Awareness, Bone Health, boredom, covid19, Eat Healthy, exercise, Health, Healthier, Heart Health, Life

Trying To Protect Our Health & Becoming Unhealthy

Posted on May 15, 2020May 21, 2020 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Another day of self-isolating, which means it’s potentially another day of sitting indoors restlessly taking yet another Zoom class, practicing social distancing from the frig.

Prolonged sitting is an unavoidable reality for many. And with us spending more time inside, as the pandemic continues, it’s inevitable that we’re spending even more time being sedentary.

We are staying home more we’re trying to protect our health but all this sitting, eating , isolation is making us unhealthy in other ways.

Excessive sitting can lead to depression, chronic pain and increased risk of physical injury, according to research. That’s why it’s important for us to become aware of our sitting habits and do what we can to counteract them now before we conform and resort to eating , boredom as our new norm and then your pants won’t fit.

I understand its hard to stay home, we end up sitting around, but hey you don’t have to.

Check out the links below

Stay safe-Stay healthy-And use caution and practice social distance when heading out

Here is a great Link about Sitting and the Dangers

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-sitting-health

I really like videos of Bob and Brad – Leslie Sansone and Shaun T

7 Necessary Stretches for the Inflexible! Complete Beginners Flexibility Routine by Bob and Brad

https://youtu.be/W0thJZtUgrA

Stretches – Daily Stretch Routine for Beginners Using a Towel and a Chair.

https://youtu.be/2x8O_mpvY68

Basic Beginner Cardio Workout

https://youtu.be/_7yB-UcF3-s

10 minute Cize work out – Shaun T

https://youtu.be/TmzgZoY7O1A

Walk Away The Pounds 1 Mile | Walk at Home – Leslie Sansone – 1 mile at home

https://youtu.be/ECxnTuzZ614

2 Mile Walk – from the 4 Mile Power Walk Workout – Leslie Sansone

https://youtu.be/p2ggHwtb-Zg

Walking at Home American Heart Association 3 Mile Walk – Leslie Sansone

https://youtu.be/DYuw4f1c4xs

Awareness, Bone Health

Fall Weather + Falling Temps = Joint Pain

Posted on November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Can you predict the weather based on how your joints feel?

Is it Cloudy with a chance of pain I your neck of the woods?

Can increased joint pain be caused by the weather?

In my opinion and experience absolutely

For every mile I walk in the fall feels like 2 on my knee joints especially when it’s below 45 degrees and the air is very dry.

When its fall and winter my bones sound like I am walking on a few leaves or twigs some days.

There is no one explanation for why dropping temperatures affect your joints.

One theory relates to drops in barometric pressure, which causes tendons, muscles, and the surrounding tissues to expand. Because of the confined space within the body, this can cause pain, especially in joints affected by osteoarthritis.

For me having Osteoarthritis and Osteonecrosis as well as Spondylolisthesis in my L5S1 this weather has been pretty painful for several years now. But I cannot allow it to keep me from moving.

In days I just want to stay under the blanket, I still make sure I move .

Sitting is a killer.

Thankfully I have found ways to help my pain

I take curcumin as well as a few years ago started to I eat a more plant based diet.

It’s not only helped my pain be less intense it’s also given me other benefits, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and triglycerides and my scale was lower.

Sure we need protein but for me I prefer mostly plant protein and occasionally eat chicken and fish and maybe 1x a month good quality red meat.

I have noticed a big improvement on how I feel also.

Less foggy , more energy and just overall more balanced.

I eat

Omega-3 fatty acids. Think fish and walnuts to curb inflammation. Avocados yummy!!
Vitamin K. Make meals that feature greens, such as spinach, kale, and cabbage, for their pain-soothing properties.
Vitamin C. Add color to your diet with juicy oranges, sweet red peppers and tomatoes, and other C-rich foods to halt cartilage loss (and resulting pain) that comes with arthritis
Spices Turmeric, Curcumin,Hot peppers, Sriracha I love all the heat and they have anti inflammatory properties that help with pain.

I avoid

Avoid foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, such as corn oil, which may trigger painful inflammation.

Also swap refined grains for more whole grain. research suggests refined grains have an inflammatory effect, whereas high-fiber whole grains may help reduce inflammation.

Keep Moving
One reason cold weather is linked to joint pain is people are less likely to exercise when it’s chilly and damp.

Being a couch potato is bad news for your joints because exercise helps lubricate them to prevent pain and it’s shown to age us faster.

I have a recumbent bike for indoors to help my joints stay moving.

I make sure I’m getting plenty of vitamin D to help keep my bones stay strong and prevent even morejoint pain.

I for a supplement with D3 (the kind your body manufactures from sunlight), but check with your doctor first because some supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Another thing I do is I keep my joints warm.

I love thermacare heat wraps.

Many ask me about what I eat in a day or what products I like.

So lasted this week I will let you know as I get my holiday favs ready.

I am not paid or endorsed in anyway.

These are things I like from personal experience.

Stay warm , and keep moving

Wishing you a pain free day

Awareness, Bone Health, Procedures

Bone Cement Injections Pros and Cons

Posted on November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Bone cement injections

The procedure of injecting bone cement into a lesion is called Subchondroplasty is a minimally-invasive surgery that targets and treats subchondral defects associated with chronic Bone Marrow Lesions (BML), an often-painful defect of the spongy cancellous bone that underlies and supports the cartilage of your joint.

Subchondroplasty is a minimally-invasive surgery that targets and treats subchondral defects associated with chronic Bone Marrow Lesions (BML), an often-painful defect of the spongy cancellous bone that underlies and supports the cartilage of your joint.

But was actually is bone cement and Subchondroplasty and is it safe?

Bone cement is a paste-like substance that once it is injected hardens up, (something like that concrete filler you use for cracks in your patio)

The general idea for this it to use this as a substitute for missing bone but then broken down and eventually replaced by bone. …

The idea is that treating damaged bone (the BML bone marrow lesions) for an example in knee arthritis and osteoarthritis appear to be more effective than just treating the joint.

The cartilage degeneration that occurs when you have arthritis, and osteoarthritis often can be seen on an MRI of the knee may also show a bone marrow lesion (BML).

For years specialists have been helping people by injecting bone cement into these BMLs ( the procedure called a subchondroplasty) in arthritic knees has become a trend.

While I have heard many have achieved fantastic results on this procedure at conferences, seminars and forums. So I sought out to talk to people in my area that also had the procedure done.

We cannot say it’s flawless because some patients had disastrous results after this procedure.

Let’s take a look at this procedure on and give you the information you need to help you decide if it’s worth the risk to have your arthritic knee injected with bone cement.

