Hidden Behind but found in Surgery

So I did it!  I had my Hysterechtomy and the surgery went well.  There was only one hiccup... My OBGYN found scar tissue from Endometriosis on my left ovary and Fallopian tubes so they needed to be removed.  I found that to be rather interesting.  I have gone for numerous pelvic ultrasounds all my life for pain in my ovaries.  When I was 22 I went to an OBGYN and he determined I had Endometriosis.  He told us I probably would not be able to conceive children.  Hmmmm...

He scheduled a laporoscopy and DNC to confirm his diagnosis.  A day before surgery God nudged me to go take a pregnancy test...

I was pregnant!  

I cancelled the surgery.  The Dr. Said "good news because pregnancy cures Endometriosis! ".

So alls well then.  I went on to have two precious babies and my body cured itself by getting pregnant!  Awesome!

I still had pains in my abdomen I couldn't explain, I chalked the pains up to "monthly agitations, ovulation pains," that sort of thing.  But every now and again the pains would cross that line of bearable to unbearable and off I would go to get an ultrasound yet again showing nothing wrong.

Well, it all makes sense now!  I still had Endometriosis and it was hidden between my uterus and left ovary.  That's sneaky!

I feel blessed that it was found before it got so bad I would have lost both my ovaries and was forced into early menopause.  However, my OBGYN has calmed my fears by telling me my right ovary is strong and healthy and Endometriosis free.  I won't be forced into menopause - thank you Lord!!!

I feel blessed to have been given the 'greatest gift' of giving birth to two boys!  I don't
know what I would have done had I not been able to have my babies.  I am incredibly blessed to be a Mama! When the Doctor said the word Endometriosis things all clicked together, for once I could understand where one form of pain was bothering me all my 'adult' life... the other pains well I don't know that I will ever fully understand the 'why's' or the 'whats' etc., but for this one thing I am praying that having a hysterechtomy will take care of that 'pain' anyway! I consider myself blessed already and I haven't healed from surgery yet! Our bodies are very complex, sometimes working against us when it hides something like Endometriosis for twenty something years! All I can say is that I am 'thankful'.  Thank you God that I only had to have one ovary removed.  Thank you God that my other ovary is healthy.  Thank you God that I am now on the road to recovery. I also must thank my Church Family, they have been so generous in preparing meals and visiting and making us feel extremely loved. God bless you all.I pray for healing for you always. Kelly Watts 

I Will Not Fear

I am scheduled for a Hysterectomy at the end of the month.

 

 

Yesterday a nurse phoned me for all the pre-op questions...

she told me I should bring my photo ID and my health card,

then some comfortable pajamas, and oh ya... my WILL!

 

SAY WHAT???

 

Okay Lord, that scared me.

I was a little consumed with fear I must say.

 

Then... His peace came.

 

His gentle whisper came...

 

I know the Lord will not give me more than I can handle,

I will not fear.  I will not fear, I will not fear.

 

I WILL work on that!

 

I have come to the realization in the past couple of months just how much my body is now programmed to fear pain.

 

I hate just the thought of adding even an ounce more of pain to my body...

 

but WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL, GOD IS!

 

I WILL work on remembering this too!

 

I will not fear!  I will not fear!

 

God is my comforter, my peace and my salvation.

 

I will not fear!

 

Im praying for all of your lovely spoonies out there who KNOW exactly what I am talking about!

May you find rest when your body just cant take it anymore,

may you find comfort in your lonely times,

may you sleep and may your sleep be sweet.

 

Loving on you fellow spoonies.

 

Much love and blessings

Kelly Watts

 



IUD and Me

So, August 28th I had a procedure to insert an IUD.  (see below post for what happened).
September 29 I went into my Gynocologyst and had it removed.

The problem:  I was extremely nauseous the entire month, living on Gingerale and Gravol.  I cramped and bled, then REALLY bled the entire month.  I felt the IUD pinching me.  I was so dizzy and had black outs.  At night I would be laying down and suddenly my skin was burning up, burning behind my eyes, waves of nausea would wake me up every night... It was a horrible horrible month.

The moment she took the IUD out my nausea stopped, the pinching stopped.  It was amazing.
I bled pretty heavy for a week afterwards but it was nothing compared to when the IUD was inside.

I am now booked for a Hysterechtomy in November and I am looking forward to it.  I have sufferered with pain since my cycle first began as a teen... Add the pain of Fibromyalgia and Hyper mobile joint pain and I am so READY for my cycle to be done with!

I am praying that this will be what I need to maybe get some of my life back!

