Comments by David J. Stewart,
webservant of Jesus-is-Savior.com. The picture to the right is an actual
thermal scan of my spine, which a chiropractor took of my neck in 2006. This is a
good picture of what I feel in my neck 24/7, and have endured since March of
2004. I cannot even have a normal conversation with people because my neck
feels like it's ready to explode. Nothing has helped me. I am suffering in
misery still as of 2011.
The above link is to Amazon.com where they sell 19 books relating to nerve damage and how to cope with it. I have suffered with chronic neck pain and stiffness since 2004 due to cervical (neck) degenerative disk disease. My condition worsened. In 2006 I was diagnosed with neuropathy (nerve damage), stenosis (narrowing of the nerve path in my neck) and radiculopathy (tingling, weakness, pain, and burning extending down my arms and legs). I had ACDF surgery in 2009 and again in 2010 to redo the first surgery. I had a hip bone graft the second time. Consequently, I was left worse off than before I got surgery. Not only do I still have all of my original symptoms, but now I have more pain, tingling, weakness, burning, and a feeling of a covering over my arms and legs (mostly the right side). My right leg feels like it's half asleep all the time, which feels strange and causes me to limp.
As of September if 2012 I am a mess. My arms burn inside like they're on fire. I have agonizing toothache-like pain in my neck. I have sharp radiating, stabbing, pain down my right leg and right arm. I am sad from the medications. I fight depression on a daily basis. I hardly ever have the motivation to do anything anymore. I feel bad about myself. I don't want to live anymore like this. Yet I find strength listening to Alexander Scourby read the Bible. I don't have a social life, at all. I can't be around people because I am so irritable. People don't understand. They panic when I tell them how messed up I am, like they need to do something but don't know what, so the shun me away instead as being weird. This is hell on earth I assure you. There's nothing that anyone can do medically to help me (so the doctors keep saying). No one seems to care.
Most people don't understand that pain, chronic neck stiffness (which feels like my neck is going to explode with tension), and nerve damage—can cause a person to become depressed, irritable, have mood swings, fatigue, anxiety, and a feeling of utter hopelessness and of being overwhelmed. I went through all of that. I lost my career. I lost my home and my pets. I lost the desire to live. I had both surgeries alone without a soul in the world by my side. I wanted to commit suicide, and would have if it weren't for my faith in God.
I don't understand life oftentimes, but I do have the peace that passeth all understanding (that only comes from casting all my cares upon the Lord in prayer). See Philippians 4:6-7 and 1st Peter 5:7. I've learned that God doesn't visibly work in days, months or even years. You can only see the clear hand of God working in hindsight when viewing decades. I pray for the Lord to help me. I have prayed innumerable times for His bodily healing. I have asked. I have presented my requests and supplications to the Lord. Thus, I have accepted that my health problems are His will for me. I have been called into a ministry of suffering for the Lord. God has used my sufferings to give me a tender heart. I have never seen the grace of God as I do now. I've never truly understood the grace and mercy of God as I do now. God is good and blessed be the name of our Lord in Heaven!
I go into a restaurant and sit down at a table. I look normal, but I feel burning from head to toe at times, sharp pain radiating down the entire right side of my body. Both of my arms feel puffed-up, but my right arm feels twice it's normal size. My right leg feels half-asleep all the time. I have agonizing toothache-like pain in the bony area of the back of my neck, with chronic neck tension. My neck pain radiates into my facial area and gums, making them feel sore. The neck pain by itself is absolutely debilitating, making me want to die and go to Heaven. I take 140-160 mg. of Oxycontin daily, and praise God for it, because without it I cry in pain and cannot survive. Yet the medications adversely affect me.
How in the world am I supposed to enjoy my meal, carry on a conversation, and live normally? I try, but my body is afflicted. I live alone because of all this, and it is lonely often. It is my burden, the cards I have been dealt in life, and I can only cope daily with God's help. The neck pain is so bad as I am typing, which is why I am typing, it helps me to preoccupy my mind. Why do you think this website is so big? I've had increasing horrible pain in both hands lately.
