Never, Never, Never Give Up!!!

I got an email from a close friend of almost 20 years today. The first line of her message was in huge, bold letters: I'M SICK!! She was ecstatic that she'd finally found a doctor who took her symptoms seriously, despite prior test results that were "within normal limits." Not too many people are happy when the doctor confirms that they are sick - but she is and with good reason.

This has been going on for years - not one or two - but six! In 2002 she was a beautiful (still is), healthy, energetic 125-pound 40-something woman. Her dad died and being executor of his estate put her under an enormous amount of stress. The first and most upsetting symptom was weight gain - regardless of how carefully (or how little) she ate or how much she exercised. The weight gain continued and with it came new, alarming symptoms - heart pain and palpitations, inability to sleep more than a few hours a night, joint and muscle pain and tenderness, memory loss and brain fog, shortness of breath and fatigue.

Because I am a health coach and have informally "coached" her for years I suggested a thyroid problem (despite the test results) and adrenal fatigue as a result of the unremitting stress. She saw numerous doctors - holistic, naturopathic, mainstream, specialists - you name it, she saw them. Their responses ranged from diagnosing and prescribing thyroid meds (and in the process nearly killing her - literally); to trying all types of supplements and diets; to telling her she was either "just eating too many calories" or that at her age (42) gaining weight and feeling lousy are "normal." The most distressing response was just treating her as if this was all in her imagination and discounting everything she said.

To her credit and by the grace of God, she was led to a doctor who actually listened, took her seriously, did testing that was different from what had already been done and is now taking steps to address the very real root causes of the symptoms she's been experiencing.

Doctors are simply well-educated, trained people - they are not God. They simply don't have all the answers. Who does? We have to stop thinking that just because a doctor tells us we're fine, despite how we feel, if we know in our hearts that something is wrong, we have to keep searching for the answer. Jesus Himself tells us to ask and keep asking and we will receive - seek and keep seeking and we will find and to knock and keep on knocking and it will be opened to us. God gave us our instincts and intuition for a reason - we need to listen to that still, small voice.

So today I rejoice with my friend and encourage each and every one of you to never, never, never give up!