It is much less invasive than a knee or hip replacement, and typically is performed on an outpatient basis. But it’s not without its flaws.

First off What Is a Bone Marrow Lesion?

A bone marrow lesion can be seen on MRI (usually in arthritis patients ir patients with Osteonecrosis) as either a dark spot or a bright spot (the shade of the spot is determined by the type of MRI sequence) in the bone.

This is known as bone marrow edema (BME) not often a big cause for alarm to most physicians. Although me a patient and advocate I can tell you BME is very painful.

However, patients with BMLs represent weak or damaged bone as well as swelling and that these are associated with the patient’s arthritis.

BMLs are the most common MRI finding associated with pain, so it may be a good idea to treat BMLs as part of a treatment plan for arthritis pain.

But it is not risk free.

Subchondroplasty and Bone Cement Injection

Bone cement is a paste-like substance that once injected hardens up, like cement. The idea is for it to substitute for missing bone but then broken down and eventually replaced by real bone. Bone cement can be exothermic, meaning it heats up once it has cured (though this can damage some local cells), or it can be endothermic, meaning it doesn’t heat up.

BMLs are usually treated with an endothermic cement made of calcium phosphate.

Now I’m certainly no doctor not a specialist is bone cement.

So my personal comments and opinions are my own based on my own limited research and in speaking with a dozen people I know that had this.

The results are both positive and negative

Out of the 12 people I spoke to 9 people 3 men and 6 women age ranged from 36 to 60 years of age.

They all seemed to have a positive outcome and after 2 years seem to be doing well.

However 3 others had poor outcomes all women age range was 34 to 51 years old.

They had many complications, increased pain and regretted the decision to have this procedure.

Some the cement

and others had an allergic reaction to the cement.

Whether it’s an allergy to the synthetic and foreign substance being injected, or an infection, or even damage to the actual bone, or something else, the best thing to take from this is that all procedures come with a risk.

So make sure you get more than 1-2-3 opinions from board certified orthopedic specialists.

Do your own research and really think is this procedure right for me based on the risks vs pain and improvement to your quality of life.

Anyone who tries to sell you on this procedure needs to inform you of the risks.

Ask questions

How many have you done. How many complications came with those procedures.

Give your name and ask the specialist office to maybe allow another patient to call you that had the procedure if you are both comfortable with that.

You deserve all the facts to make the best decision for you.

If you have had this procedure please feel free to briefly comment on your outcome in comments below.

I personally never had this procedure so the information I obtained has been based on talking to patients that have had it and research.

Photo©Debla2019

Special thanks to the men and women I spoke to in Ohio

Abbie, Bernice ,Cathy, Charlotte,Cheryl,Diane,Dina, Joe, Leah,Tammi, Todd,Vince

Wishing you all a pain free day

❤️Deb

Reference and more Information

https://www.arthroscopyjournal.org/article/S0749-8063(17)30468-1/abstract

http://subchondroplasty.com/patients-what-to-expect.html

Awareness, Bone and Joint Health, Bone Health

It All Begins With Your Feet – Bone Health

Posted on September 19, 2019 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

One of the important things in preventing falls is the importance of posture and alignment. It all begins with your feet!

The feet provide a base of support for the body and having a good solid base goes a long way to helping us maintain a good alignment. There are three main points that you should be able to sense when you are standing. Imagine triangle with the heel being the point and the big toe and little toe being the other two points.

When you stand, feel that you are balanced with all three points. Practice standing and coming up on the ball of the foot to help improve balance.

Next up the ladder is the ankle. The ankle should be flexible to help with walking.

Keep your ankles limber by slowly pointing and flexing the foot any time you are sitting. Pointing stretches the ligaments on the top of the foot and flexing stretches the Achilles tendon.

This up and down motion is important for daily activities of living and helps prevent shuffling – a risk factor for falls.

Finally, add circle your feet clockwise and then counter clockwise when you are sitting to keep the entire ankle flexible in all directions.

With a solid foot and flexible ankle, the next point of focus is the knee. The knee should be strong and stable. Maintain good muscle strength in the legs to help support the knee joint. Try riding a stationary bike or walking up stairs and be sure to stretch the muscles of the legs before working out or playing sports. The knees will also benefit from wearing proper shoes and maintaining a healthy weight.

If you have knee pain, range of motion exercises and leg strengthening exercises can help. Check with a physical therapist or doctor to help you with these exercises.

Lastly, maintain flexibility in your hips to help with balance and motion. Check with your doctor or a physical therapist to help evaluate your hip flexibility.

Feeding Your Bones

Your bones are constantly changing due to a process called remodeling. To build strong, healthy bones when you are young — and to keep them strong and healthy as you get older — you need to feed them well. This is especially true when you’re training for rigorous physical activity! The additional physical activity stimulates remodeling, and your bones need proper nutrition to support that process.

Let’s talk about the role of nutrients in bone health and what you can do to make sure you’re giving your bones the nutrients they need to help you perform your best.

Vitamins and minerals: Many nutrients play a role in bone health. Calcium, vitamin D and magnesium are the key bone health nutrients that require special attention to ensure you meet your daily requirement.

Although many foods contain calcium, dairy products provide the most calcium per serving size. Calcium that has been added (fortified) to drinks may settle to the bottom, so shake the container well before drinking. Daily requirements for calcium change with age. People who do not eat dairy foods will need to work hard to meet the recommended daily allowance or may need calcium supplements.

The easiest way to get vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight 20 minutes— but most don’t health care professionals don’t recommend trying that route because of the risk of skin cancer. Find foods with vitamin D, and talk to your doctor about adding a supplement if needed.

Magnesium is found in many foods such as green vegetables, seeds and nuts, legumes, whole grains and avocados. People who consume even moderate amounts of alcohol (moderate drinking is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men) or use proton pump inhibitors may have increased loss of magnesium in the urine and may benefit from a supplement (approximately 200–250 mg/day).

Protein: We often hear about “carbo loading” when it comes to distance sports; however, getting enough protein is critical for recovery from training. Protein eaten in small amounts (20–30 g) throughout the day (every 3-5 hours) stimulates muscle growth and repair.

A 3-ounce piece of meat (about the size of a deck of playing cards) has about 21 grams of protein.

The USDA recommends 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, but current recommendations suggest that protein needs depend on our age, body weight and our activity level. Athletes are likely to require more protein to support daily training needs; however, precise recommendations have not yet been defined. Current recommendations suggest that athletes regularly training should consume about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight in small doses throughout the day. So think about string cheese as a snack.