If you are suffering from neuropathy, stenosis, and radiculopathy like I have been since 2004, my heart goes out to you. I do understand. I have no real social life because of my bodily afflictions. At times my condition is bearable, and at other times unbearable. God is good and I know that suffering is a part of this earthly life, but Jesus said to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). I don't hope to have eternal life; but rather, I have the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2). You'll think this is crazy, but when I get depressed, I watch or listen to something about the New World Order.
It reminds me that time is running out for the world, the Lord's return must be near, and I feel cheered up in knowing the Christ is coming soon. I like to hear Alex Jones at PrisonPlanet.tv daily, of which I am a member. I love when Alex goes into his rants, saying exactly what I would say if I had the chance. Alex does what he does better than anybody, that is, unlocking minds with the truth, fighting against tyranny and corruption, and defending liberty and freedom.
Thank
you for those who pray for me regularly and this needful ministry. It is the
Lord's ministry. God has given me a loud voice in cyberspace. I gladly take
this ministry which God has given to me very seriously and humbly. I care!
Presently as of June 2012 this ministry is receiving 315,000 visitors per
week. That's 45,000 visitors on average per day. Amen! I've never taken a
penny and never will. This is a labor of God's unconditional love. I love
you all in the Lord whoever you may be!
I ask for the continued prayers of my web visitors. I've felt overwhelmed lately from my health afflictions. I saw the picture to the left and immediately my mind said, “That's it! That's exactly how I feel inside my body. That's it!” Peripheral Neuropathy is a horrible thing to suffer, which causes daily spasms of burning throughout my nervous system, intermittent sharp radiating pain in my arms and legs, aching pain from head-to-toe and overwhelming fatigue that causes me to have to take some medications and rest.
I seldom go places anymore due to my afflictions. I'm a homebody by nature. I went out to eat last night, which I rarely do. I asked if I could sit outside, because of my suffering and didn't want to be around people. The burning, tingling, pain and neck tension all overwhelm me at times, as last night. I have a noticeable limp in my right leg when I walk. If I walk for a while it's not as noticeable. It's when I sit down and then get back up that my leg doesn't want to move.
I ordered a turkey and cheddar sandwich with some potato soup. I ate the soup and only half of my sandwich. I just didn't feel too well. I felt like crying. I tried to shift in my chair due to the radiating pain down my right leg. It feels like a razorblade is passing across my nerves (from my neck down my right arm and leg) into my right finger and right toe. And then there's the chronic tension inside my neck, which feels like the back of my neck is being ripped out. It never goes away. It feels like a golfball is stuck in my neck, ready to burst out. I have constant toothache-like neck pain (where the bone is located in back), which radiates into my facial area. The other night it felt like a knife was behind my right. My face feels sore all over continually. The pain radiates from my neck upward. Since it's close to my head, it makes me irritable understandably. If that wasn't enough to endure, then there's the burning, tingling and both of my arms feeling like swollen air-bags all the time. That second surgery really messed me up.
When I left the restaurant I left Gospel of John and a $20 tip. My meal was only $20. I drive a 20-year-old car so I have extra money to give to the homeless and share with others. I hate money. People can have it all if that's what they love so much. My Bible says you CANNOT serve God and mammon (wealth). It's impossible. The difference between the two mindsets is staggering!
I knew a couple that were so money-hungry that they wouldn't even leave a nice tip after a meal. They are consumed with making their next dollar. The are jealous of anyone who has anything, because they want it all. It's so sad and sinful. Their minds are cloudy with the love of money. Every dollar counts to them and they dare not let one escape. My afflictions have changed my entire view of life and everything. Money means absolutely nothing to me.
The mind who loves God is vastly different from the mind that only loves wealth, pleasures and the cares of this world. Jesus warned about these hindrances to soul-winning in Luke 8:14-15. People who care about money DON'T care about the things of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:20-21). My afflictions are a blessing from the Lord in that they humble me daily. I just have to be careful not to allow my sufferings to overwhelm me with grief and depression. I have a ministry of suffering.
