Unfortunately this author’s approach to eliminating toxins from your system is more than I am willing to undertake. She advocates using chopsticks to examine your waste in order that you can make sure that you are effectively eliminating. I am not going to comb through my poop with chop sticks. I do not think that her advice is particularly practical for most folks. I regret having purchased this book and will take it to my local used bookseller asap.

SO many people need this book and don’t even know it…yet ! – Suzanne Karasik – Los Banos, CA near SFO

I have the older version and it helped me to heal and go on to become a nutritionist and help others. When I couldn’t find anyone who knew what was happening to me, thankfully I found this book. I highly recommend it as well as “Invisible Illness” if you want to learn about what is happening to so many people who are still clueless. Allopathic doctors don’t know these facts, they exacerbate the symptoms because they refuse to accept/learn the cause, mostly because it involves nutrition instead of pharmaceuticals – she will tell you everything you need to know !

Don’t hesitate if you know something just is not right, you must educate yourself. I’d love to go into details, but just get the book, it’s all in there !

[Via http://healthtotalbodycleanse.wordpress.com]

CELEBRATE! IT IS FINISHED!

“Celebrate!  Celebrate!  Celebrate!  Dance to the music” .  Perhaps some of you might be able to hum along to the chorus of this  old song by Three Dog Night.  Today I am celebrating since I  had my last amalgam filling removed and replaced by a fancy high tech ceramic filling!

Yesterday, I talked about my reluctance to ask for help even from my doctor.  But today as I sat in the dentist’s chair, I knew that without a doubt I had been receiving help these past months so that I can actually say I no longer have my neurotic fear of having dental work done!  All of the past experiences as a child sitting in the dental chair are over!  Part of that change belongs to my dentist who calls himself an old hippy!  I learned to relax as he chatted, laughed and as we listened to old 60’s and 70’s music interspersed with the occasional Norah Jones. But I have had pleasant dentists before, and so I know that my change mainly belongs to God who heard my prayers and heard others praying for me that since I needed to see this dentist every month for a year, could He please “help me overcome my anxieties”.  Yesterday my special friend who keeps lifting me up to God sent me some very appropriate Bible verses in response to yesterday’s blog.  I think she wanted me to remember as my husband did who read it this morning – that even when we are reluctant to receive help from others and even when we receive imperfect help from others, we can receive perfect help from God.  She wrote,

“Your ‘cry for help’ was heard. I immediately recalled that help is always available but not necessarily immediately visible. Psalm 18:6: “In my distress, I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help” and in Psalm 121:1 : “I lift up my eyes to the hills–where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”. Verse 8 says ‘the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”  It does not say He will remove your affliction but will ‘BE THERE’ for you. I agree that sometimes it does not feel like it is enough but like the mother who holds her child with the scraped knee, she cannot make it better but she can ‘be there’ to help him get through the pain.   Hopefully, this is what can keep you going as well. Hang in there…you are not alone.”

Well, today I am not only celebrating the fact that my dental work is complete but  that I believe “My help comes from the Lord”!   Now I just have to remember that “the Lord will watch over (my)  coming and going” when His Help doesn’t seem quite as clear!!

[Via http://gaylejervis.wordpress.com]

UNFILTERED THOUGHTS HINDER HEALING

Last night I was watching an episode from the Television series, House.  In the story, the male patient’s frontal lobe was not working so that he could not filter any of his thoughts and he said everything that came to his mind.  He made rather shocking, hurtful and insulting comments to everyone  including his wife and his daughter.  By the end of the story, House had of course discovered the nature of the problem.  However, as his wife was wheeling him to the car, he asked her if his daughter was upset with him.  She said, “No, children are pretty resilient.”  However, there was a serious inference understood by her body language that she would have great difficulty trusting his comments since she now “knew” what he was really thinking.

I began wondering what kind of words would come out of my mouth if they were not being filtered by what I perceive to be acceptable or kind or reflect whatever persona I have developed. As someone who has had a lot of limits imposed on her life for the last decade, would I be surprised by the amount of whining, complaining, and judging negative comments that might slip out of my mouth?  Like the patient in House, would I later be mortified and embarrassed?

I once read that the brain is like a computer.  It inputs information and does not distinguish thoughts or opinions from facts.  In other words, thoughts that I may not even believe all of the time are being added to my brain’s data bank as factual. One day, in a whining mood, I may think , “My doctor doesn’t know what he is doing! I am an idiot to actually believe that he can cure me!”  My brain’s distorted perception of truth has now recorded that my doctor is an idiot and that I too am an idiot!  This kind of data is most definitely not going to promote my wellness!!

As another component to optimizing my healing environment I should heighten my awareness of all of my thoughts!   I have heard the suggestion to wear an elastic band and pull it every time a negative thought occurs.  However, I suspect the most insidious thought is the one that appears rational and logical and I might  excuse it since it “speaks a truth” .   Those thoughts might be harder to identify as negative and might cause me to resist pulling that elastic band!  And the real question is whether  that kind of temporary pain will actually cause me to improve my thoughts?

Perhaps guarding our thoughts is like the analogy of identifying counterfeit money.  I once heard that people who are trained to identify counterfeit money are not shown those dollars.  Instead they just spend lots of time analyzing the real money!  In other words, perhaps the most effective strategy is to intentionally add positive thoughts to my brain’s data bank by speaking positive affirmations, reciting Bible verses, listening to positive uplifting music etc.  It could become quite an exciting game as I assess how much helpful healing information I have been able to file away in my brain’s amazing recording system each day!  I don’t consider myself as an overly negative person, but I suspect the cumulative effect of such a purposeful positive endeavor could only increase the healing momentum!

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy  – meditate on these things”

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