Tag Archives: Chronic Pain

Kerstetter Chronicles: November

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

     Praise the Lord! – November has been a slower month for us. For really the first time since we’ve been in Chicago, our schedule was a little looser and we have been able to get some rest and do some refocusing. It’s so easy in the middle of the all the things that need to be done and everything going on around us to lose focus of what we’re working towards! So, when Thanksgiving break came, we truly relished the chance to step out of the fast-paced, busy city and into the slooow easy Ozark-land of Missouri, where we enjoyed a cozy Thanksgiving with the Kerstetter family and friends.

     Besides our Thanksgiving trip, there really isn’t much to tell you about November, but we do want to share with you the latest news in our journey with Lyme’s Disease. God has provided in really cool ways for us to go to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, January 4 – 9, for a natural Lyme treatment. We first heard about it this summer from some friends who have been through the treatment and seen really encouraging results. Because it is in Idaho and we had been seeing progress with the course of treatment I was already on, we did not seriously consider this treatment as an option right away. But we began to pray about it and asked God to provide all the funds necessary if He would have us go. We talked with only a few people about this prayer, because we really wanted God to make His will completely clear. And He blew us away with His answer! Within a very short time God provided all of the $3,000 needed for the treatment, a place for us to stay, a car for us to use and airfare to get us out there!

     We had also prayed that God would provide a Lyme-literate primary care doctor for me to consult with closer to home. And God has blessed us with a caring, listening and genuinely helpful Lyme-literate doctor who is covered by our insurance plan! We have no doubts that God is directing us to this treatment in Idaho, but we still covet your prayers! The treatment itself is 6 sessions in 3 days, but the recovery process is much longer. After treatment, I can expect at least 6 weeks of intense detox (read: quite possibly the sickest I have ever been; completely miserable; debilitating pain, weakness, etc.) I am supposed to begin seeing significant improvement at about 3 months out (beginning of May), and ideally reach complete remission in a year. Of course, each case is unique and some people respond better than others. We personally know 2 people who have been declared Lyme-free because of this treatment, but there are others who never fully recover even with this treatment. We are praying for the best and always prepared for the reality that God may allow us to walk this road a while longer.

     In preparation for this intense treatment and try to see the full picture of things, I got tested for a couple other issues. So far, test results have showed that I have heavy metal toxicity and a genetic mutation that messes up my body’s ability to detox on its own. Doc has prescribed chelation treatments to flush out the metals and a couple of vitamins to help me detox. These, unfortunately, are not covered by insurance, so we’re waiting expectantly to see God graciously provide for all our needs, trusting that He knows exactly what we need – and when we need it!

We would SO appreciate your prayers for us

  • As we step out in faith with this treatment, (It is definitely a bit scary, I’ll admit!),
  • Continued prayer for funds for school – we still owe $1,250 on our school bill for this semester, and need to begin making payments for the spring
  • Most of all for wisdom, discernment, grace and perseverance as we seek to follow God’s leading in every area of our lives.

     We love you and pray for all of you as well, and would love to know how we can pray more specifically for each of you! Please keep in touch with us and send us your prayer requests at [email protected]. Keep looking unto Jesus!

Love,

BJ and Carissa Kerstetter

Lyme (in the) Light

 

I thank God for Lyme’s Disease. Honestly, it’s miserable. Pain is my way of life. Everyday tasks, that most people don’t think about, are hard for me. Exhaustion is normal. And that’s not the half of it. BUT GOD is teaching me so much, and He has put it on my heart to share some of those things with you. Maybe you can learn something by witnessing my struggles, and be encouraged by God’s faithfulness to me. Even if nobody ever reads these testimonies, I feel compelled to write them – if only to reflect His glory into the silence.

One of the most life-altering, world-upside-down lessons I am still learning, is thankfulness in suffering. I must thank God for Lyme’s Disease. I wouldn’t have chosen it. I still pray for healing. But, although it’s sometimes through tears and always with a heavy heart, often only in a whisper, I thank Him. Now, I’m sure I may sound like I’m trying to be a martyr or a super-spiritual Christian or perhaps I just sound crazy. But I don’t mean to be a martyr, and I certainly don’t think I’m super-spiritual. I may be on the crazy side, but before you decide, let me explain what I mean.