Protein in lean meats and other animal products, like eggs, milk, whey, and casein (proteins found in milk), is of a much higher quality than proteins from plants. Although plants have many health benefits, animal products contain all essential amino acids and thus are considered complete proteins. Four ounces of chicken breast, for example, has about 32 grams of protein. Vegetable options alone do not provide high-quality proteins. For example, a half-cup of black beans has about eight grams of protein. However, pairing the half-cup of black beans with brown rice or a whole wheat pita provides about 11 g of complete protein.

Recovery from exercise benefits from refueling within 30 to 120 minutes after rigorous activity. The current recommended amount of post-exercise protein is between 20 and 30 grams

Remember it’s better to get nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D from food instead of supplements. However, for those people who don’t normally get enough from their food, a supplement might be appropriate.

It’s important to talk to your doctor about taking supplements and to take them only as directed. Taking too much calcium from supplements can cause problems.

Read more about other vitamins and minerals that are important for bone health. Again, a healthy person eating a balanced diet typically will get most of what they need from food. Pay attention to nutritional labels to make the best choices for a healthy diet.

References

American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance.” Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016 Mar;48(3):543-68.

Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2010.

Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2010.

American Bone Health https://americanbonehealth.org/

Advocate, Avascular Necrosis, Awareness, Bone and Joint Health, Bone Health, Osteonecrosis, Patient Leader, Rare, WEGOHealthAwards2019

Having A Rare Condition Stinks: But Being A Patient Advocate Is An Honor

Posted on July 23, 2019June 19, 2020 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Here’s what really stinks about having something that is called a rare disease/disorder

First you probably won’t find it in any regular medical textbook or learn about it in detail in any medical school.

Really ? Trust me I have looked I stumble on a paragraph here and there, but even it stinks as it lacks real information ,studies.

Secondly you probably won’t find any books you can buy that really tell you about your condition:

So I wrote a booklet it’s about 15 pages and I’m in the process of making it larger.

And ya know what really stinks is – good luck finding a support group in your local home town.

I’m trying to change all that. I will get into that later.

And because you gave is a condition that in not that known , heard of or taught about , what stinks is it can take many years before even figuring out what is the cause of this condition.

So it will be classed as idiopathic – There may be years of pain low moderate and severe possibly, possibly blood samples, many doctors that don’t listen to you or that just don’t believe you’re in pain , test after test referral after referral and many give out these clueless stares at you on behalf of specialists before even being diagnosed with a rare disease.

You know they are probably thinking why was I the one to get this patient…I can’t help them he’ll I don’t even know what they have or how they ended up with it.

Because your disease/disorder is rare, you just cannot be an average patient getting treatment or physical therapy.

Usually you end up playing the role of doctor and educator when visiting family or friends hell even seeing some healthcare professionals.

Sure you’re grateful for any opportunity to educate and raise awareness yet it becomes so damn frustrating when you see a medical professional and it appears you know more than they do.

Which brings up the next issue that stinks – finding a good educated medical professional who knows, really knows about your condition and has actually treated more than a handful of patients in their entire career and one that doesn’t just try to use you as an experiment unless I want too.

Or worse just dismisses you and your concerns and questions.

What I also find frustrating and this really stinks are the doctors that are closed minded, just because they don’t know or understand my condition they are not open to alternative or newer forms of treatment.

I mean it’s not like they are paying for it. Nor did they look any of the research up that I have mentioned or left for them on more than one occasion. They even have the nerve to get passed off when you say you want and will try something new.

There are many things that stink about having a rare condition : But there is the one thing that doesn’t stink about being rare ….. It’s the community we have.

I have a FB support Group for Osteonecrosis- and there are only approximately 12-15000 new cases a year in the USA diagnosed and 50,000 worldwide.

Because we are rare, we stick closely together. My rare community is fantastic— both patients and loved ones are fantastic and like our own family— they are the glue that helps me and others when we feel pain, become overwhelmed or just suffer the loss of our mobility, our career because of the condition, a significant other leaves us because they cannot take always seeing many of us in pain or unable to work.

I never planned on starting the support group but after all the things I came across when I was diagnosed I wanted others to have a place of hope, education and information and FB gave me that platform.

Our group now has a booklet we give free to all new members its mailed to them worldwide:

We have a Nationwide Directory with doctors that are educated and experienced in treating Osteonecrosis and some help find out the cause. Our group is working on a worldwide directory as well.

We have guest speakers (orthos, naturopaths, doctors that preform prp and stem cell injections)

I am very proud of our group.

So what is Osteonecrosis you ask?

Osteonecrosis

Osteonecrosis, also known as avascular necrosis (AVN), aseptic necrosis or ischemic bone necrosis, is a disease resulting in the death of bone cells. If the process involves the bones near a joint, it often leads to collapse of the joint surface and subsequent arthritis due to an irregular joint surface. The exact cause is unknown.

Osteonecrosis usually affects people between 30 and 50 years of age; about 12,000 people develop osteonecrosis each year in the United States. 50,000 worldwide.

Osteonecrosis affects both men and women and affects people of all ages. It is most common among people in their thirties and forties. Depending on a person’s risk factors and whether the underlying cause is trauma, it also can affect younger or older people.

My very 1st blog post – Why I became an Advocate and Patient Leader

There is also a link to the booklet in the above post

Here is About Me contains all my links About Me My Links

Link To Avascular Necrosis Osteonecrosis Info AvascularNecrosisEducation.com

I am honored that people actually nominated me for the Wego health awards .

I am up for a few awards from WEGOHealth for my advocacy and there are so many amazing advocates I am blessed to be among them.

WEGOHealth Award Nomination Please Vote

Thank You

Deborah L. Andio

wwwChronicallyGratefulDebla.com

wego2019

Awareness, Bone and Joint Health, Bone Health, osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Posted on July 22, 2019September 7, 2019 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Our joints take a lot of abuse over the years.

I’ve had OA in knees and a few other places since I was 38 and I was in shape. But over the years the pain increased more and more and I gained weight so the wear and tear was even greater. The pain was intense plus I also have other bones and joint issues.

OA is a common form of arthritis.

That’s one reason up to half of Americans over 65 have osteoarthritis, and 10 million under age 50 deal with OA . OA develops when the protective cartilage on the ends of bones wears down. This causes pain and stiffness in areas such as the knees, hips and hands, which can make walking, climbing stairs, brushing your teeth and even grasping a doorknob or pen challenging.

Because osteoarthritis has no cure, easing pain is key. But many older adults have difficulty tolerating pain relievers long-term. Fortunately, nondrug treatments work well for many people, with virtually no side effects.

Manage your weight

If you’re overweight, shedding a few pounds (say, five to 10) can help with pain and function. More is better: In a 2018 study in Arthritis Care & Research, people who lost 10 percent of their body weight saw knee pain drop up to 50 percent.