People sometimes get nervous when they sense that I'm suffering, because they don't know what to say or do. There's nothing they can do. I used to try to break the tension by telling people that I have Peripheral Neuropathy. I said that one day and a married couple in their 50's literally took two-steps backwards. That hurt. I don't have Bubonic Plague! They sincerely didn't know what that term meant, so I don't use it anymore. So then I started telling people that I have a damaged spinal cord, but that freaked some people out. So now I just tell people that I have a messed up neck. This is better.
These are heavy burdens I carry, but the Lord promised that He wouldn't give us more than we can handle (1st Corinthians 10:13). My sufferings have brought me closer to God. Due to a series of adversities in my life, I started this ministry for the Lord in April of 2002. Like a pregnant woman in travail, I had so much to tell the world. My neck problems started in March of 2004. At that time my website was still very small, but by the end of 2004 this website took off and hasn't stopped growing in popularity since (as infamous or famous as it may be). I have more visitors in one week today than I had for the entire years of 2002, 2003 and 2004 combined. Praise God!
My sufferings have matched the growth of this ministry. I believe that God gave me a thorn in the flesh—yes, to humble me and test me; but first and foremost to give me a more perfect understanding of the grace of God. God has opened my eyes through afflictions to precious truths I never could have grasped had I not been afflicted. God has given to me a more tender heart and humility and understanding that all the gold in the world cannot purchase. Thank you Lord! Scriptures that I had read my entire life started to take on new meaning. Passages that I had glanced over and nothing moved me before, now struck me to the heart as if God had written His Words just for me when He authored them. No one wants to suffer, but there are lessons and blessings that can only be learned through much suffering and pain.
God has given me a voice to preach the truth in cyberspace. It could end at any time if it be God's will, but until that time comes I'm going to uplift the King James Bible, elevate the precious Lord Jesus Christ, contend for the Christian faith, preach the Gospel to get sinners saved, love sinners with the truth and expose government tyranny and crimes that enslave men and destroy liberty. There is much work to be done, and the fields are ripe unto harvest, but the laborers are few. What opportunities, talents, skills and resources has God given to you that can be used for Him? What group of people can you reach that others can't? Everyone has a field of opportunity, uniquely given by God to them.
I knew a garbage truck driver that hand wrote the Gospel, Scripture-by-Scripture, on 3x5 cards and passed them out to folks on his routes. Don't make the mistake of thinking that no one will listen TO YOU, because when you witness the Gospel you have no idea who is listening in their heart.
You never know what God's Spirit is doing in someone's heart. There are so many suffering people today. You can see it on their faces. They need answers, but all they're getting is garbage from televangelists who only want to their money. I heard a beautiful Scripture last week while listening to Alexander Scourby read the Bible (I love the audio Bible). Proverbs 29:10, “The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.” Even when a wicked person is trying to harm a righteous man, the righteous man is seeking to win his soul to Christ. Isn't that beautiful?
I often feel as Job who said in his sorrow and misery...
Job 10:1, “My soul is weary of my life.”
Most People Don't Understand
It is sometimes frustrating that people cannot see my afflictions, because I've learned that people by nature don't believe what they cannot see. Outwardly I look fine; but inwardly I feel physical burning, tingling, puffiness, pain and weakness all the time. The back of my neck feels stiff all the time. An EEG showed that it's not the muscles. Whatever is causing the stiffness/tension is within my neck/spinal cord.
On a scale of 1-to-10 it's a constant 5-6 and 8-9 when really bad. It's the same dull, aching, gnawing, debilitating, constant, chronic, toothache-like, neck pain that I feel radiating into my facial area. It all comes from the bony area in back of my neck...
“The nerves of the neck, when irritated can lead to head pain that travels from the neck to the top of the skull and around the ears. Sometimes the pain can radiate into the face or eyes. These headaches can make it difficult to think clearly.”