I know the IUD Mirena was not for me!  I have reacted to every type of birth control the Dr's. have put me on.  I bleed all the way through the month; Instead of helping my cycle they make it far worse.

I am so looking forward to that part of my life being over.😄

Sincerely;

Kelly Watts
(Spoonie Sister)

Chronic Illness on Local Anesthetic

 

I don't know about all of you... but my body cannot handle the pain involved with local anesthetic.

 

Two examples have come up this year for me.

 

First:  I discovered that along with my Fibromyalgia/arthritis  comes dry mouth, dry mouth equals lots of cavities.  I had six cavities that needed to be filled this year.  I had to have local anesthetic in my gums and nearly fainted and became instantly nauseous and dizzy.  I chalked this up to a bad FM day.

 

Second:  Fast forward six months and I need to go in for day surgery to have an IUD inserted.  The Gynecologist suggested sedation and told me I would not remember the procedure.  Sedation... ya no... I was fully aware and awake for the barbaric procedure.  As soon as they went to put the local into my Uterus my body decides to go into shock shaking uncontrollably and crying and screaming out in pain... hello full sedation!

They immediately put me under fully.

 

These two episodes caused me to put two-and-two together to come to the conclusion that my body does not like local anesthetic.

 

I have never had this experience before this past year.  I was just fine going to the dentist... I was just fine having surgery.

 

Now, in both cases, I am getting them to fully sedate me before I get any local anesthetic.

 

I hate that my body reacts this way to pain.  I hate that it is programmed to react to pain.  I hate that I do not know how to reprogram my body to not feel as much pain as I do.

 

My girlfriend had to go into the hospital this week due to pain of FM causing her to throw up all her food.  She couldn't get the pain under control with her normal medicines.  This got me thinking... is my body going to start rejecting the helpful medication that I am currently on?

I am not looking forward to that day coming.

 

I am still recovering from having the IUD inserted... still bleeding... still nauseous... still cramping... still in pain.

 

I need to breathe, I need to relax... I need to trust in God that He will be with me through all of the storms that come with having a Chronic Illness.

 

God, please bring me your peace that truly surpasses all understanding.  I do not know how YOU do what YOU do Lord, but I trust in you.  Please heal all my friends with Chronic Illnesses.

 

My heart hurts for the many, many people suffering from Chronic Pain.

 

No matter what it is caused from... pain hurts!

 

This week is Chronic Illness Awareness Week.

Hug someone with a Chronic Illness... send them some love.

 

Our illness might be invisible but our needs are not!

 

Hugs and many blessings to all my spoonie sisters!

 

Love Kelly Watts

When You Feel Mad at God

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

Have you ever felt mad at God for your suffering?

 

A sweet friend of mine asked me specifically to write a post in this regard.

 

Well, I thought about it, and to be completely honest, I personally do not remember ever feeling mad at God for my suffering.

 

I think it's because of my experience during my depression.

 

God taught me what He thought about me as I continually poured myself into His word, drenching myself in His wisdom.  (Even when I was not able to physically read the Word but just hold the Word close to me... God was constantly showing me of His deep love for me).

 

Knowing that God see's me and all of His children as His treasured possession (Exodus 19:5);

Knowing that He knows me completely(Psalm 139);   

Knowing that we are made in his image (Genesis 1:27);

Knowing that He has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11);

Knowing that God is love (1 John 4:16)

Knowing that God is my provider (Matthew 6:31-33)

Knowing that He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Joshua 1:5)

Knowing that NOTHING can separate me from His love (Romans 8:38-39)

Knowing that God so loved His children that He gave up His Son to die for our sins (John 3:16)

Knowing that He is close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18)

Knowing that He is my comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Knowing that God is for us, not against us (Romans 8:31)

Knowing that He is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

Knowing that one day He will wipe away every tear (Revelations 21:3-4)

Knowing that God loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

Knowing that...

 

In learning all these things and so much more about our God, well, how can I possibly be mad at Him for my suffering?

 

I know that my suffering is not because God hates me, He is for me, not against me!

I know that when I was broken hearted He comforted me!

I know that when I need Him He is always there for me!

I know that He hears my prayers and answers them, they may not be the answers I asked for but how can I question God? He knows what is best for me.

I know that we live in a fallen world that is not our home, how can we expect to live a life free of suffering in a place that is not even ours?  Our place is in Heaven with God, where He will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

 

God says, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33)

 

Our sufferings are temporary, but we do not have to endure them alone.