What you eat may also make a difference, says Dominic King, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. A diet rich in fatty fish, healthy fats, fruits, green leafy veggies and nuts may help relieve some of the inflammation associated with arthritis.

Stay active

Exercise may seem like it would cause more pain, but research suggests otherwise.

A 2015 review of 54 studies found that an exercise program was as effective at easing pain and improving function in knee osteoarthritis as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

The U.S. government advises 150 weekly minutes of moderate activity (walking, cycling, swimming), plus muscle-strengthening twice a week. Tai chi or gentle yoga may help. Even chair yoga was found effective in a 2017 study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

How to start? “If someone’s never really exercised before, talk to your doctor to make sure you are able.

“If you can strengthen the muscles around an arthritic joint through exercise and physical therapy, you can take a load off of that joint,” says NYU orthopedic specialist Claudette Lajam, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Use meds with care

For severe pain, your doctor may suggest an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever, at least to help you get through physical therapy. The NSAID naproxen (Aleve and generic) was ranked most effective for knee osteoarthritis.

But NSAIDs can cause gastrointestinal problems, including bleeding.

In general patients can’t tolerate being on an NSAID for more than two or three weeks before it begins to affect their stomach, if you need longer term pain relief, talk to you doctor.

And if you have had gastric surgery like Bypass , sleeve, balloon, lap band you most likely were told you cannot take NSAIDS

Be cautious with injections

Although steroid injections can temporarily ease inflammation and pain, they may damage the joint and cartilage you can end up with osteonecrosis,

Injections of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint are thought to act like a lubricant. But a 2018 study in JAAOS found they weren’t helpful.

In injections of platelet-rich plasma, platelets are extracted from your blood and reinjected into an affected joint. A 2016 review of six studies in the journal Arthroscopy found that people reported significant pain relief up to 12 months after injection, compared with those given hyaluronic acid. But this experimental treatment can be costly and typically isn’t covered by insurance.

See surgery as a last resort

I had excellent results with PRP platelet rich plasma injections had 2 injections in a year and pain was cut in half and mobility increased as well and I also have osteonecrosis in my knee as well. So talk to your doctor.

Some orthopedic surgeons recommend arthroscopy — where a tiny camera inserted into your knee allows a doctor to repair cartilage tears and remove cartilage fragments — but research shows that it’s no better than exercise therapy. As a result, an international panel of experts recommended against it in 2017.

REMEMBER Always talk to your own doctor before starting anything new.

DISCLAIMER This info page and blog is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this website is intended for general consumer understanding and entertainment only. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. As health and nutrition research continuously evolves, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information presented on this website.

knees

Royalty-free stock photo ID: 335557835

By Nataliia Budianska

Arthritis, Awareness, Bone and Joint Health, Bone Health, Grateful, Inflammation, Knee, Weather, Weather and Joint Pain

Bombogenesis and Joint Pain

Posted on February 23, 2019February 24, 2019 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

I’ve heard a lot about Bombogenesis, it’s a popular term used by meteorologists, occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours. A millibar measures atmospheric pressure.

Remember your great-aunt used to to say she “feels” a storm coming on, she was probably predicting the weather with some accuracy. You probably laughed.

But now you know exactly what she meant.

Barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere that surrounds us. Barometric pressure often drops before bad weather.

Lower air pressure pushes less against the body, allowing tissues to expand. Expanded tissues can put pressure on joints and cause pain.

Arthritis and joint pain affects everything within the joint, including the lining and ligaments.

All of those tissues have nerve endings that can feel changes in the weather, which may result in tightness, stiffness, and some discomfort.

So if you plan to be active in cold weather or high altitude, warm up first with stretching exercises and wear appropriate clothing

The Arthritis Foundation published a study from Tufts University in 2007 that found that every 10-degree drop in temperature corresponded with an incremental increase in arthritis pain. In addition, low temperatures, low barometric pressure and precipitation can increase pain. Researchers are not sure why weather changes cause pain, but suspect that certain atmospheric conditions increase swelling in the joint.

As for weather-related pain, it hurts, but it’s only temporary. Your joints should return to normal as soon as the barometric pressure increases and the temperature goes up. Your great aunt may be able to predict calm weather, too, as she feels less joint pain.

Song of The Day : California Dreaming Mamas And Papas

Resource Link

https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/tools-resources/weather/

Bone Health, Spam

Spam

Posted on October 19, 2018October 19, 2018 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

I love comments but when I log in and see this garbage in my comments it just drives me crazy.

I’m glad I have to approve my comments.

I like the spam option

I keep getting spam comments from this site or person and honestly who has the time for dealing with this garbage.

Here is the nasty site I keep getting spam from , I report as spam but still keep getting garbage.

Maybe it’s time to look for a different site if they can’t stop this garbage.

I hope the sleazy little spammers , spam bots all get caught, shut down whatever.

I found this info online

OPTION #1: CONFIGURE WORDPRESS TO MINIMIZE COMMENT SPAM

As the most popular blogging platform in the world, WordPress is particularly attractive to comment spammers. While no platform is completely immune to spam, WordPress bloggers often catch the worst of the comment spam storm.

The good news is, your first line of defense against comment spammers is setting up strong WordPress fortifications.

Here are the steps you can take to strengthen your WordPress platform against comment spam:

Hold comments in moderation until you approve them.

Start by configuring WordPress to send all comments to moderation (which means every comment will be emailed to you for approval before it gets published on your site).

To do this, go to:

Settings > Discussion in your WordPress dashboard.
Check the boxes next to “Anyone posts a comment” and “A comment is held for moderation” under “E-mail me whenever….”.
Then check “Comment must be manually approved” in the section called “Before a comment appears.”

The downside of moderating your comments via email is that your readers won’t see their comments immediately appear on the site after they submit them, which is potentially discouraging for them, and could slow down the conversation.

You’ll also need to spend time handling the emails as you watch over the discussion on your blog, so budget your time appropriately.

Turn off trackbacks.

A trackback is a notification that someone else has linked to one of your posts.

For instance, if another blogger links to your post in his own blog post and decides to send you a trackback, you’ll get a notification in your inbox about it. If you approve the trackback (which works similarly to approving a comment), you’ll then see that trackback in the comment area of your original post. Picture a trackback as a conversation that links two blog posts together.

Unfortunately, trackbacks are often abused and are a frequent cause of comment spam.

To turn them off, go to: Settings > Discussion > Default Article Settings, and uncheck “Allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks).”

The downside to turning them off is that you won’t get notified when other people link back to your site, but the trackback notifications are actually fairly uncommon these days. You probably aren’t losing much in terms of conversation on your blog.