SOURCE: Southridge Chiropractic Clinic
That's what I suffer with continually every day. The tingling, burning and pain extends down into my right arm, which feels puffed up continually. My multiple health problems with neck and nerves have ruined my life...
“In severe cases, with chronic neck pain, the sufferer may also experience depression, mood swings (anger and anxiety), irritability, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and even drug dependency connected to the incident.”
SOURCE: Neck Pain - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatments
It is encouraging to hear someone else describe and be able to relate to what I am going through. I suffer from all the things mentioned. I've been taking 10 mg. of Ambien for years now to help me sleep at night due to my nerve problems. It works for me. The over-the-counter sleep aids from the store are the worst things in the world in my opinion. They dehydrate my sinuses, cause dry mouth, hallucinations, and actually prevent me from getting a good night's sleep. Ambien doesn't do any of that, although I heard someone else say it doesn't work for them who only took 5 mg. of Ambien.
I recently bought a couple books to help me cope with my nerve afflictions, because it has been overwhelming lately. I've been progressively getting worse since 2004. To make matters worse, I came home from my 2nd failed neck surgery in 2010 with puffed-up airbags for arms. I was worse than before. I now have intensified burning, tingling, and shooting pain in my arms and legs. Under the same circumstances I would have chose both surgeries again. I never thought of nurses and doctors as abusive people, but I sure do now.
Doctors today are thug drug-dealers for big Pharma, not true healers like once. There are some great doctors and surgeons, but I haven't been so blessed to find any. I've seen 8 neurosurgeons since 2004 and none of them really seemed to know what they are doing. Unfortunately I can't just keep going to more doctors because insurance won't pay for it. I've even paid out-of-pocket for second opinions, but no one has been able to identify the problem in my neck. Unless you're a multi-millionaire or V.I.P., you're dog meat to the medical industry.
Thankfully, the radiating pain is intermittent although it has made me depressed that I cannot do things like I used to. My fingers hurt badly while typing on a keyboard and I'm continually switching fingers. My right forefinger hurts badly after picking my guitar for awhile and I have to stop. It makes it difficult to spend any quality time on my guitar. I can play, but I can't really invest time into the instrument like I want to. I am blessed, yet suffering. I feel both emotions at the same time, because I have both realities at the same time.
One book that has encouraged me is PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY by Norman Latov, MD, PhD, who shares his own medical afflictions (neuropathy) with others to encourage them. Dr. Latov states..
Functioning day to day is not easy. Living with neuropathy teaches you very quickly that you cannot take anything for granted. Just a few years ago, if someone had told me that walking up a flight of stairs could be agonizing and make me feel like I'd just climbed Mount Everest, I wouldn't have believed them. Let me tell you: I believe them now.
From the outside, you could never know anything is wrong. In fact, someone recently said how lucky I was that no one can tell I have this disease. Actually, it's a double-edge sword. I don't want people to think something is wrong with me. On the other hand, I often feel like I'm suffering in silence because no one understands what I'm living with. I try very hard to hide what I'm going through. ...
When you are diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, you constantly are confronted with what life was like “before” and “after.” “Before” meant living without having to think about every little thing you do. It meant walking down stairs without having your heart skip a beat as you fear you may tumble down instead of walk down. “Before” meant taking a step without having to take a step.
“After” means thinking before doing. When you wake up in the morning, you get out of bed, remembering to be careful not to lose your balance.
SOURCE: PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY: When the Numbness, Weakness, and Pain Won't Stop; by Norman Latov, MD, PhD; pages 103-104; ISBN-13:978-1-932603-59-0
My condition is caused my cervical degenerative disk disease, although no precise diagnosis has ever been made. I haven't been fortunate enough yet to find a doctor that can really diagnosis me. They are uncertain. After exhausting all conventional treatments (cervical traction, chiropractor, physical therapy, strengthening exercises, steroid injections, hot and cold packs and medications), surgery was the final treatment (twice). No one has any more answers except to cope with the suffering by taking massive amounts of prescription pain-killers.
