Good news! My latest labs came back and my inflammation levels are finally "normal". They are still on the high end of the normal range, but it's the biggest improvement we've seen in 9 months. We're talking from over 100, down to the 60s and now 20! Can I get a woo hoo! Basically this means that my Enbrel shots are doing their job. While I'm not pain-free, it is good to know the inflammation is under control and not creating more damage. I still have a love-hate relationship with the medication, but my mindset has changed. I am thankful for the shots and see it as a way of buying me time until there's an actual cure.
Speaking of cures, I've had some thoughts recently. Is there a difference between being cured and being healed? Technically, it's probably the same. Personally, I think one can exist without the other. Here's why: While I still have a disease, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that I am being healed. Each day, each moment, healing is taking place. It's happening throughout my body, but also in my mind and spirit. Health is not just about normal lab results and the absence of disease. I think health and wholeness are synonymous; it's your body, mind and spirit living and thriving.
Healing is not completely out of our hands. There are choices to make each day. I choose to nourish my body with foods that promote healing. I choose to move and exercise in such a way that will bring back strength and vitality. I choose to pray, worship and be still. I choose joy. I choose life.
While my charts read "no cure", I know that by the grace of God, I am being healed. And with that, I continue to move forward, thankful and unafraid.
Love and Healing,
Kim