Automatically close comments after 30 to 60 days on all your posts.

You will get most of your valid comments during the first few weeks after you publish a post. If you close comments after that, you’re not likely to lose engagement from real readers.

Comment spammers troll the Web looking for older, popular blog posts to hit, which means the posts in your archive could be targets.

To close comments on every post after a specified number of days, go to: Settings > Discussion > Other Comment Settings. Check the box next to “Automatically close comments on articles older than”and choose 30 or 60 days in the selection box.

Use a spam-blocking plugin.

Plugins that filter out spam comments are easy to set up, and often run without a lot of day-to-day management. You can try Akismet(which is available for individual blog installations for a small fee).

Filtering plugins like Akismet aren’t a spam management panacea, however. They aren’t foolproof, so you will still see the occasional spam comment in your inbox.

Plugins like these also occasionally catch legitimate comments in their filters, so you will need to monitor the “spam comment” section in your WordPress dashboard each week and make sure it hasn’t accidentally caught a remark from one of your favorite readers.

To do that, go to: Comments, then click on the “Spam” tab, and browse through the comments filtered out by Akismet.

To read more

https://smartblogger.com/comment-spam/

Arthritis, Bone Health, osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Facts About Arthritis

Posted on October 12, 2018October 14, 2018 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

View or download the Arthritis Foundation’s “Arthritis by the Numbers” book

Arthritis Disability

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.

Arthritis Prevalence

By conservative estimates, about 54 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
Almost 300,000 babies and children have arthritis or a rheumatic condition.
The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans.
Number of people expected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by the year 2040: more than 78 million.

Who Gets Arthritis

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is more common in women (26 percent) than in men (18 percent). In some types, such as rheumatoid arthritis, women far outnumber men.

Economic Cost of Arthritis

Almost two-thirds of adults in the U.S. with arthritis are of working age (18-64 years).

Arthritis and other non-traumatic joint disorders are among the five most costly conditions among adults 18 and older.

Co-morbidities

Arthritis is much more common among people who have other chronic conditions.

49 percent of adults with heart disease have arthritis.
47 percent of adults with diabetes have arthritis.
31 percent of adults who are obese have arthritis

arthritis

I am a proud New Patient Leader and representative for the Arthritis Foundation.

I will be raising awareness and setting up local meetings in my hometown so we can have a voice and spread awareness locally

Arthritis, Bone Health, Chronic Pain, osteoarthritis, Pain, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Understanding The Mechanisms of Pain

Posted on October 12, 2018October 13, 2018 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

It’s safe to say most of us are not really fans of pain. However it is one of the body’s most important ways for communication. Imagine, for instance, what would happen if you felt nothing when you put your hand in hot water, or burned your neck with a curling iron , or hit your thumb with a hammer and never felt that pain signal.

Pain is one way the body tells you something’s wrong and needs attention.

But pain whether it comes from a burn, a broken bone, surgery, joint replacement or a long-term illness is also an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience.

It has multiple causes, and people respond to it in multiple and individual ways. The pain that you push your way through might be incapacitating to someone else. Pain can make us mentally exhausted and sad if we experience it for to long.

Acute Pain and Chronic Pain

There are several ways to categorize pain. One is to separate it into acute pain and chronic pain.

Acute pain typically comes on suddenly and has a limited duration. It’s frequently caused by damage to tissue such as bone, skin, muscle, or organs, and the onset is often accompanied by anxiety or emotional distress.

Chronic pain lasts longer than acute pain and is generally somewhat resistant to medical treatment. It’s usually associated with a long-term illness, such as osteoarthritis. In some cases, such as with fibromyalgia, it’s one of the defining characteristic of the disease. Chronic pain can be the result of damaged tissue, but very often is attributable to nerve damage.

Just as there are different types of arthritis, there are also different types of pain. The pain you experience can come from various areas of the musculoskeletal system and involve different types of information processing. To learn more about the basics of the nervous system and pain.

Nociceptive Pain

What a odd word I never heard of this word until I was doing research on pain.

This is the normal mechanism that the body uses to process pain day to day. Nociceptive pain occurs when tiny nerves (nociceptors) that run on the surface of organs, muscles, joints and throughout the body are stimulated. These messages are carried by nerves to the brain. For example, when you bang your elbow, you feel nociceptive pain.

Mechanical Pain. Nociceptive pain that happens with stretch or pressure in and around joints is called mechanical pain. Osteoarthritis, low back disorders and tendinitis are common examples of mechanical pain.

Inflammatory Pain. Inflammation is an essential process that helps the body respond to and heal an injury. But it also activates nerves and causes pain. When joints are inflamed, damage to bone, muscles and cartilage (the slick surface between bones of the joints) can occur. Examples of inflammatory arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout and ankylosing spondylitis.

Neuropathic pain happens when there’s too much or persistent pressure on nerves or they are damaged. It’s often described as burning, tingling, shooting, stinging or as “pins and needles.” Some people may describe a stabbing, piercing, cutting or drilling pain. An example of this type of pain is sciatic pain due to irritation of the sciatic nerve by a disc or bone spur. The pain starts at an area of the spine in the lower back and can run across the hip and buttock and down the leg.

Centralized pain was first used to describe pain that happens when the central nervous system (brain, brainstem, spinal cord) is damaged. It now is used to describe any pain that happens when the central nervous system doesn’t work properly and amplifies or increases the volume of pain. Other terms used to describe this condition include “central sensitization,” “central amplification” and “central pain syndrome.” Several common conditions, such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and temporomandibular joint disorder are examples. Arthritis joint pain can also become centralized in some people, especially if it is long-lasting.

Psychogenic pain is an older term for what happens when emotions cause pain in the body, make existing pain worse or make it last longer. As doctors learn more about how the central nervous system works, fewer types of pain are put in this category. For example, fibromyalgia was once considered psychogenic, but new discoveries have shown problems with pain processing in fibromyalgia. Headache, muscle pain and low back pain are commonly influenced by your emotions.

Wishing you a pain free day

Deb

Arthritis, Awareness, Bone Health, Chronic Pain, Pain

World Arthritis Day!

Posted on October 12, 2018October 12, 2018 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Today October 12, is World Arthritis Day!

Throughout the day you will see facts and info on arthritis and pain. There are over 100 forms of arthritis.

World Arthritis Day is a special day that unifies people of all ages, races, and genders to raise awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases

Approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis. Nearly 54 million persons in the United States are affected by arthritis, including over a quarter million children! More than 21 million Americans have osteoarthritis. Approximately 2.1 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.

