Skipping Ahead

The last 10 months of my life have been a true miracle and God send.

 Unless you've had a part of you taken away and then restored to you then you probably can not fully understand why I'm so elated when I talk about the last 10 months .....

I was lame and now I can walk .... I was (partially) blind and now I can see ..... I couldn't think and now my mind is clear ..... My family lived life without me and now we are enjoying life together .... the pain was unbearable most of the time and now I don't experience pain at all ..... the freedom that I once had I lost but now it has been given back to me!

I am so eternally grateful for what God has done in my life and I enjoy sharing my testimony anytime I can ... just to see the look of amazement on people's faces is priceless.  To see them see "God" in all His glory for what He has done is AMAZING and I wouldn't trade 2007-2010 for anything.  He has given me the ability to use my disease & healing for HIS glory .... what a marvelous gift!!!

Please read my testimony below ...


"Mrs. Shedden, you have multiple sclerosis." Those are the words my neurologist said to me after a 6 wk. long battle with a migraine. The test results were in but no one could have prepared me for those words.

What was multiple sclerosis and what was the road ahead going to look like for me?

As an autoimmune disease, MS tells your body to attack itself. In my case there was leg pain, general weakness in my entire body, numbness in my legs & arms, pins & needles feelings in my hands, face and feet, migraines, stomach attacks that lasted for weeks with no cause and no remedy that felt like labor pains, and then there's the loss of cognitive functions such as memory loss and loss of concentration ... for me those were extremely frustrating to deal with.

Through it all, my husband, Don, stood by me. He held my hand, providing a shoulder to cry on when needed and was just a constant support. I appreciate him greatly.

Every day of the last 2 1/2 years proved to be something new to overcome with this disease - a new frustration. And I couldn't do things with my family that I wanted to do .... they'd go to the park without me a lot, or just outside to play and I'd be stuck inside because I was too weak to walk or stand or even sit up straight at times.

My daughter and I missed a lot of play time together that we will never get back and I'm sorry for that. At the age of 4,5,6 she did a lot of caring for me when I should have been caring for her.

From Sept. 2007 - Nov. 2009 I spent apx. 30 days in the hospital on 7 different occasions. I would have to go in for IV steroid treatments when my symptoms got too bad.

For 2-3 weeks prior to March 14th, 2010 my symptoms had been getting steadily worse so I knew what was coming and for some reason I was overcome with fear for this hospital stay like I never have been before. So, I kept putting it off hoping my symptoms would improve - knowing deep down that they wouldn't.

That Sunday night my physical body was in no shape to go anywhere but the ER but God was telling me to this healing service that I had been hearing so much about at a local church. So, Don helped me to the car and off we went.

One step at a time, my walker in front of me, I slowly made it into the church - all doped up on pain pills - expecting God to do something GREAT! I sat in the back row, feet propped up on a chair in front of me, while friends prayed over me and spoke words from the Lord to me.

All during worship I just waited - expectantly. Towards the end of the service the pastor called me to the front. So, with the walker, I made my way to the front and sat while people prayed over me.

When they were done the pastor and a laymen helped me up and we started walking together, slowly. It didn't take long after that when I heard God speak to me and say "YOU ARE HEALED, NOW WALK!"

So, I let go of the men's hands, turned around and started WALKING!! Then I started RUNNING .... then JUMPING .... then LEAPING ... then TWIRLING ... it was purely AMAZING!!!

I am still in AWE to this day! I've been doing things since that night that I haven't been able to do, physically AND mentally, in YEARS .....
- play basketball with my family
- go on LOOONNNGGG, fast, exercising-type walks with my family
- I can EXERCISE for hrs a day!!!!!
- take my daughter to the park!!!
- be a multi-tasker again!! - - THIS IS HUGE!!!
- I ran up a hill one day
- STAND FOR AN ENTIRE WORSHIP SERVICE WITH NO PAIN AND NO EXHAUSTION -- again, this one's HUGE!!!
- I chased Emily's t-ball team around the bases last Spring!!

There are a couple of key things that have helped me "keep the faith" during this trial -
1.) The saying - "Stay in the ring, the fight is fixed!" My fight was fixed and we knocked him O-U-T!!!
2.) Matthew 17:19-20 ... referring to disciples asking Jesus why they could not cast out a demon .... 19: "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20: And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

I had the faith as big as a mustard seed (sometimes bigger than a mustard seed) that my healing would happen in God's timing for those 2 1/2 yrs. -- and I have seen it happen!! PRAISE GOD!! I can not quit smiling and praising God and I just fall in love with HIM over and over and over again daily!!!

The First Years .....

