Diagnosis Anxiety

During the first year of my daughter’s life, she received many diagnoses. Her body failed to thrive; she had severe reflux/GERD, projectile vomiting, aspiration, and Laryngomalacia. At three months old, she had a feeding tube placed.

She spent weeks in the hospital getting tested for all kinds of conditions. When she was six months old, we went all the way to Mass General Children’s Hospital in Boston with the hope of getting more answers.

During this time, I obsessed with figuring out what was going on with my daughter. I would spend hours and hours using Google to research any number of diseases, disorders, and syndromes. The anxiety was intense.

Using Google to research a new diagnosis for yourself or your child is daunting, but it doesn't have to be impossible!
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My daughter just turned nine and has gone through more medical procedures than probably 98% of the other kids her age. Some of these procedures have helped us receive some answers, but there are still things going on that baffle us as parents and her medical team.

I’ve had nine years to hone my research skills; nine years to learn how to use google properly to research medical conditions and medical information. The “cyberchondria” is almost gone, and taking anxiety medication has helped me significantly. Instead of obsessing, I am now learning all about the medical world and filing away that information for later.

This will probably sound dramatic, but every bit is true: the research I have done and the knowledge I have has saved my daughter’s life several times.

I know some will roll their eyes at that statement, and doctors and nurses everywhere are shaking their heads. People may make fun of “crazy” parents who Google every symptom and tiny imperfection (which I do not recommend). But when you have a medically complex child with several rare diseases, you get on Google and learn everything you can!

Knowledge is Power

The saying, “Knowledge is Power,” is very true. Filing away the information you learn is very important. This is not “diagnosing your child” it’s being aware; it’s understanding what types of things are typical in the human body and what aren’t.

The saying, “Knowledge is Power,” is very true. Filing away the information you learn is very important. This is not “diagnosing your child” it’s being aware; it’s understanding what types of things are typical in the human body and what aren’t.

The most important thing to remember while using Google to research a diagnosis is to be skeptical and critical and use common sense. Most people who google symptoms do not have cancer, brain tumors, or any scary diseases that may come up in a search.

Lead author Ruth Milanaik said:

“The internet is a powerful information tool, but it is limited by its inability to reason and think. Simply entering a collection of symptoms in a search engine may not reflect the actual medical situation at hand.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Learning how to research with common sense and critical thinking is crucial. Here are two ways to effectively use Google to research your child’s diagnosis.

How to Properly google to research Your Child’s Diagnosis

1. Remember you are Researching, NOT Diagnosing. When you research, you are looking to learn more about your child’s diagnosis or possible comorbidities that could come with it. The purpose of your research is not to diagnose your child but to learn how to help your child and advocate for them.

2. Choose Reputable Websites. Use google to define your search. Once you see a link or article you want to read, make sure it’s reputable. When researching, you must know which websites are reliable and which ones aren’t.

Websites such as WebMD and Wikipedia or blogs and magazine articles are not recommended for research. While the information on these websites may be interesting, the information is not always reliable.

I enjoy reading others’ stories regarding their syndrome or disease, but it’s important to keep in mind that their story is their story. What worked for them or their child may not work for you or your child.

Reliable and Reputable Websites to Use to Research Your Child’s Diagnosis

• Any children’s hospital website (sites such as Boston Children’s Hospital or Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
• KidsHealth.org by Nemours Children’s Health
• RareDiseases.org: NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders
• Mayo Clinic
• Johns Hopkins
• Cleveland Clinic
• NIH (National Institute of Health) and its subsidiaries
  • GARD (Genetic & Rare Diseases Information Center)
  • PubMed.gov – National Library of Medicine (Citations for literature, medical journals, and online books)
• Other Medical Journals
  • British Medical Journals – Given to us by our geneticist
• Foundation or Society for (diagnosis name)
  • For example, The Epilepsy Foundation, The Ehlers-Danlos Society, etc.

The above websites are not an all-inclusive list but a good starting place for reputable and reliable sites to visit when using google to research. There are also many tips on how to get the best possible Google search results using quotation marks, dashes, vertical bars, periods, and more!

How to Google Effectively: 8 Tips You Probably Didn’t Know [and neither did I!].