God is with us and He is faithful.  He hears our prayers; He comforts us; He gives us strength to fight through another day!

 

So if your angry... try not to be angry at God.  Instead, draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  If you must be angry, be angry at your illness and fight through each and every day with the strength and breath that God provides.  He is not your illness.  He is not your disease.

He is the LOVE of your life, the reason for living, the breath of life...

the streams of living water that hold goodness and mercy...

 

instead...

let those waters flow over you...

 

and let go of the bitterness and anger.

 

Allow Him to make you to lay down in green pastures...

to lead you by still waters...

to restore your soul...

Allow Him to restore your soul...

to be your Shepherd

where you will lack no good thing.

 

God is for you, not against you loved ones.

Our journey is hard but we are not alone.

 

 

Many hugs and healing blessings to you all.

With all God's love...

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

Trying To Be That Woman

(Artwork by artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

"I am doing the best that I can."

 

I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post, I hadn't even realized it will be a month tomorrow.

I have been trying really hard to make it through this rainy season without losing my sanity.

 

June 25th we had a big rain storm and the rivers rose in Calgary and flooded downtown and many houses along the river banks.

Our City had a great deal of destruction to deal with damages from the flooding.

 

It was awesome to see the people of Calgary come together to volunteer to help clean up;

of coarse I couldn't be involved in that process as I can barely clean up my own house.

 

Rainy season is a horrible season for people with Chronic Illnesses.

The air is moist and the joints are inflamed!

 

I have been extremely inflamed and sore for this entire month.

 

I can't even relax when the sun is shining this year because there is so much moisture in the air.

 

Today, well today I am very irritable.  I think I am in a lot of pain and not realizing it or something because I do not remember being this irritable in a long time.

 

I am irritated by sounds lately.  My ears are sensitive.  I wear ear plugs during the day if there is a particularily annoying sound such as a lawn mower, or a jack hammer (like last week when a neighbor was redoing his driveway).  Today... well I think I will live with ear plugs even when there is no specific annoying noise because everything seems to irritate me today.

Music on my ipod annoys me!  That is so strange because I receive so much peace from my music, usually.

 

Do any of you have irritableness with noises?  I mean an extreme oversensitive kind of irritableness?

 

I am going to pray that the Lord calms my soul down... give me a 'chill-pill' Lord and help me to leave my irritibility at the foot of the cross!  Thank you and amen!

 

Praying for strength and for extra spoons for all my fellow spoonies!

 

Hugs and many blessings

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

 

A Little Trick I Learned

 

Do you suffer from neck pain, nerve pain in your neck that goes down your arms and back and up into your head.

 

I was chatting with a lady from Europe who just bought a neck brace and who was receiving a lot of pain relief from that.

 

She told me to try and wrap a scarf around my neck.

 

I was skeptical at first, I mean how can a scarf help to relieve the pain I was experiencing in my neck?

 

This morning I did it, I wrapped a hair scarf around my neck and it is working.  My neck feels supported and it is easier to hold my neck up ~ hallelujah!!!

Thank you God for bringing me to this simple little pain relieving trick.

 

Now on to better and bigger things so I don't have to worry about my neck for now.

 

Who knows, this just might work for you!

 

Hugs and many blessings everyone

 

I am praying for you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kelly Watts

Sometimes It's Worth It!

Met a fellow 'spoonie' on Wednesday.  It was so nice to talk with someone who could fully understand the pain... we had lovely conversation and only lost train of thought about four times with each other. 

We laughed because this happens to both of us all the time!

I went knowing that I would pay for it for the next couple of days,

she went knowing this as well...

and we were both fine with that!

It was just lovely to get out of the house,

to get out of our beds and pretty ourselves

up (as much as a spoonie can)

and visit with a good friend.

I don't know about you, but when I meet another 'spoonie'

it's like getting together with a long lost friend every time.

There is always an instant connection, a relation to one another that

only another 'spoonie' can understand.

Jill was such a lovely lady and I look forward to getting together with her again.

Living with a Chronic Illness means we have to choose how we spend our time very wisely.

My time was well spent with Jill.  I felt good.  I got out of the house.

I laughed.

God is always good.

If you are reading this and it is resonating with your soul about getting out of the house, making a choice knowing that you will pay for it later...

I say do it!  Live your life and try not to let the 'illness' BE your life.

Hugs and many blessings to you.

Kelly Watts

The Graduate

 

This is my first born Joshua and he has just graduated Highschool.

I am so very proud of him.

 

I have been sick most of his life, only his first 1 and 1/2 years were not filled with me being sick.