Why does time go so fast when you don't want it to and so slow when you wished it flew by?  Maybe to make us appreciate each new day a little more and to remind us to "take time!"


That first year FLEW, as anyone with children knows.  I cherished each day I had with my newborn daughter .... even the 3 AM feedings!!  I was fortunate enough for that 1st year to be able to stay at home and enjoy her and not work.  That was a great blessing!  


Also, during that 1st yr. (and a few months) I lost 140 lbs!!!  I was bound and determined to be a physically fit Mother so I could play with Emily at the park and ride my bike around with her behind me on the baby seat .... little did I know what was to come (more on that in another blog).


A month before her 1st birthday I did go to work ..... 1st at Byrne Dairy (for a yr) then to Green Diamond Tires as their Office Manager (for 6 months) then to Chemung Canal Trust Company (for a yr).


I hated having to put Emily in DayCare .... someone else is going to "raise" my child?  Ugh!  I fully understand Mothers' issues with leaving their child(ren) with basically a complete stranger and entrusting them not to leave any permanent damage to their child(ren)!  

It wasn't till Emily was 2 that she had to go into DayCare because I worked nights at Bryne Dairy so Don would be home by the time I had to leave, thank God!  


Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not slamming DayCare providers .... afterall I now am one ..... there are some really great programs out there but there are also some really bad ones.  To find a really great one you have to do your homework ..... ask around, get referrals!!   Or just bring your children to my house!!  =)











 

WOW!

Talk about a whirlwind.  After Emily was born Don & I completely forgot everything we used to talk about before she came along .... why does that happen?  Our whole world revolved around her, not saying that was a bad thing.

One of my most favorite times with Emily as an infant would be when she fell asleep on my chest.  I could stay there for hours, and often times did!  It was so surreal to realize that I was now a Mother!  Sometimes I still catch myself not believing that I have been given this role by God, to nurture HIS child while I have her here on Earth.

For the first 6 weeks Emily slept in our bed at night.  I still remember the very first time she slept all the way through the night ... it was a Saturday night and I woke up around 7 Sunday morning and realized that she hadn't been awake since 10 or 11 the night before.  That completely amazed me being as she was still so young, I didn't think that was possible but oh I was so glad!

It was also during those first 6 weeks that Emily experienced colic!  However, if I had been told that nursing infants eat whatever Mama eats then I would have kept the pepperonci's off my salads -- as I was eating big salads a couple times a day to lose weight.  =/  My poor little pumpkin was eating hot peppers!!  Once I realized (after someone told me) what I was doing I 86ed the pepperonci's from my salads .... no more colic .... WOW! 

After 6 weeks Emily was also taken out of our DOUBLE bed and made to sleep in her own crib at night.  That took several nights of getting her to lay in her crib without crying.  The first night she cried for 3-4 hrs with intermitant soothing and calming and then laying her back in there.  The second night was a little better and by the third or forth night it was a no longer a problem.

Stayed tuned ......

The Second Biggest Day In Our Lives

We spent 2 wks walking the southside of Elmira trying to kickstart labor .... no doin'!  Emily wasn't comin' out till she was darn good and ready ...... strong willed from the womb!!  =)

August 16th started out as any other Saturday, I'm sure.  Although I can not tell you not what I was doing all day ....

I can tell you that at apx. 8 PM I broke one of the rods off our coat tree with the very first contraction!!  I will never forget that!  However, at the time I didn't know it was a contraction.  I thought it was constipation.  LOL

I spent that night in the recliner in the living room with pure back labor, unknowing that that was what I was going through.  Niave, I know, but this was my first experience with it so how was I to know?

Contractions were painful but spiratic so I just figured the pain would subside, as soon as I was able to go to the bathroom.  Again, feel free to LOL.  But they never went away .. from 8 PM Sat - 6 AM Sun I tried to sleep in the recliner, pains coming and going.

At 6 Don thinks it's about time to call the hospital, after he'd had a decent night's sleep in our bed. =) 

So, we called them, they said to come in and get checked out.  So, I walked myself from the car to the elevator, waited for Don and walked myself from the elevator to the nurse's station on the maternity floor.

They were certain since I could walk there was no way I was in labor, but wanted to check my progress since I was a wk. overdue anyway.  The nurse said "we'll be sending you home if you're not 4 cm dilated."

So, I prayed "dear God, let me be just 4 cm ... I'll do anything!"  And, Don being the comedian that he is and just coming back from Africa said "even go to Africa?"  And I screamed "YES! I'll even go to Africa!"

So, the nurse checked and said "we're going to transfer you to labor and delivery, you're 6 cm dilated!"