How to Speak to Your Child’s Doctor Regarding Your Research

If you have a concern that came from your research, make sure to approach your child’s doctor appropriately. I don’t mention that “I googled” something when speaking with my daughter’s team.

It’s better to phrase it as “I researched” and then follow it up by asking if that research is reliable or if what you found could be helpful to your child’s situation. Below are some examples of how to approach your research concerns with doctors.

• “I was researching *insert diagnosis,* and I noticed that it is advised to run *insert labs or tests*. Is this something we could do?”
• “I researched and found that some people with *insert diagnosis* have problems with *insert symptom or comorbidity*. I have these same problems/symptoms; what can I do?”
• “I noticed that it can be common for people with *insert diagnosis* to have *insert symptom*. Is this true? If so, what can we do to treat it?”
• “I researched *insert diagnosis* and saw that *insert comorbidity or symptom* are also common. Could we test for this *comorbidity*?”
• “I saw that some doctors use *insert test or procedure* to diagnose or understand more about *insert diagnosis*. Could my child have this test done? Why or why not?”
• “I have heard from other parents who have a child with *insert diagnosis* use or have good results with *insert treatment or medicine*. Could this work for my child?”
• “I read that *insert test/procedure* can be a reliable way to diagnose *insert diagnosis*. Do you think this is something my child should have done?”

You may notice that most of these examples are in the form of a question. This gives the doctor a chance to think over your question and explain why this may or may not be advisable for your child or situation.

Asking questions about the things you research will also put the ball back in the doctor’s court regarding the continuation of care for your child. You advocated for your child using the knowledge from your research. Now it’s time to let the doctors decide how to move forward!*

What about YOU? Do you use Google to research a diagnosis? Are there any other reputable or reliable websites you have found that are not on the list above? Let me know in the comments above!

* I understand there may be times when you disagree with a doctor. Seeking a second opintion is a possible route to finding someone to listen to your concerns. I hope to write about more in the future.

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Most people have never heard of a cecostomy or they get it confused with a colostomy, which is completely different. To be fair, I had never heard of these tubes either, but over the years, I have become quite familiar with them and how they work!

What is a Cecostomy?

A cecostomy is a surgical hole on the lower right abdomen that connects to the upper part of the large intestine. A tube is placed in this hole for medicine (an enema) to go through to help relieve severe constipation.

This procedure is usually done when laxatives and traditional enemas do not work anymore.

How Does It work?

Sometimes traditional enemas do not work because they do not go up the entire colon. With a cecostomy tube, the enema liquid starts at the top and flushes the entire colon out.

We fill an enema bag with the enema solution. For us, it’s a mixture of salt water and glycerin. Make sure to ask your doctor what type of enema your child may need. The bag connects to the Cecostomy or C-Tube and once she’s ready the liquid flows through and flushes out the large intestine.

To see how it works and what our daily enema regimen is like, click on the video below!

What are the Different Types of Cecostomy Tubes?

There are 3 different types of C-Tubes.

1. The Chait Tube

A Chait Tube is a white, flat, flexible, non-latex tube. On the inside, a coil keeps it from falling out. There is a flap on the outside that opens to allow a connecter.

This type of tube has to be changed out once per year at the doctor’s office.

As you can see in the picture above, my daughter’s skin did not like this tube. Every child is different, however, after a year of reaction to it, we switched to a different type of tube.

2. Mini-One Button (Sometimes called ACE)

This button is the one my daughter currently has. After having problems with the Chait Tube, I asked if we could switch to the Mini-One Button. We knew she would do okay with it since she has a Mini-One Button for her G-Tube and her J-Tube.

This tube is one of the easiest to have and it can be changed at home every 3 months. No doctor’s visit is necessary!

Last, but not least…

3. The Malone Procedure or Appendicostomy

The Malone is not a tube, but an opening made in the belly button for the enema to go through. We originally tried to get this procedure done, but it didn’t work out.

“The Malone procedure is also called the antegrade continence enema (ACE) surgical procedure or MACE. The Malone procedure is an alternative way of giving an enema. An enema is usually given by inserting a tube into the rectum.

During this surgery, the appendix is used to create a tube through which an enema is given. This small tube is used to make a tunnel from the outside of the abdomen to the colon. The stoma (opening) is positioned either on the lower right side of the belly or at the belly button. A valve is created in the stoma so the stool will not leak out of the opening.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado

In conclusion, to know if one of these three tubes is right for you or your child, talk with your doctor about your options!