They were some of the best years of my life!

 

I loved being a new Mama watching him grow.

Now he is taller than me!

 

His Graduation Ceremony was last Wednesday.

It was a long ceremony but I made it through.

 

Thank goodness for my TENS machine which

helps me make it through long events like this.

 

I had to get up and walk around a number of times

but I did it!

 

I watched my firstborn son walk across that stage

and accept his diploma!!!

 

I'm so very proud of you Joshua!

 

 

I hope all of you are having an amazing week.

Many hugs and blessings

 

Kelly Watts

Being Positive With A Chronic Illness

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

So you have a Chronic Illness, your pain is through the roof, you've pretty much been through the ringers with the Doctors, and you are probably pretty depressed fighting for strength every day.

 

How do you stay positive?

 

This is a very hard question to answer.  Your first thought was probably something like, "Stay positive... pffffft... I am just trying to survive here!"

 

I fully understand.  I fight my negative thoughts every day.

 

However, what I have found to benefit me tremendously is changing my perspective...

 

For example;

I have written in journals since I was nine years old but whenever I read through them again I would get further depressed because all of my writing, venting, ranting and raving was negative.  Just reading them took me down the emotional rollercoaster re-experiencing all the bumps and hills over again.

 

So a few years back I decided to start a 'Positive Journal' and in this journal I would only write about good things.  If I experienced something bad or emotional I would try to find something positive about the situation and write about that instead.

 

This process allowed me to find the positive in bad situations, it allowed me to change my focus and change my life.  I went from being a complainer of everything to an optimistic 'cup is half full' kind of gal.

 

I am not saying that this happened overnight... this is a process.

It takes time to change how you think.

 

 

How will changing the way you think help you with your Chronic Illness?

 

Being positive allows you to focus on all the good things in your life; it will help you to see through the brain fog and the pain that you are experiencing so that you can accept the goodness that surrounds you.

 

It calms your soul so that you will not be consumed with needless worry.

 

Dealing with pain 24/7 makes it very difficult to think at all but when you are able to think clearer at least then you will be nourishing your soul with good thoughts instead of poisoning it with negative thoughts.

 

If you can think positive, or find something positive to focus on while you are dealing with your Chronic Illness you will find your strength to get through.

 

My strength comes from the Lord.

My hope is in the Lord.

 

I hope you find these tips helpful.

 

Have a wonderful week.

 

Many hugs and blessings

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

 

Heat Seeker W/Flare-up

(Artwork by Kelly Watts 2013)

 

In my chats with other Chronic Illness sufferers I have discovered that Chronic Pain symptoms are helped and hindered in different ways depending on the person.

 

Me...

 

I am a heat-seeker!

 

The heat and the sunshine just make my body feel so much better.

 

However, it is not all heat that helps.  I am not good with humidity as it effects my Arthritis.

 

Some people feel better in the humid heat; some the dry heat.

 

Some love the cold weather... I am not one to share these views of cold.

 

I have a lovely friend in Australia who cannot wait for it to cool down there,

 

and here I am waiting for it to heat up here!

 

This week in particular is a strange one for me...

 

It is sunny and beautiful and I am in the middle of a flare-up!

 

It's like a double-edged sword...

 

I want to sit in the sun but I hurt sitting in my lounger for too long.

 

Then I lay down to rest and the sunshine is just mocking me!

 

I want to be outside when it is beautiful, I want to hike, run, jump and play!

 

I want to be normal with no pain, no illness, no Doctor appointments...

 

No sense in complaining about it...

 

I can only pray for God's healing to come down upon me... upon us all who suffer.

 

May His healing hand bring warmth and comfort to our bones,

 

may we sleep sweet knowing we are in the hands of the Almighty God.

 

May our hope and our strength come from the Lord

 

and may we be filled with so much of His love that there is NO room,

 

no cracks, no breaks where depression can sneak in.

 

 

How easy that creature slithers!

 

We need to stomp on him and kick him to the curb!

 

If possible we need to take back our lives to live the life we were made to live!

 

As I have said before, we are not without hope!

 

 

Know that you are not alone, I am always thinking about and praying for you!

 

Many hugs and blessings Dear Ones

 

Sincerely

 

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

One Bad Day... Just One

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

Love God, Love others, Love yourself...

 

Especially on Doctor days!

 

Every month I have to go to the Doctor for a new prescription and I should be used to the fact that those days are pretty much going to be a right off.

 

Ya'no!

 

Nope, I do not learn.