The first surgery was Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) on my neck in 2009. The second was a revision of the 1st surgery a year later. I was given a z-tech implant on the 1st surgery. When I met with the 2nd surgeon at a different hospital (I didn't dare go back to the first since they had their shot at helping me and failed), he said that my neck pain would never stop unless my bones fused. A ct scan showed that c5-c6 were fusing, but not c6-c7. So I had a revision surgery with a hip graft from my left side to insert into my neck between C5-C6-C7. The second surgery intensified my radiculopathy (burning, tingling and pain radiating down into my arms and legs). I still have stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord passage in my neck). I still have bone spurs, and C4-C5 is partially slipped.
My body is a physical mess, riddled with sharp nerve pain, tingling, burning, puffiness and constant chronic neck pain and stiffness. As I type the sharp nerve pain is an 8 out of 10 into my left toe. It hurts bad. It won't last, but 10-minutes from now it will be my right to, or my left middle finger, or my right thumb. The radiating nerve pain is the only thing that is intermittent, everything else is constant is varying degrees. I take 120-160 mg. of Oxycontin daily to cope.
Prescription Drugs Withdrawals
I have gone through several periods of hellish drug withdrawals over the years. It was very difficult when I went cold-turkey from taking 60 mg. of Morphine Sulfate daily for a year. The only reason I was able to kick the drug was because I continued taking 8 Percocet 10/325 daily during the withdrawal period. I developed tiny red spots on both sides of my abdomen, which scared me. I felt like I was going to die. I took hot showers hourly, ate popcorn and comfort foods to ease the suffering, watched some TV to preoccupy my mind, took short walks, and felt like the world was coming to and end. This lasted for 5-days until I was finally free from the withdrawal symptoms. This was in March of 2010.
In December of 2010 I went through the same thing (minus the spots) when I went cold-turkey and stopped taking Dilaudid. I had been taking 4 mg. daily for 6 months. I was still taking 100 mg. of Oxycontin daily which helped me kick the Dilaudid, which is a HIGHLY addictive drug (it's called drugstore heroine). Now I'm taking 120 mg. daily of Oxycontin and I'm trying to stop taking any Percocet 10/325's with it, because I feel drugged out. It's my neck pain, like the worst toothache you can imagine, but in my neck where the bony area is located in the back.
The pain radiates into my facial area, making my gums sore, my face in general, and my eyes irritated by constant bright lights. It's hell. I mean hell. The pain in my neck and the ripping tension is so close to my head, that it has ruined my personal and social life. The neck pain is so bad at times that I have to close my eyes to concentrate when I'm talking to people, and that scares some people.
People and Family Just Can't and Don't Understand My Bodily Afflictions
One of the difficulties I face is that people cannot see my nerve damage and don't understand, my family included. I am afflicted day and night. Neuropathy, stenosis and radiculopathy have ruined my life. Two neurosurgeons thought I have cervical osteo-arthritis and told me I'd have to suffer; but the other 5 neurosurgeons weren't sure. 2 of the surgeons did surgery, but it didn't help. The pain in my neck requires me to take 120 mg. of Oxycontin and 2 Percocet 10/325's per day to survive. It only takes the edge off the pain.
Again, my multiple health problems with neck and nerves have ruined my life. This is what I've gone through, and am going through daily...
In severe cases, with chronic neck pain, the sufferer may also experience depression, mood swings (anger and anxiety), irritability, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and even drug dependency connected to the incident.
SOURCE: Neck Pain - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatments
My neck chronic neck pain and stiffness began instantly in March of 2004. Literally, I was ok one day and messed up the next. I used my head to turn my body during the night and felt a hot-flash in my neck. I woke up with horrible toothache-like neck pain and ripping neck tension. I have had that pain and stiffness every single day since 2004. A year later I slipped and fell in late 2005, which caused radiculopathy to start in my arms and legs (mostly the right side of my body). What a nightmare! I kept working full-time and suffered, not knowing what to do until my life eventually fell apart drastically. I still didn't know what to do, but was finally able to get surgery, which didn't help me. I trusted another neurosurgeon to help me and he wanted to redo the 1st surgery, which made me worse.