The post Cecostomy: What it is, The different Types, & How it Works appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

So why does my daughter have 3 tubes? It’s a long story as to why, but the first one is the G-Tube which allows food and drink to go to her stomach. The second tube is called a J-Tube. This tube bypasses the stomach and allows food and drink to go straight to her intestines. The third tube is called a Cecostomy Tube or C-Tube. This tube allows us to flush her bowels with an enema solution so she can go to the bathroom.

Each of these tubes needs to be changed every 3 months to a brand new one. It’s an easy procedure that we can do at home, however, my daughter still hates doing it. Thankfully, with a little help from therapists, and her home health nurses, we have several tips that help ease her anxiety.

3 Simple Tips for Anxiety over G-Tube Changes:

1. Have Your Child Take Deep Breaths. Remind your child to take deep breaths. Parents should take deep breaths too to encourage them. Use one of the breathing techniques below to make it fun! Have your child hug a favorite stuffed animal, pet, or friend for comfort.

2. Give Your Child Choices. Where do they want to sit or lay for the tube change? Which tube do they want to be changed first? What movie do they want to watch at this time? Do they want to help you change the tube?

My daughter likes choices because it gives her more control over what is happening. She also likes to help change her tubes because she knows how much pressure to use and what hurts and what doesn’t.

3. Give Your Child Praise. For each tiny step, give your child lots of praise. For example, “Good job sitting so still!” “Thank you for helping me wiggle the tube out!” “You’re so brave!” Etc.

What about YOU? Does your child have anxiety when getting their G-Tube Changed? What are your tips for changing out a feeding tube?

The post G-Tube Changes: Tips to Help Your Child’s Anxiety appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

My daughter was diagnosed with Dysautonomia (POTS) when she was 3 or 4, I can’t quite remember her exact age. A lot of times this disease starts in the teen years. 1 in every 100 teens is affected by POTS.

What is Dysautonomia?

Dysautonomia is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system controls everything we do without thinking about it. It involuntarily controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and digestion. When the autonomic nervous system isn’t regulated, it doesn’t work correctly. This causes the following symptoms:

How I’ve Seen Dysautonomia (POTS) Symptoms Manifest

My daughter, Lizzie, has had almost all of the above symptoms at one time or another. Since she has Ehlers-Danlos, it’s hard to know what symptoms are from that and which are from POTS since they overlap when it comes to symptoms.

Palpitations, PVCs, Tachycardia, & Bradycardia

This past February, my daughter wore a Holter monitor for 8 days. Her heart rate variability during this time was between 49 bpm to 210 bpm. The doctor said this is consistent for patients who have Dysautonomia (POTS), however, I cannot imagine having my heart jump around that much. I can only imagine how my daughter feels!

Her cardiac symptoms tend to get worse after she goes under anesthesia. This past January, she had emergency surgery and her heart rate hit 40 bpm. She was also having palpitations for days afterward which can be painful. Unfortantely, I am on a beta blocker for some similar symptoms so I am familar with how painful it can be.

High Blood Pressure & Low Blood Pressure

My daughter tends to have low blood pressure, but there have been a few times it was high. As an example, the other day, she was having a flare and her blood pressure was 68 over 43. Usually, you want your blood pressure, above 90 over 60.

Brain Fog, Confusion, Difficulty, & Thinking

These symptoms are really tough. They make my daughter frustrated and she has a hard time listening, focusing, answering questions, and remembering basic things sometimes. She will zone out or just seem “off” during these times. Her memory also seems to be affected during these symptoms. She normally has an incredible memory, but during flares she has lost whole conversations and moments due to memory lapses.

Headaches & Migraines

Just this year she started having migraines. They come on so suddenly and are so painful, it was surprising. Thankfully, we’ve found for now that Tylenol and Motrin really help.

Anxiety

My daughter has pretty severe anxiety. She was started on some medication over the summer to help because it was affecting every aspect of her life. Some of this is from Dysautonomia (POTS), but she also has a lot of anxiety and PTSD from all of her medical trauma and hospitalizations.