 

So after my appointment (which went really well by the way, according to my hubbub)...

I still broke down crying.

 

You see, I thought I was doing really well.  I thought I was dealing with everything really well.

 

Apparently not.

 

During the Doctor's appointment I broke down because I realized that I hadn't been able to exercise for a couple months.  I have been mostly in bed or laying on the couch just fighting each and every day to get through.

 

Pain does that to a person... it kind of traps us in our own bodies and holds us down.

 

I do what I gotta do in regards to finding a life worth living the best way that I can.

 

I turn to God for my strength and my support.

.

I turn to the gifts that He has given me to help keep me sane...

 

as well as to inspire and bless others.

 

Yes, I have to do most of my artwork from bed but that is not the end of the world; it just limits what art I can do.

 

My life is full of blessings and so I focus on those and I know that everything will be okay.

 

Praying that all of you are doing well... and if not... that you are doing the best that you possibly can right now.

 

Sending out healing thoughts to all my lovely spoonie sisters!

 

Sincerely with much love and blessings

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

Why I Do What I Do

(Artwork by Kelly Watts 2013)

 

A Letter To God

Dear Lord; My Most Holy Almighty God; El Sheddai; Abba;

My heart is so full of compassion... it seems that no matter at what stage of life I am in, You reveal a new and different path to show me more ways to use this compassion inside of me.

When I was young my heart hurt for things I did not even know what or why, but the pain was very real.

I hurt for people I did not know.

The World Vision commercials were a killer on my heart,

my first real experience in seeing starving children.

My heart cried out, 'Lord! Lord!' before I knew how to pray.

The next stages of my life were stepping stones to learning the plan You had for me. I see now that I had to fall and I had to fall hard and receive many scars that buried deep. I had to start at the bottom and crawl out of the pit I had fallen into; every handful of dirt another lesson... another drop of water into the sprout that was forming in me.

At times I would get close to the top only to battle the grounds of fear, anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness and trauma. I was lost in the darkness, I could not see; I could not breathe.

Then You pulled me up out of the dirt and breathed in me a new breath of life while shaking the dirt and grime away.

You helped me to stand up again on new ground.

You placed me on a new path allowing me to use the lessons taught and to share the comfort You had given me. You brought me to others who had fallen, who were broken hearted and You said, 'Comfort them'.

You gave me knowledge, understanding and wisdom to reach out to the hurting. You taught me and I listened; You led me and I followed.

Though... You still had more to teach me and so You sent me on another mission; one that would take me to the battlefield of my own body, limiting where I could go and what I could do.

Again You said, 'Come' and I went.

Again You brought me those physically hurt and broken hearted and

You said, 'Comfort them' and I do.

You taught me to use the compassion inside even through the physical ailments, through the broken heartedness and You said, 'Go'.

Now that compassion has sprouted and flourished into a magnificent tree of love and blessings, comfort and healing.

I see Your hand of teaching and love over me.

I see the compassion You have given me as a precious treasure.

Thank You Lord, My Abba Father for my gift...

Your compassion growing in me.

I pray you feel God's love for you today.

Have a very blessed week.

 

 

Sincerely

Kelly Watts

EDS - Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

(Your physical therapist might also recommend specific braces to help prevent joint dislocations.)

What is EDS - Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ehlers-danlos-syndrome/DS00706/DSECTION=symptoms

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Connective tissue is a complex mixture of proteins and other substances that provides strength and elasticity to the underlying structures in your body.
People who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome usually have overly flexible joints and stretchy, fragile skin. This can become a problem if you have a wound that requires stitches, because the skin often isn't strong enough to hold them.

Signs and symptoms of the most common form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome include:

• Overly flexible joints. Because the connective tissue that holds joints together is looser, your joints can move far past the normal range of motion. Small joints are affected more than large joints. You might also be able to touch the tip of your nose with your tongue.
• Stretchy skin. Weakened connective tissue allows your skin to stretch much more than usual. You may be able to pull a pinch of skin up away from your flesh, but it will snap right back into place when you let go. Your skin might also feel exceptionally soft and velvety.
• Fragile skin. Damaged skin often doesn't heal well. For example, the stitches used to close a wound often will tear out and leave a gaping scar. These scars may look thin and crinkly.
• Fatty lumps at pressure points. These small, harmless growths can occur around the knees or elbows and may show up on X-rays.

Symptom severity can vary from person to person. Some people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome will have overly flexible joints but few or none of the skin symptoms.