I was rear-ended by a church bus in 1992. My seat was broken I got hit so hard. I went to the hospital for x-rays to see if my neck was broken. They said I was fine, but I wasn't. Evidently I had a crooked neck from then on, called Reverse Cervical Curve. The first chiropractor that I saw in 2004 told me that whiplash is a common cause of Cervical Degenerative Disk Disease 15-20 years later as the body ages. That's likely what started my problems, and then I fell and it compounded my injuries. My neck was ready to fall apart and was bound to happen from one thing or another. I'm thankful to God that I was able to go for so many years without noticing any neck problems. Time takes it's toll.
People can't see my pain, tingling, the puffy feeling in my arms and legs, my right leg and arm feel half asleep all the time, my neck has pain like a severe throbbing toothache that never goes away, and the neck tension makes my neck feel like a balloon is filled up with air ready to explode. Add all this together and I'm a bodily, emotional, nervous wreck. Everything irritates me and I can't even have a pet for company. I can only sleep about 5 hours, even after taking 10 mg. of Ambien. I take calcium and Gabapentin to help me sleep. If I'm fortunate I can fall back asleep. I regularly work on my website ministry in the wee hours of the morning because I can't sleep. At times I don't want to live anymore, but I know God has a purpose for my existence. People just don't understand, nor can they.
I can't write the rest of this chapter of my life because I'm stuck and don't know where to go from here. My health problems are overwhelming, and the most frustrating thing is that people can't see what I'm going through. I smile and am kind to people, while my entire body hurts and burns inside because of the nerve damage. Only God knows my horrible neck pain and stiffness; and the burning, tingling, weakness, puffiness, and shooting pain in my arms and legs... crying out from my body 24 hours a day. My neck pain is debilitating at times, feeling like the worst toothache imaginable in the bony area of the back of my neck. The pain is dull, constant and throbbing, radiating into my facial area, my gums feel sore, my eyes feel sore, my face feels sore. It's hell, pure hell on earth.
I know that I've repeated myself quite a few times here, but I'm just writing what I feel. Others may judge and condemn me, and some do; but I love everyone in the Lord.
It hurts as I type, which is why I am typing. I feel better typing out what I feel when it hurts really bad, taking my mind off of things. Why do you think my website is so big? God is using my pain for His glory and purpose. I make my webpages dark because the nerve-endings in my eyes are sensitive due to the inflammation in my neck. Even light irritates my nerves because of the horrible pain. It's indescribable. I love people and don't blame them for being human, but it is a horrible burden for me to deal with every day. 10-years ago I wouldn't have understood what I'm going through today.
I remember when my mother was alive, having her left leg amputated. I saw the bloody stump and saw her crying in pain. I didn't understand back then what she was feeling and I'm sure I still don't. I can't even imagine. She was given morphine, but they can only give a person so much, and so patients suffer. I'm so glad that my mother's bodily afflictions and pain stopped at the age of 65, when she went to be with the Lord August 20th, 2001. My mother had her right leg amputated just above the foot weeks prior to her death. Oh how she suffered. My mother had a paralyzing stroke at age 52, and it was downhill from there. But she never stopped having a strong faith in the Lord. Even on her death bed she said, “I have the best Physician.” I was sad to see her suffering and replied, “I know you have a good doctor.” She said, “I have the Great Physician!” Then I realized that she was talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen for her testimony. I started my online ministry the year after my mom went to be with the Lord.