Fainting, Weakness, Tremors, & Neuropathy

Lizzie has not fainted, however, she did have an episode this year where we think she blacked out for a moment. Some doctors think it could have been a seizure, but there is really no way of knowing. She has had several episodes of weakness where she says her legs feel “heavy” or she feels like it’s too much work to move and will lay on the couch, but she is very active so we have only seen that a few times.

Once when her OT was working with her, she noticed a tremor in her hands and we’ve started seeing it often as well. It’s hard to see it unless she tries to keep her hands very still, but we have gotten it on video before to show the doctor.

Last year, she started having these episodes she called “spiders.” She would cry and say it felt like spiders were crawling on her legs or arms or all over her body. There was never anything there so we asked her to show us what it felt like and she would pinch my arm really hard. We are thinking it’s like the pins and needles feeling you get when your foot falls asleep. The doctor said it was neuropathy.

Bloating, Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain, Constipation, & Reduced food intake

My daughter has all the above and tends to have a lot of GI symptoms in general. The hard part is knowing what exactly is causing it. Is it the Ehlers-Danlos? The POTS? Gastroparesis? Something else?

Because she does have Gastroparesis, it makes her Dysautonomia (POTS) much harder to control and treat. She has a feeding tube to help with food and fluid, but even with that, it’s sometimes hard to meet the minimum goals for calories and fluid intake.

Bladder Dysfunction, Urinary Incontinence, & Low or no urine output

Over the past year or two, we have noticed more of these symptoms in my daughter. We were referred to pelvic floor therapy because she was having accidents and didn’t even seem to notice when it happened.

Her home health nurse tracks how many times she goes during the day and there have been many days where she has only gone once all day long. Recently, when she was sick, she had a day where she didn’t go at all.

Chronic Fatigue & Insomnia

My daughter has a lot of sleep problems and these come with several other of her diagnoses as well. She currently takes multiple medications just to help her sleep at all. A recent EEG showed she doesn’t always hit REM either. So her quality of sleep is not great.

Sensitive to Temperature & Heat & Cold Intolerance

Lizzie seems to be more sensitive to heat than cold, but she definitely will have some symptoms if she is outside too long in the cold or if she is in the snow without any snowsuit or gloves. One of the things we’ve seen, for example, is when her skin turned bright red all over her body. She looked like she had a bad sunburn and then when it went away an hour later, we realized the heat had affected her pretty badly. When the temperature is too hot, she can only have limited time outside.

One time when our air conditioner went out, her body temperature hit 102.5. We ended up having to take her out of the house and into an air-conditioned store or restaurant until we could get an air conditioner for her window.

This past summer, we went to an outdoor bounce house park and stayed for 1-2 hours. My kids had a ton of fun. Unfortunately, the next 3-4 days were awful for her as her body reacted to being in the heat for so long. We use a cooling cloth to help cool her down fast!

Muscle Cramps/Spasms & Dry Mouth

These are signs of dehydration that can come with Dysautonomia (POTS). My daughter has both. She also tends to have a dry mouth because she can’t drink as much as a typical person does on a daily basis.

What is POTS?

POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and is a sub-type of Dysautonomia. POTS is considered a blood circulation disorder.

People who have POTS cannot properly control blood flow and blood volume. This causes the symptoms above to occur, usually when standing up (My daughter has symptoms throughout the entire day, not just when she stands or lays down). This happens due to gravity. So when someone with POTS stands, the blood pools down to the lower half of their body causing the organs in the higher half of the body to starve from lack of oxygenated blood.

In response, your body releases hormones like epinephrine that tighten blood vessels, increasing your heart rate. Combined with a lack of blood reaching your brain, the result is dizziness, confusion, and sometimes fainting.

Next time, we will talk about the treatment for POTS, why POTS patients get dehydrated, and how all this works for my daughter. So stay-tuned!

What about YOU? Have you heard of Dysautonomia or POTS before?

The post Dysautonomia (POTS) in Children: An Introduction appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

Unfortunately, I do have experience when it comes to the topic of abuse and childhood abuse, however, at this time, I am not ready to tell my story. Instead, I want to work on informing people about abuse and help bring more awareness to something that many people don’t understand.

Why Do People (Especially Christians) Minimize Abuse?

I specifically put Christians here because I feel like Christians more than any other group of people tend to minimize abuse the most. I could give you many reasons why that is, however, I think I will save that for another blog post.