Awareness
Arthritis is the nation’s number one cause of disability, affecting 1 in 4 adults, impacting the economy and causing daily struggles for the many people affected with arthritis.

Economically, over 156 billion dollars annually are lost in wages as well as medical expenses. Surgeries like knee, hip, and other joint replacements generate more and more medical expenses. In 2011 alone, there were 757,000 knee replacements and 512,000 hip replacements!

Arthritis affects our troops and veterans significantly. It is the leading reason for medical discharge from service in the military, and one in three military service members are diagnosed with arthritis, compared to one in five civilians. Members of the military over 40 are twice as likely as civilians to have arthritis. They would be diagnosed two years after a blast injury, while a non-military service member would be diagnosed about ten years later.

The risk of arthritis is increased with the affliction of other chronic conditions. For example, 49 percent of adults with heart disease have arthritis, and one third of arthritic people have anxiety or depression. Other conditions like diabetes, high blood-pressure, and obesity raise the chance of arthritis.

Daily life is impacted as well. Many adults have significant physical limitations: one in 9 adults report trouble climbing stairs, and one in 22 have trouble grasping. People with arthritis are less likely to be physically active than those not affected, although physical activity is effective to relieve pain and can improve function for those with arthritis.

What You Can Do
Today, help us spread awareness about arthritis and the impact it has on families, friends and loved ones. On #WorldArthritisDay, celebrate those with arthritis for their strength and determination.

Share your stories on social media, tag us so we can see your post, and use the hashtag

#CureArthritis #Pain

#Arthritis

See my posts also on my fb awareness page Awareness for Avascular Necrosis & Other Conditions of The Bone and Joints

WAD

Avascular Necrosis, Bone Health, Bone Marrow, Bone Marrow Edema, Diagnosed, Osteonecrosis

Understanding Bone Marrow Edema-Linked To Osteonecrosis

Posted on October 4, 2018January 15, 2019 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Good Morning Pain Warriors Around The World

It is time to educate on the various causes of

Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis

So twice a week we will post some educational info on a cause with links

Today Its Bone Marrow Edema

What is Bone Marrow Edema?

Bone marrow edema is a condition when excess fluids in the bone marrow build up and cause swelling. It is often caused by a response to an injury, such as a broken bone or a bruise, or a more chronic condition such as osteoporosis. Bone marrow edema most commonly occurs in the hips, knees and ankles. In this case, bone marrow edema of the knee is a main cause of localized knee and joint pain, and is only diagnosable via a Magnetic Resonance Imagining test (MRI).

It is usually caused by the following scenarios:

Avascular necrosis, or “bone death”. This is when a small portion of the bone dies, and can result in a painful bone marrow edema
Any type of knee bone trauma, including broken bones and bone bruises.
Joint disorders such as osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. In this case, the knee joint is lacking the cushion that cartilage provides, which can lead to easier fracture and wear on the bone. Subsequently, if a fracture of the bone occurs, the injured area becomes susceptible to edema..
Knee ligament injuries.
A condition such as synovitis (an inflammation of the lining the joints, called synovial membranes).
In rare conditions, bone tumor.

Symptoms of Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee

Bone marrow edemas may not bother you at all, or they may be painful and inconvenient. They can feel more intense than a muscular injury (for example, a muscle bruise) at times due to the nature of the bone. A muscle is capable of swelling, which increases blood flow to heal the area. Unfortunately, bones are not capable of swelling, and thus the fluid (edema) that collects in the marrow can create intense pressure within the bone, resulting in more intense pain. In fact, in many osteoarthritic patients, it isn’t the lack of cartilage that’s causing them pain, but rather the pressure due to the edema.

Some of the most common symptoms of bone marrow endema include:

Varying degrees of pain, from mild to moderate, depending on the severity and Trauma.
Swelling of the knee area.
Inability to put full pressure on the knee to walk.
Recurrent pain and tenderness.
Bruising.

Treatment of Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee

Thankfully, most bone marrow edemas will settle down and heal on their own after the injury has subsided. For example, in some cases of osteonecrosis the bone will regenerate itself and heal the edema but note : not all cases of osteonecrosis or spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee will have the ability to heal itself. Unfortunately, though, in the case of osteoarthritis, the edema may only get worse over time. In this circumstance, treatment options may be explored.

Traditional treatments for bone marrow edema usually involve rehabilitation through physiotherapy and rest. Ice, medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and even a crutch or a cane can help as well. There is one drug-facilitated treatment that uses a bisphosphonate and vitamin D mixture to help increase bone density. When this treatment is delivered via intravenous, it is found to be quite effective in reducing pain and increasing density. Other drugs that usually treat the vascular system have been found effective for bone marrow edema, in that they encourage blood flow and treat any vascular abnormalities that may exist in the bone and marrow.

In some more challenging cases, core decompression may be used. This is a type of surgery where a surgeon drills a hole into the affected part of the bone allowing that area of the bone to experience increased blood flow, form new blood vessels, and heal.

Another option is subchondroplasty, which can be especially effective for osteoarthritis patients. In this procedure, an x-ray determines where the edema is. The patient is then sedated, and a small needle injects a paste into the area of the edema. The paste then hardens and provides more strength and density to the bone. By improving the strength of the bone, it will enable the bone to deal with the pain of the edema and of the osteoarthritis.

http://louisvillebones.com/understanding-bone-marrow-edema/

Knee

https://www.g2orthopedics.com/bone-marrow-edema-in-the-knee/

https://www.researchgate.net/…/7224238_Bone_marrow_edema_in…

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crirh/2018/7657982/

Hip Study

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/94/4/1068/2596208

https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.05.0086

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15049532

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4972799/

Shoulder

https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/veterinary-sc…/osteonecrosis

Ankle

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21189186

https://www.footanklesurgery-journal.com/…/S1268-7…/abstract

https://wordpress.com/post/avascularnecrosiseducation.wordpress.com/128

If you have #Osteonecrosis feel free to join our #group

Avascular Necrosis / Osteonecrosis Support Int’l.

Priceless – King & Country

king and country

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Avascular Necrosis, Bone Health, Osteonecrosis

Osteonecrosis of the Knee

Posted on September 29, 2018September 29, 2018 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

Osteonecrosis of the Knee

I have Avascular Necrosis “AVN” or Osteonecrosis “ON” are the terms used to describe parts of your bones that die.

Most commonly this occurs in the knee shoulder and hip, but also can occur in the ankle and other bones and joints including the jaw.

I was diagnosed with Osteonecrosis in my knee in November 2014 and that’s the day my working -active life changed….and has never been the same since…..