Even when I attend church people don't understand. I have to explain my situation to everyone, but they still don't understand what I'm suffering inside because I look fine. How do you show someone nerve pain, tingling, weakness, and chronic neck pain and stiffness? You can't! I take 120-160 mg. of Oxycontin daily, but it only takes the edge off of the pain. Pardon me if I repeat certain things over and over, I'm just writing from my heart what I feel (or should I say, from my body what I feel). I am hurting from head-to-toe as I type.
My life is an open book for my web visitors to benefit from. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not feeling sorry for myself; I'm just feeling afflicted bodily from head to toe, which affects my emotions and entire life. I think of this dear woman when I think I have it bad. I think of the poor woman whose face was eaten away by her friend's chimpanzee. It's all over the internet, just do a websearch. She was on the Oprah Winfrey Show a couple years ago. Her eyes, nose, mouth... all gone. Her fingers too! I hate those ugly animals. Wild animals belong in the jungle where God put them. What I'm going through isn't anywhere near as bad as the horror these women are enduring; yet my afflictions are overwhelming at times. I have difficulty sitting in church. My neck feels like it's going to explode. It makes me feel claustrophobic, like my head wants to explode from a pinched spinal cord. It's not like I can just pretend it's not as bad as it is. You'll either pray for me or criticize me. I hope you'll pray for me as I do you and all my web visitors.
I met with a specialist in August of 2011 for an EMG, which showed nothing. In an EMG test, the doctor sticks a dozen or two needle probes into you and then wipes the area with alcohol after removing the needle. The bleeding stops almost right away, but my left triceps muscle didn't (it took about 5-minutes to stop bleeding and I saw the doctor get nervous). Doctors usually get nervous when they put holes in patients that don't stop bleeding...lol. I had an EMG of both arms, legs and neck. The tests showed no problems. If there is any muscle activity, the machine makes a sound like a Geiger counter. While relaxed, your muscles should be quiet, which mine were, except for a little noise on the left arm triceps. Thus, the test confirmed that my weakness, tingling, burning and pain in my limbs in coming from within my neck (from the spinal cord according to the MRI test). I have a bone spur at C5-C6, a mild herniated disk at C3-C4, stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord pathway) and mild spinal cord compression.
I've been told that further surgery won't help me, but will likely make me worse as did the last surgery. I've all but given up hope of ever getting better after having 2 failed surgeries; but I cannot live like this, so I'll keep pestering doctors to help me. Please keep me in your prayers, really, I mean that. I do believe in prayer. It's not just a therapy. There's a personal God up in Heaven Who listens and answers every prayer. He may so no, maybe, not yet, or yes; but He will answer (Philippians 4:6). I've been praying constantly since 2004 for healing, but I am now convinced that this is God's will to keep me humble.
I started
my online ministry at Jesus-is-Savior.com in April of 2002. After my neck
problems started in March of 2004, my website began to grow by leaps and
bounds several months later, reaching souls for Jesus Christ around the
world. As of 2012, over 57,000,000 million people have visited my ministry.
I have received countless e-mails from people around the world, thanking me
that they found the Lord through this ministry of truth and love. Of course,
I haven't been able to handle all my e-mails for a couple years now, it's
just too much for me to handle.
Ernest Hemmingway Suffered Much in Pain
The famous author, Ernest Hemingway was enjoying life and everything was fine until one day at age 52 he and his wife were involved in a plane crash while visiting Africa. Ernest suffered broken ribs and serious internal injuries. Unbelievably, their plane crashed again days later while going to get medical help. This time Ernest had cerebral fluid leaking from his head and was seriously injured. When they finally reached Italy weeks later Hemingway found out that he had sustained serious damage to his kidneys, liver and had extensive damage to his body.
Hemingway was a mess and never recovered from his injuries, suffering for the rest of his life. He went to Mayo Clinic at age 61 in Minnesota and received electrical shock for depression, came home and blew his brains out with a shotgun at his new home in Idaho. What a sad story. Hemingway suffered much in pain and I can relate to his affliction, although I am convinced that he had it worse. I enjoyed my life until one day in 2004 my chronic pain and neck stiffness began, and it's been downhill ever since. My life ended in March of 2004. Now I am just surviving.