1. People don’t understand mental health, how some disorders can affect personality, and the way the brain works.

According to Mental Health America,

With those numbers, there’s a good chance that many of you reading this have some form of mental illness. For example, I have two: anxiety and depression.

Because mental illness is so misunderstood, people tend to be afraid of it. It’s easier just to push it to the side and pretend it doesn’t exist. Mental Health America says,

A lot of damage can come from a belief like that.

Knowing that mental illness is a brain-based condition and what it affects, can help people understand and better help themselves or a loved one who may struggle with one. The more you learn about mental health, the more you will understand abuse and start to see traits of abuse in others. Having this knowledge can prevent people from minimizing abuse.

2. People don’t understand what abuse is or that there are different types of abuse.

A lot of people think abuse is “just” physical abuse like getting beat every day, however, that is not the case. Let’s look at the definition of abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines abuse as:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) refers to acts of commission (abuse), which include,

and acts of omission (neglect), meaning:

The United States federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines abuse and neglect as,

These definitions cover quite a lot of things besides physical harm and lead us to the 6 different types of abuse. Did you know about all of these different types of abuse?

1. Physical Abuse – A physical act or threat meant to harm a person physically. This includes things like slapping, punching, hair-pulling and kicking. No physical proof (such as bruises) is needed for this to be considered physical abuse.
2. Emotional & Psychological Abuse – Behavior designed to hurt someone emotionally. Things like yelling, threats, gaslighting, humiliation, and shaming are examples of psychological abuse.
3. Sexual Abuse – Any unwanted sexual act that is forced on someone. This could include unwanted touching, forced intercourse, or forced sexual contact with another person.
4. Verbal Abuse – Words or body language that gives the intent to hurt another person. Examples include, put-downs, name-calling/swearing, and unreasonable criticisms. This is also a form of psychological abuse.
5. Financial Abuse – Restriction of one person’s access to money from another person. Examples include, cutting access to bank accounts, controlling where someone is allowed to work, and preventing access to financial information.
6. Spiritual Abuse – Any attempt to exert power and control over someone using religion, faith, or beliefs. This can happen within a religious organization or a personal relationship and is not limited to one religion, denomination, or group of people. Also can include, attacking someone else’s belief system, denying access to a house of worship, or forced participation in a cult.

The above information on the different types of abuse is from healthyplace.com and WebMD and was written in my own words.

3. They have certain Beliefs that lead to them refusing to acknowledge Abuse

Unfortunately, Christians (and others) tend to use unhelpful phrases that tend to make them feel better but are not helpful to the victim. Things like, “Just pray for (abuser),” “Submit to (abuser),” “You need to just forgive them,” “Turn the other cheek,” “We all have our crosses to bear,” etc.

Why It’s Biblical to Call Out Abuse

People minimize the abuse of the victim when they use these phrases. Yes, we are called to forgive, but it will not change the abuser. The rest of the phrases above are not biblical when it comes to abuse. Christian author Dr. Henry Cloud states in his book, Boundaries,

Sheila Gregoire from To Love, Honor, and Vacuum found this quote from Pastor, John Piper,

Emily at Thriving Forward posted,

Called to Peace Ministries shared this:

In the words of Sheila Gregorie,

4. They think they know the abuser or that they don’t “look” or “act” like an abuser

It’s so easy to look at someone and think there’s no way they could be an abuser. It’s also easy to make excuses for the abuser telling yourself, “but they are so nice,” or “they have done so much good!” These things don’t change the fact that the person can still be an abuser.

Abusers know how to charm. They know how to put on a front and pretend and they are amazing actors. In fact, I would say the majority of abusers are probably some of the nicest people you will meet, the ones you would never believe could be abusive.

Psych Central says,

So much can happen behind in the privacy of one’s home and behind closed doors. Abusers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and they won’t “look like” an abuser.

I’m sure these women (below) thought they knew their abusers, I mean they married them! I doubt any of them thought when they got married that their husband would murder them later down the road.

5. They don’t believe the victims or refuse to believe the victims

I’m not sure why this happens so often, but for some reason, people have a problem with believing victims. They think the victims are being dramatic, exaggerating, looking for attention, or that they themselves must have done something to trigger the abuse.