I will post more on that later for now

Learn what Osteonecrosis is……

The main causes of osteonecrosis are: injury or trauma to bone or joint, heavy steroid use, deep sea diving, alcoholism, sickle cell disease or clotting disorders, damage to arteries.

There are 4 stages of avascular necrosis which explain the severity of the bone death. Depending on the stage, there are many different treatment options available. The problem with treating osteonecrosis is that there are so many different treatment options because none of them are highly successful.

Osteonecrosis of the knee (also known as avascular necrosis) is a very painful condition that occurs when the blood supply to a section of bone in the femur (thighbone) or tibia (shinbone) is disrupted.Because bone cells need a steady supply of blood to stay healthy, osteonecrosis can ultimately lead to destruction of the knee joint and severe arthritis.

When osteonecrosis is diagnosed early, treatment may involve taking medications to relieve pain or limiting use of the affected knee. For patients with more advanced osteonecrosis, however, treatment almost always involves surgery to prevent further damage to the bone and improve function in the joint.

Anatomy

Your knee is the largest and strongest joint in your body. It is made up of the lower end of the femur (thighbone), the upper end of the tibia (shinbone), and the patella (kneecap). The ends of these three bones where they touch are covered with articular cartilage, a smooth, slippery substance that protects the bones and enables them to glide easily against each other as you move your leg.

Osteonecrosis of the knee most often occurs in the knobby portion of the thighbone, on the inside of the knee (medial femoral condyle). However, it may also occur on the outside of the knee (lateral femoral condyle) or on the flat top of the shinbone (tibial plateau).

Cause

Osteonecrosis develops when the blood supply to a segment of bone is disrupted. Without adequate nourishment, the affected portion of bone dies and gradually collapses. As a result, the articular cartilage covering the bone also collapses, leading to disabling arthritis.

Osteonecrosis of the knee can affect anyone, but is more common in people over the age of 60. Woman are three times more likely than men to develop the condition.

Risk Factors

It is not always known what causes the lack of blood supply, but doctors have identified a number of risk factors that make someone more likely to develop osteonecrosis.

Injury. A knee injury—such as a stress fracture or dislocation—combined with some type of trauma to the knee, can damage blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the affected bone.
Oral corticosteroid medications. Many diseases, such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, are treated with oral steroid medications. Although it is not known exactly why these medications can lead to osteonecrosis, research shows that there is a connection between the disease and long-term steroid use. Steroid-induced osteonecrosis frequently affects multiple joints in the body.
Medical conditions. Osteonecrosis of the knee is associated with medical conditions, such as obesity, sickle cell anemia, and lupus.
Transplants. Organ transplantation, especially kidney transplant, is associated with osteonecrosis.
Excessive alcohol use. Overconsumption of alcohol over time can cause fatty deposits to form in the blood vessels as well as elevated cortisone levels, resulting in a decreased blood supply to the bone.

Regardless of the cause, if osteonecrosis is not identified and treated early, it can develop into severe osteoarthritis.

Symptoms

Osteonecrosis develops in stages. The first symptom is typically pain on the inside of the knee. This pain may occur suddenly and be triggered by a specific activity or minor injury. As the disease progresses, it becomes more difficult to stand and put weight on the affected knee, and moving the knee joint is painful.

Other symptoms may include:

Swelling over the front and inside of the knee
Sensitivity to touch around the knee
Limited range of motion in the joint

It may take from several months to over a year for the disease to progress. It is important to diagnose osteonecrosis early, because some studies show that early treatment is associated with better outcomes.

Doctor Examination

Physical Examination

Your doctor will talk with you about your general health and medical history, and ask you to describe your symptoms. He or she will then perform a careful examination of your knee, looking for:

Joint swelling, warmth, or redness
Tenderness
Range of passive (assisted) and active (self-directed) motion
Instability of the joint
Pain when weight is placed on the knee
Any signs of injury to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding the knee

maging studies will help your doctor confirm the diagnosis.

Imaging Studies

X-rays. X-rays provide images of dense structures, such as bone. Your doctor may order x-rays to look for changes that occur in bone in the later stages of osteonecrosis. In the early stages of the disease, x-rays usually appear normal.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Early changes in the bone that may not show up on an x-ray can be detected on an MRI. These scans are used to evaluate how much of the bone has been affected by the disease. An MRI scan may also show early osteonecrosis that has yet to cause symptoms (for example–ostenecrosis that may be developing in the opposite knee joint).

Treatment

Treatment for osteonecrosis depends on a number of factors, including:

The stage of the disease
The amount of bone affected
The underlying cause of the disease

Nonsurgical Treatment

In the early stages of osteonecrosis, treatment is nonsurgical. If the affected area of the knee is small, nonsurgical treatment may be all that is needed.

Nonsurgical treatment may include:

Medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can help reduce pain and swelling in your knee.
Reduced weight bearing. For some patients, removing weight from the affected knee can slow the damage caused by osteonecrosis and allow healing. Your doctor may recommend using crutches for a period of time to take weight off your knee. In some cases, wearing an “unloader” brace can help relieve pressure on the joint surface by shifting weight away from the affected portion of the knee.
Exercise. Your doctor or a physical therapist may provide you with an exercise program designed to help strengthen your thigh muscles and maintain range of motion in the affected joint. In some cases, water exercise may be recommended to avoid stress on your knee joint.
Activity modification. Your doctor may recommend that you avoid certain activities that bring on painful symptoms.

Surgical Treatment

If a large portion of the bone surface is affected, or if your pain does not improve with nonsurgical treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery. There are several different procedures used to treat osteonecrosis of the knee.
Arthroscopic debridement and microfracture. In debridement (cleansing), your doctor uses a small camera and miniature surgical instruments to remove loose bits of bone or damaged cartilage from inside the joint space. For small lesions, he or she may also drill multiple holes, or microfractures, in the underlying bone to help promote blood flow and induce a healing reaction
Core decompression. This procedure involves drilling one larger hole or several smaller holes into the bone to relieve pressure on the bone surface and create channels for new blood vessels to nourish the affected areas of the knee.

When osteonecrosis of the knee is diagnosed early, core decompression is often successful in preventing collapse of the bone and the development of arthritis.