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromePeople who have the vascular subtype of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome often share distinctive facial features of a thin nose, thin upper lip, small earlobes and prominent eyes. They also have thin, translucent skin that bruises very easily. In fair-skinned people, the underlying blood vessels are very visible through the skin.
One of the most severe forms of the disorder, vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can weaken your heart's largest artery (aorta), as well as the arteries to your kidneys and spleen. A rupture of any of these blood vessels can be fatal. The vascular subtype also can weaken the walls of the uterus or large intestines — which may also rupture

Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff
Complications depend on the types of signs and symptoms you have. For example, overly flexible joints can result in joint dislocations and early-onset arthritis. Fragile skin may develop prominent scarring.
People who have vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are at risk of often fatal ruptures of major blood vessels. Some organs, such as the uterus and intestines, also may rupture. Pregnancy can increase these risks.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff
There is no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but treatment can help you manage your symptoms and prevent further complications.
MedicationsYour doctor may prescribe drugs to help you control:

• Pain. If over-the-counter pain relievers — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve) — aren't enough, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications for your joint or muscle pain.
• Blood pressure. Because blood vessels are more fragile in some types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, your doctor may want to reduce the stress on the vessels by keeping your blood pressure low.

Physical therapyJoints with weak connective tissue are more likely to dislocate. Exercises to strengthen the muscles around a joint can help stabilize the joint. Your physical therapist might also recommend specific braces to help prevent joint dislocations.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ehlers-danlos+syndrome&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=el50UcKcCMX5iwLnvoHIDw&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=717#imgrc=CNJaewSqkqrFqM%3A%3Bx5RF341ogBCOMM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Frlv.zcache.com%252Fehlers_danlos_syndrome_awareness_shirts-ra3085b5b5d8d4770a2afb8b37633dc0e_804gs_216.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.zazzle.com%252Fehlers%252Bdanlos%252Btshirts%3B216%3B216

Surgical and other proceduresIn rare cases, surgery is recommended to repair joints damaged by repeated dislocations. However, your skin and the connective tissue of the affected joint may not heal properly after the surgery.

 

There is so much to this disease, so much more than just being double-jointed or having hypermobile joints.  There are some serious complications that come with this horrible disease.

 

I read on one lady's Instagram that she has to wear braces to bed just to keep her wrists from dislocating as she slept.  There is a lot of pain involved in these individual's joints and skin; many suffer from what they call 'painsomnia' which means of coarse they are in too much pain to actually be able to sleep.

 

I have hypermobility in my joints but it is nothing in comparison to what people with EDS suffer from.

 

My prayers and thoughts are with all of you EDS sufferers.

 

 

Many hugs and blessings to you

 

Kelly Watts

This Is For All My Chronic Illness Friends

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

As you know I have gotten to know some amazing women on instagram that suffer from numerous 'invisible' illnesses...

I have come to love their strength and their beauty as women.

 

With this piece I wanted to create it as a gift for all of them, (you), to make them smile; to make them not feel so alone; to spread a little love.

 

These women (us) (we) (you) smile through our pain; suffer in silence; and endure a whole lot of pain and garbage with not knowing what is happening to their (our) (your) bodies most of the time.

 

With Lupus they get rashes on their faces in the shape of butterflies (which can't feel good)... so I thought.... hmmmm... how do I make something beautiful out of that?

 

So I drew the butterfly first.

 

When I was drawing the lady I wanted to give her a great big ol'smile to show how something yucky (like a chronic illness) doesn't have to be sad all the time... but we can concentrate on our blessings... on the people whom God has placed in our lives; the joys that surround us.

 

We may not have energy or physical strength but we can hold onto the moments that make us smile; the people who make us smile and most of all our God who will give us the strength to get through.

 

On Instagram I have met one lady who is a beautiful soul... she is battling Lupus and is also homeless.  I cannot imagine the strength it takes for her to get by each day...   This Butterfly girl is for her...

 

Another lovely lady on Instagram is living with Fibromyalgia pain 24 hours a day with zero support from her husband and is getting zero help from Doctors...  This Butterfly girl is for her...

 

A beautiful soul in Sweden is living with EDS and lives every day with bands and braces on all her joints just so they do not dislocate... This Butterfly Girl is for her...

 

Another wonderful gal is battling Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease with constant pain and fatigue and fights every single day to get through...

This Butterfly Girl is for her...

 

This Butterfly Girl is for all of you out there!  I see you!  I hear you!  I feel your pain!  You are not alone and you are not without hope.

I am praying for you!

 

Much love and many blessings Dear Friends

 

 

Kelly Watts