Take this story for example. A horrible situation of a family being abused by their father and husband sexually, physically, and mentally. He had so much pull in the community, even the courts refused to believe his wife’s testimony:

Read the rest of the story here: On Gaslighting, Spiritual Abuse, and Murder in the SouthThe first thing I think of regarding this story is why would a woman and her children make something like this up? What would they gain by doing that? If we are going to see any change in the minimization of abuse, we need to start believing the victims.

I’ll leave you with this last post shared by abuse and trauma recovery coach, Sarah McDugal that really gives you something to think about when it comes to victims:

What about you? Have you seen people minimize abuse? What did you do about it?

The post Why do People Minimize Abuse? appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

Since there seemed to be a need, I thought I would find the best Scripture verses of encouragement for different topics that a military member might go through or need encouragement for.

60+ Scripture Verses of Encouragement

*Note: All verses are in the NKJV.

Verses for Battle & War

• 2 Samuel 22: 40 – “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me.”
• 1 Chronicles 5:20 – “…they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.”
• 2 Chronicles 20:15 – “…Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:8 – “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.“
• Psalm 18:39 – “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”
• Psalm 55:18 – “He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me…”
• Psalm 140:7 – “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.”

Scripture Verses for Safety

The following verse is about a stone column called Mizpah and has inspired jewelry for long distance relationships. There are many pieces you can get with this verse on it (and many of them have two parts, so two people can wear it).” – Jo My Gosh | 5 Bible Verses and a Prayer for Deployment

• Genesis 31:49 – “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.”
• Job 11:18 – “You would be secure, because there is hope; yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.”
• Psalm 4:8 – “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
• Psalm 12:5 – “…I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
• Psalm 78:53 – “And he led them to safety, so they did not fear…”
• Psalm 119:117 – “Hold me up, and I shall be safe…“
• Proverbs 18:10 – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.”

See also: Soldiers’ Prayers

Scripture Verses for Strength

• Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
• Ephesians 6:10 – “…be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
• Psalm 18:17 – “He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me.”
• Psalm 71:3 – “Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.”
• Proverbs 14:6 – “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.”
• Proverbs 18:10 – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
• 1 Corinthians 16:13 – “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
• Isiah 40:29 – “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.”
• Psalm 18:32 – “It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.”
• Psalm 18:39 – “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”
• Psalm 27:14 – “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
• Psalm 31:24 – “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.
• Psalm 37:39 – “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.”
• Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
• Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Scripture Verses for Peace

• Genesis 43:23 – “…Peace be with you, do not be afraid.”
• Leviticus 26:6 – “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid.”
• Numbers 6:26 – “The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
• Judges 6:23 – “…Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
• Judges 18:6 – “Go in peace. The presence of the Lord be with you on your way.”
• 1 Kings 2:33 – “…there shall be peace forever from the Lord.”
• Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
• John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
• Jeremiah 29: 11 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
• Psalm 119:165 – “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.”
• Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
• Isaiah 32:18 – “My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
• Jeremiah 14:13 – “You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.”
• Jeremiah 23:17 – “The Lord has said, you shall have peace…”
• Haggai 2:9 – “And in this place I will give you peace, says the Lord of hosts.”
• John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”
• John 16:33 – “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
• Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Verses for Fear & Worry

• Exodus 14:13 – “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.
• Leviticus 26:6 – “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid.”
• Deuteronomy 20:3 – “Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified…”
• Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid.. for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
• Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
• Psalm 46:1-2 – “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…”
• Psalm 56:3 – “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
• Proverbs 3:24 – “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”
• Isaiah 12:2 – “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid…”
• Matthew 10:31 – “Do not fear… you are of more value than many sparrows.”
• Mark 5:36 – “…Do not be afraid; only believe.”

The post Scripture Verses for the Deployed Military Member appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

I am excited to be back on the blog after a 4-5 year break and to re-launch it today! During my break, I had the chance to learn many new things and meet many new people. I loved it, but I love writing too, and ultimately, writing is my dream.

If you were a follower or reader before, you probably noticed the new design and brand change. Much of the blog will remain the same as you remember, but I do plan on focusing on a few new topics too. Some of those topics are:

Mental Health

• Depression
• Trauma & Abuse

Chronic Illness

• Ehlers Danlos
• Alpha Tryptasemia
• POTS
• Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Other Topics

• Books & Reviews
• Local Topics – Colorado Springs

If you are new here, I encourage you to go to the Start Here page to learn more about me, the blog, and to see some of the top posts I recommend you read first! You can also subscribe to get updates whenever there is a new post.