Osteochondral (bone and cartilage) grafting. Core decompression is often combined with bone and cartilage grafting to help regenerate healthy bone and support cartilage at the knee joint. A bone graft is healthy bone tissue that is transplanted to an area of the body where it is needed. The tissue may be taken from a donor (allograft) or from another bone in your body (autograft).There are also several synthetic bone grafts available today.
Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). This is a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, your doctor performs an arthroscopic procedure to remove a small number of cartilage-producing cells (chondrocytes) from your knee. These chondrocytes are sent to a lab where they are cultured (multiplied) for up to 6 weeks to obtain more cells.In the second stage, your doctor performs another procedure to implant the chondrocytes into the area of your knee with cartilage loss. The cells then grow in the joint, replacing the damaged cartilage with healthy cartilage.
Osteotomy. In an osteotomy, your doctor removes a portion of bone from either your tibia (shinbone) or femur (thighbone) to help shift your weight off the damaged area of the knee. Shifting your weight off the damaged side of the joint will help relieve pain and improve function.
Total or unicompartmental (partial) knee replacement. If the disease has advanced to the point where the bone has already collapsed, you may need surgery to replace the damaged parts of your knee. In knee replacement, your doctor removes the damaged bone and cartilage, and then positions new metal or plastic joint surfaces to restore the function of your knee.

Outcome

For most patients, treatment for osteonecrosis is successful in relieving pain and improving function. Outcomes vary, however, depending on the stage of the disease at diagnosis and the type of treatment. Your doctor will talk with you about the expected outcome of treatment in your specific situation.

Stages Of Osteonecrosis Knee

Links

Support Group For All Forms Of Avascular Necrosis/Osteonecrosis

Avascular Necrosis/Osteonecrosis Support Int’l

AvascularNecrosisAndBoneDiseaseAwareness

http://www.ChronicallyGratefulDebla.com

Bible, Bone Health

Knowing a Loving God

Posted on September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 by ChronicallyGratefulDebla

To some the greatest question in life is , does God really exist?

To me my greatest question is do I know him and do enough to show thanks to my God for all he has done for me. Any all the blessings I have had in my life.

To me it’s the greatest subject ever and I love, learning about him , learning and understanding the word. I could listen to a good teacher / preacher talk about God and discuss the Bible all day.

Putting the teachings into my daily life has something I have tried and worked on my entire life. Of course I didn’t always do what was right, or when I thought I was doing right maybe I wasn’t.

I can honestly say I never hurt anyone intentionally. But still their are people that I have hurt in my life.

Sometimes what you think is the right thing at the time may not be.

But hopefully we learn from it.

I have come so far that I feel that God really does have my back and will never leave me. I didn’t always feel that way.

My first marriage was abusive and I questioned God often.

But I know it wasn’t his fault that I made the wrong choice. But thank God he stood by me and I survived it. And God was with me in 1985 when a doctor gave me the wrong medication and I was outside on a beautiful spring day and ended up with 2nd degree burns on a lot of my body.

I could have died, but I didn’t. Yes I suffered but I lived and with very faint scaring.

God was with me when I was pregnant with my daughter and was hit and kicked in the back and stomach.

Thankfully she lived and is healthy.

I had a terrible pregnancy so deathly sick every day with morning sickness for months and months. But I made it.

Many years ago I was taught that God is good and will never leave you , but when you are faced with trouble , grief, pain, despair , illness, temptation it challenges our faith.

And often we say we believe then in the next breath question or doubt him. I was this way off and on until I woke up one day. I felt the power of God many times in me and working in my life.

It seems like some blame God for being ill, or that he is punishing them. See this is not the God I know.

My God is always there. When I am sick I find strength in him.

When I am sad , he gives me hope.

When I am stressed he gives me peace.

I learned to trust in God as he will never let me down.

Knowing a Loving God- is getting in the word –reading it-learning it- believing it-

John 3:16 New International Version (NIV) this means John Chapter3 verse 16= John3:16

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

All love comes from God.

He doesn’t expect us to be or live perfect. He never asks to get rid of your baggage before accepting us.

So if you’re a married man or woman ,divorced or single, the lonely, the poor the rich, the adult or child ,student or in the workforce or non-believer he loves you. If your ill he loves you, if your dying he loves you, if you’re a drunk or drug addict he loves you, a criminal he loves you. Understand he loves you just as you are , right where you are. Nothing can or will change that ever.

When you call on him he won’t say…..well Debbie you didn’t make it to church 2 weeks in a row so no I won’t help you or be there. Or Deb remember how you were 35-40 years ago? Well have you really changed? You didn’t always do what was best…you thought you did but you were wrong so I probavle shouldn’t help you right now.

Or If a criminal or addict calls on him he won’t say well look at you call on me when you get yourself together.

He won’t tell the homeless man or woman call on me when you clean yourself up.

He won’t tell the mentally ill person wow off your meds again? Call on me when you get it together if you can get it together

God wants you right now , today and tomorrow ,just as you are right where you are and just as you are period. God loves us to much too ever leave us.

And when we talk to him he transforms us with grace and shows us the person we are , not the one we think we are. Even if we backslid he is there for us .

That is what John 3:16 means to me

But if we look at this is the Gospel the gospel come from the word EUANGELION

And in that word is Angel which means messenger

So the Gospel actually means ”The Good Message”

John 3:16

Outline

The surpassing quality of Gods love – For God So loved the world the focus word is So its all the agonies, all the merci, it’s the truth that makes the devil tremble. So is the biggest little word.

To prove the love – look at Luke 23:43

Luke 23:43 New International Version (NIV)

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” God gave his only begotten son for us- he was sent here to die for us- just think about that .

In john 3:16 it also says whoever and that means everyone…..

The special promise of God’s Love – Look at Romans 10:9 New International Version (NIV)

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. This means if we will not parish- no fear from death. I know a few people that are so afraid of dying. When you believe you are freed from being afraif of death or you should be . Some people go through life afraid of death. Hey I don’t want to die but I am not afraid of it.

Because I am saved by the grace of God.

You need to receive God’s gift of eternal life from our Lord. You see the word death in the Bible doesn’t mean the end- it means separation. So everyone you know will either eternally be in the presence of God or live in the absence of God.. When we die our spirit is separated from the body and the spirit goes to be with the Lord. You only get to go with God if you believe. So make the decision to receive that gift today right now.

Now should not perish means –it doesn’t mean to be annihilated.

2 Corinthians 5:8 New International Version (NIV)

8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

So all this is in one area of the Bible …..as I said I love learning and understanding the Bible.

And I wanted to share this with you .

If you want to know God and have him work in your life

We have to choose him and enjoy everlasting life please say this prayer with me.

Dear God, I admit I’ve sinned and fallen short of your glory. I realize the penalty for my sin is death, and I believe it was paid by the blood of your only son Jesus Christ. I’m willing to repent of my sins, and I now confess Christ as my Savior and make Him the Lord of my life. Lead me to understand your word and be with me always . Thank You Lord In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you have just said that prayer you have become saved – born again and welcome to the family. May I suggest that you reach out to a good bible based church , if you have the ability to get a bible start to read it. God Bless You

John316