Can I Tell You My Story?

I’ve prayed for healing my entire adult life. Sometimes for simple things and other times serious things. Every time hoping that God would heal. Sometimes the answer was “yes” and others it was “no”.

I feel like my vertigo is my ‘thorn in the flesh’. I’ve had vertigo for twenty-six years. I have a constant dull headache because of it. But I will take a headache over nausea. Nausea plagued me during chemotherapy and continued for a few years afterward due to my stomach issues.

I prayed and prayed for God to heal my vertigo. The answer was “no”. I’ve adjusted and tried different methods to help my headaches. I come from a family that “just keeps going” through adversity. I found with vertigo that I had to stop and rest. It definitely slows me down. I think my children had a challenging childhood. Sometimes I feel it was like having an alcoholic parent (though I don’t drink alcohol) because I was impaired by vertigo.

Most weeks I, would make it to Thursday afternoon, come home, then go to bed. I would rest so I could go back to work on Friday. Often, I would crash when I got home on Fridays and sleep late on Saturdays. Since I was a widow and single mother, I couldn’t afford to be out unless I had a fever or were too dizzy to drive. Talk about a never-ending cycle, I was going around in circles figuratively and literally!

I did Vacation Bible School Clinics for the Baptist Association. On the morning of one clinic, I woke with vertigo. I knew there was no way I could conduct a clinic as dizzy as I was that morning. It usually took two days to completely recover. So, I prayed, I told God that if He wanted me to teach the clinic, He would have to get rid of my vertigo. I taught the clinic that night because God’s answer was “yes”. It also reaffirmed to me that God is in control.

My parents recommended I go to an acupuncturist because it helped a friend of theirs. Later, another doctor asked if I was willing to try something unconventional. I said I was ready for anything that would help. He recommended an acupuncturist. So, I tried it, it really helped. I’ve been told you must be careful who you see. My daughter freaks out just thinking about the needles! I don’t buy the philosophy behind it but appreciate the benefits.

Once I was experiencing a vertigo episode, I had an appointment with the acupuncturist. My fifteen-year-old daughter offered to drive me because she knew it really helped. I’m not sure riding with a learning driver was the best for my vertigo, however; I was thankful for her concern and practical help.

So, if you struggle with something daily and your prayers for healing have been denied. You are not alone! May God give you helpers and encouragers to help you continue the fight. Keep searching for things that may help. I place a small teddy bear on my head to help with the headaches. I sleep with this teddy bear on my head at night. I use a headband to hold him in place. It seems the light pressure helps the headache.