Thank you for visiting!

The post Welcome to Singing Through the rain: re-launch appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance…” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Some of you may know or have heard of this verse before. I feel like it is very fitting for this time we are all in. Right now we have COVID-19, people are sick and dying, losing their jobs, and now the possibility of killer bees in the U.S. Who knows what else 2020 will bring?

This time right now is hard. There are so many unknowns and everyone is saying that this is our “new normal.” Personally, I never want to hear those two words again.

Everyone I talk to is saying the same thing I say when asked how I’m doing right now: “I have my good days and my bad days.” But you know what? I don’t believe it. I think a lot of people are hurting. A lot of people are trying to remain positive during one of the hardest times of their life because they don’t want others to know that there is something bad, something hard going on in their lives.

And even though we all are going through the same or similar thing(s) right now, they don’t like to talk about it. Why? Because people are afraid to hear bad things. They’re afraid to hear bad news, and they are afraid that if you tell them your troubles, they might have to feel something they don’t like or do something they don’t want to do.

And that’s why so many throw out trite responses during times of sadness, grief, or depression. It gives them an out of having to feel sadness, depression, or grief and it makes them feel good to say something they think is encouraging.

Some of these phrases are ones you’ve probably heard many times:

“Think positively!”

“Good things come to those who wait!”

“Just be happy!”

“When you think positive, good things happen!”

“Expect good things to happen!”

While it is nice to think those things, we are not guaranteed to have “good things” happen. This is life. It’s the real deal. Real life doesn’t care what you think. You could have the perfect plan and do all the right things, and bad things could still happen. Life still happens.

Does this mean I hate positivity? Absolutely not!

I think when people talk about positivity they think they mean encouragement. And while many people use these two words in the same way, they actually have very different meanings.

Positivity is “The practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude.” “Encouragement is the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.”

So while positivity is not necessarily a bad thing, it sets us up for failure in many ways. Because when life gets you down – and it will – positivity does not give us the necessary means to pick ourselves back up again.

So what does?

Encouragement. While the dictionary defines encouragement as “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope” I think it can also be said that encouragement is the receiving of support, confidence, and hope from others.

Some may find encouragement in the Bible or prayer, others may find it through music or something they read, but I think most of us agree that one of the best kinds of encouragement is when someone comes beside us and says,

“I’m here for you.”

“It’s okay to be angry.”

“It’s okay to grieve.”

“You’re not alone.”

It’s the “support, confidence, and hope” that just one person may give that can change the course of a day or even a life.

So I say all that to say this:

It’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to grieve the loss of normalcy, to grieve what is happening and how it is affecting your family. It’s okay to mourn. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to tell someone you’re not okay, or you’re having a bad day.

Because whether you believe in the Bible or not, I think everyone can agree that there is a time and place for everything; even grieving.

So right now I am giving you permission to do two things:

1. Grieve
2. Encourage

Because believe it or not, you can do both at the same time. You can share your grief with others and encourage them as well. You can share your story because it’s your story and no one else in the world has one like you. You can encourage others with words of hope and support. You can tell them that you are hurting just like they are.

Because when the time for grieving and sadness is over. Someone will remember your story. They will remember your encouragement. They will remember that it was okay to grieve because you were grieving too.

And they will smile. And they will have hope. And yes, they will have positivity once again.

The post A Time to Grieve… appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

While the Painted Mines are in Calhan, Colorado, it was only about a 40-minute drive from Colorado Springs. And other than the long, dusty, dirt road to get there, it was pretty easy to find.

• 29950 Paint Mines Road, Calhan, CO 80808

It’s steep, but an easy walk from the parking lot to the Painted Mines. At the top, before you walk down, you can see the beautiful, white windmills that make you feel like you can see straight to Kansas!

Hiking the Painted Mines

When you first enter the Paint Mines, it’s hard to see all the colors and hues the beautiful clay gives off, but as you start to hike around more and go deeper into the mines, you can see the many different layers of colors.

The Paint Mines is a geological structure unlike any other in Colorado, their name coming from the colorful clays that were collected by Native Americans to make paint.