I believe that it is our purpose and incredible privilege to know the Lord personally and deeply, and to testify to His glory. Because God designed us for this specific purpose, we need and crave relationship with Him. In fellowship with Him we can know incomparable joy and peace. In a real and growing relationship with Him we will find identity and purpose, and in living out His plan for us we will find fulfillment and satisfaction. These things can be found nowhere else, but in Jesus. WOW – don’t miss this – take a minute just to think about the mind-blowing words that you just read. We have an all-expense paid, never expires, full access pass to fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Yeah, go ahead and read it again. It’s ah-mazing.

I don’t think there are many things that cause us to go to the Lord more than suffering. It’s sad but it’s true – in our human foolishness, we often need hardship to remind us just how much we always need God’s strength. I know I have personally learned so very much about His sufficiency in my struggles with illness.

So, think about this with me – if it takes temporary sickness and pain – no matter how miserable it may be – to make us understand more of our need for Jesus… If because of pain we could begin to learn to stop flailing helplessly through life, let go of our failing strength and the facade of any self-sufficiency, and let Him wrap us each in His arms and show us what it means to rest in His strength then isn’t suffering a blessing? Wouldn’t it be better to endure physical pain, and get even a glimpse of the joy and peace that defy comprehension, than to be the picture of health and never get that same chance to experience the loving comfort of our heavenly Father in a way that it can only be experienced through suffering? I believe it’s more than worth the pain. So, I thank God for Lyme’s Disease. And I mean it.

Because of His faithfulness,

Carissa Kerstetter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lie Behind My Smile

     When I got out of bed on the day this picture was taken, it felt as though I was walking on shards of glass. On autopilot, I got dressed and splashed water on my face before I followed my husband, BJ, to the car to take him to work. Every muscle ached in the cold, and my heart sank in the dark morning as I kissed him goodbye and headed back to my quiet apartment. A hot shower eased my tense muscles, but just enough to get myself to work and through the bus route I drive each morning. By the time I got home, the pain had increased, and I had started to shake. I sat down to eat a healthy breakfast and wrapped myself in warm blankets, hoping to level my blood sugar and calm my body. But as the pain coursed through my bones, my body seemed to succumb to the shock of its intensity.

     To my delight, BJ got off work early that day. As it happened, our good friend, Kip, was visiting and drove me to pick up my husband, who would otherwise have had to wait for a coworker or one of my sweet parents, to give him a ride home. You see, pain can sometimes be so intense that it demands all of the body’s energy and attention. That was the case this day, and I had begun to feel dizzy and a bit out of touch with reality. 

     When we got back home, I decided that it was time to take some of the new pain meds I had just gotten from my doctor. One pill barely took the edge off, so I took a second. As the medication slowly kicked in, the pain began to dissipate, and I got dizzier, woozier and sleepier. But I had decided to function that day. My husband was off work early, our friend was in town, and we had planned to have Kip take some pictures of us for an upcoming newsletter. So, I pulled jeans over the screaming nerves in my legs, forced my shaking hands to fix my hair and makeup, and left my cozy bed behind.

     We walked outside to find an idyllic photo spot and I grasped my husband’s arm to help me walk straight without stumbling. I could not make my eyes focus on Kip or his camera, but I faced my head in his direction and forced a smile. Snap! Snap! Snap! And there we are. Picture perfect.

     “A picture’s worth a thousand words.” And I hope this picture says that I am happy, because I really am. I’m glad you can’t see my hands shaking, or the pain that my smiles hide. I love and I am loved. I know God’s Love, and He has a purpose for my life and for my pain. In everything, I will choose to praise His name, and let Him do His will in my life. But my smile is a choice. It is not meant to deceive, but to redirect. I smile through my pain because I know my God loves me and He is in control. So tomorrow, when it’s hard to get out of bed, give your day to GOD and smile, because He’ll use it well.