Okay, Lord .... very funny. 

So for the next 5 hrs (by this time it was around 7 am) I was in labor for Little miss Emily Rose .... by noon I was fully dialted and ready for the pushing ... YEAH ..... one small problem with that ..... she didn't wanna come out yet!  I tried pushing for 2 hrs and finally my Dr said "we're going to have to do a c-section.  Would you like an epideral or anistesia (sp wrong I'm sure)?"  My reply ... "Dr .... I've been awake for over 30 hrs, I can see her when I wake up.  KNOCK ME OUT!"  =)

I told Don before they put me under to make sure she looked like an Emily Rose before they officially named her that!!  I was adamit about that!!

No complications, Emily Rose was born via c-section at 2:38 PM on Sunday, Aug 17th, 2003 weighing in at 10lbs 11oz .... I was glad I had the c-section!!  We were elated and exhausted!

The Next Three Years

So, there we were ..... newlyweds.  Don worked at Pathways, Inc. as one of their head maintenance men and I was a registered DayCare provider.  I cared for 7 children ages 6 wks - 12 yrs inside our little 2 bdrm apt. on Oak St. 

Life went along as "normal" life does.  We had an adventure living in Tennessee for 14 months ... Don worked with some of his family down there while I mostly stayed home but at one point had a job as a shift manager at an Arby's -- woohoo!!

We came back to NY in March of 2002 and rented my parent's basement apt. while we searched for a home in Elmira where Don was working for another family member.

We had saved up quite a little nest egg in a matter of months and we were ready to buy.  God had a different plan, however.  We were told to give that money to a ministry in need.  So, we did. 

A couple weeks after giving God that money we found out that we were expecting our little miracle baby - Emily Rose.

Within a month of giving that money we were in our new house .... with no down payment and no closing costs!!!!  GOD WAS GOOD, still is!

We worked tirelessly for the next 7-8 months fixing up the Franklin St. house to make it liveable before Emily arrived! 

Don sprang a suprise on me in the Spring of 2003 .... he had decided to go to Africa on a mission's trip from July 17 - Aug 3 ... um, did he forget I was pregnant and due Aug 12th?  What was I suppose to do .... stay home and knit?  =)

So, off to my Mom's I went for 2 wks. while Don went to Africa.  I layed around and did nothing for 2 wks except attend my 2 baby showers, take my nieces to lunch and wait for Emily to show up!!  Oh, and email Don -- did you know they had email in Africa?  That was a pleasant suprise when I heard from him the first time!!!

On Aug 3rd I went with other people from The Love Church to pick up the Africa team and suprised Don at the airport -- it was great to see him again.  We both cried and held each other for what seemed like a lifetime!!  He couldn't believe how big my tummy had gotten!

For the next 2 wks. we waited ... and waited .... and waited .....

The Start of Our Life

It all started with an instant message on AOL.  You remember AOL, don't you?  Back then it was "all the rage!"  You needed an AOL account back then like you need a FaceBook account now. 

Sitting in my parent's house at the computer I sent Don an instant message that read something like this:
"Hi, please don't be alarmed.  I know you don't know me.  I'm just looking to make new friends in the area and I noticed you live in Elmira.  I'm 18 yrs old, 5'7", hazel eyes and brown hair.  How are you?"

I have no idea what he responded, but the fact that he did respond is quite evident.  And, after "talking" through IM's for about an hour I gave him my phone number -- HIGHLY RISKY AND I DON'T ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO DO THAT!!  -- and after talking on the phone for about an hour we made a date to meet in person -- ALSO HIGHLY RISKY AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR OF ANYONE DOING THAT!!

Our 1st date was June 1st, 1998 at Perkins (now Denny's) in Painted Post!  I remember it as if it were yesterday.

What followed was a year of high telephone bills and even higher gas bills going back and forth from Savona to Elmira ..... getting to know each other.

June 1st, 1999 it was almost over.  We went out for our 1 yr. anniversary to a fancy prime rib dinner and then proceeded to have "the" talk that all couples must go through at some point.  While I longed for children, Don didn't know if he was up to it at the age of 43.

It was an extremely difficult break-up for both us, there were days of tears.  For two weeks we tried healing, seperately, from the pain that a break up like that would cause.  Then, an intervention.  My Mother sent us both an email that had these words "no matter who you're with, if God wants you to have children, you'll have children."  Within a matter of 48 hrs. we were back together and then on June 20th, 1999 we were engaged to be married.

September 18th, 1999 started the beginning of our married life together.  It was the best day of my life, hands down.  And now, over 11 years later, we are so much more in love than we were then and I didn't think that was possible.