Brightly colored bands in golden yellow, rose pink, snowy white, and mauve, caused by oxidized iron compounds, are found in varying amounts throughout the many different layers of clay in the park.”

– https://www.visitcos.com

While we knew we would be hiking, we were not prepared for how muddy the trails were. Since it was early Spring, the snow had melted and mixed with the clay to make quite a thick mix of mud.

The clay does stain and it took forever to clean my shoes off. I may have to visit a different time of the year to see if it’s a bit drier.

Even with snow on the ground, it was hot while we were hiking. I was grateful we had brought sunscreen as there was little shade until the sun started going down.

Other things we brought with us were sunglasses, plenty of water, a small backpack with snacks, and a camera.

For the most part, the trails were easy to follow. My son who was 8 at the time, had so much fun hiking and climbing the trails. We even saw a few moms with strollers pushing down parts of the trail. The only thing was avoiding the mud so their strollers didn’t get stuck!

Remember to remind kids to go to the bathroom before they go down to the mines. It’s a long hike back to the parking lot with only one porta potty for everyone.

After hiking for hours, we were all hot and exhausted. But after the fun we had all afternoon, we all agreed that we’d be back again. It was a lot of fun checking off another Colorado attraction from my bucket list!

What about you? Have you ever been to the Painted Mines? What did YOU think?

The post Painted Mines, Colorado appeared first on Singing Through the Rain.

For me, it was not a shock. I knew there was a diagnosis out there that fit her and I was not afraid to continue searching in spite of the negativity from others. In fact, one of the diagnoses she received, was one I had long suspected due to my research online.

Receiving those diagnoses for my daughter and previously, the diagnosis of  Autism for my son, was one of the most overwhelming but relieving and affirming things of my life. Especially after the things that were said to me by other people, doctors, and even other parents of special needs and medically fragile children.

“She’ll grow out of it.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“There’s really no point in getting a diagnosis so why keep searching?”

“Getting a diagnosis won’t change anything.”

“Getting a diagnosis won’t be what you expect.”

“You’ll be sorry once you get a diagnosis and wish you hadn’t.”

“Just accept that you will never have any answers or diagnosis.”

But I couldn’t accept any of those things. I knew there was so much more to it than that and I knew that one day with all the medical advancements out there, she would receive a diagnosis.

And guess what? None of those awful things people said to me were true! While every person is different, for the majority of people, getting a diagnosis changes everything.

That’s why I am going to go over these common misconceptions to show why you should never stop searching for a diagnosis for yourself or your child.

Dispelling Misconceptions About Looking for a Diagnosis

1. “She’ll grow out of it.” 
Every child is different, but as an advocate for early intervention, I think, why wait? There will be more harm to the child if you wait too long to get help versus getting helping them early on. A lot of kids don’t grow out of it and saying they will is harmful.

2. “Getting a diagnosis won’t change anything.”
Getting a diagnosis changed everything for Elizabeth. Once we knew what was going on, her team was able to come up with a plan.

They changed her formula to one that she could tolerate better. This formula helped her grow and gain weight whereas previous formulas had not.

The doctors increased her fluid intake due to her POTS which lowered her heart rate, helped her feel better overall, and allowed her to be able to tolerate going outside to play in the summer.

It wasn’t immediate, but over time we all saw changes that we knew came from receiving a diagnosis. The doctors now had a direction and way of looking at things through the scope of all three of her diagnoses.

3. “You’ll be sorry once you get a diagnosis and wish you hadn’t.”
Not once have I ever been sorry we received a diagnosis. Receiving a diagnosis changed our lives for the better. It allows us and the doctors to know how to treat Elizabeth and how to make decisions regarding her health.

There have been many times when my daughter was hospitalized and the doctors come in and I explain to them that she has Ehlers-Danlos, POTS, and Alpha Tryptasemia. It’s amazing to watch how their faces change in a look that says, “Ohhh that makes so much sense.”

4. “Just accept that you will never have any answers or diagnosis.”
Don’t. Don’t accept it.

I’m not saying that for every rare child there is a diagnosis – yet. But never give up. There are always new and amazing advances in science and you never know what they could find to help your child thrive too!

What about YOU? Are you looking for a diagnosis for you or for your child? Has it been difficult? What are your tips for others in this situation?

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