Amazon has books about real people suffering from nerve damage, to comfort others. It is good to know you are not alone. And what you are experiencing is not in your head. It is also very depressing as there still is no cure. Of all the dozens of doctors, chiropractors, surgeons, pain specialists, neuro-radiologists, and so-called professionals that I've seen; no one ever told me that there are many books and some alternative homeopathic remedies available to alleviate my suffering. I've lost my life because of my health problems and affliction. Here is what one author says about neuropathy and nerve suffering...
Peripheral neuropathies are a large group of chronic illnesses that cause changes in your life far beyond simply damaging nerves. Sufferers often confront pain, weakness, depression, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia. In addition there are long term changes in roles and relationships.
Dr. Berman tackles these psychological and social issues in Coping with Peripheral Neuropathy from the viewpoint both of an experienced psychiatrist and of a fellow-sufferer with neuropathy. He details strategies to deal with changing roles at work and at home. He explores relationships and sexuality.
Dr. Berman lays the groundwork for learning to cope and improve your quality of life in the face of these chronic diseases. He draws on experience treating chronically physically ill patients including neuropathy patients, as well as his own experience of having a neuropathy for ten years. Many good references are included to expand your knowledge and provide additional help.
Surgery Hasn't Helped, Made Me Worse
Below are MRI snapshots from before my first surgery (left, 2008), after the first surgery (middle, 2009), and now after my second surgery (right, 2010).
December 2008 |
November 2009 |
November 2010 |
Most neurosurgeons won't do surgery unless a person has noticeable loss of function in their limb(s). I would get both surgeries again under the circumstances, but I regret getting the 2nd surgery, which really messed me up, causing my arms to feel like air bags all the time (with burning and sharp pain extending down into my forefingers when I use them). Mostly my right side is affected. I only got the second surgery because the surgeon thought he could help me. He thought a hip bone graft would help take away my neck pain. It didn't.
Surgery is always a catch-22 situation because you're likely not going to get better without it, and you may or may nor get better with it. I had read in multiple places that slipped disks often heal themselves over the years. That's not true if you have a degenerative condition like I do, where things can only progress worse.
Flax Seeds Are Healthy for a Diet
I feel good about myself
physically when I eat ground flax seeds. I take them every other day,
sometimes multiples times in one day. I like V-8
juice (which contains 8 different vegetables). V-8 tastes mostly like tomato
juice. I like to grind 2-4 tablespoons of fresh flax seed to a cup of
refrigerated V-8 juice. I think they go good together. I grind the flax seeds with a small coffee bean
grinder for about 4-5 seconds. I add ground flax seeds
to my diet. Many people die from colon cancer. They spend their time
worrying about beautifying the outside, but genuine health begins on the
inside. Flax Your Way To Better to
Health. I take my vitamin supplements with food or
a cup of V-8 mixed with 2-4 tablespoons of fresh ground flax. Here's
26 flax-yeast
bread recipes.
Homeopathic Nutrients
They haven't helped me, but maybe they'll help you, depending on the cause of your symptoms. I think anything's worth a try. No one told me about this stuff, I found it while doing an internet search, desperate to find some kind of help to alleviate my suffering. I started taking a homeopathic product called NerveFix. It hasn't done anything to help me, but perhaps it will help you. From my understanding, it is effective in alleviating tingling and numbness that isn't caused by a failed surgery or trauma.
At first I thought perhaps the product was helping a bit, but after extended use I have to conclude that it hasn't done anything to alleviate my symptoms. I am suffering so much. My hands have been hurting so badly in my thumbs and forefingers from shooting nerve pain. My tingling and puffiness is so bad that nothing is going to take it way. My right thumb in particular feels like it's being squeezed. If I were the President, then I'd have 10 neurosurgeons working on me; but I'm just a smuck who gets whatever is available, and so I am without hope of getting better in this life.
I've been reading that some people have nerve tingling and other problems from diabetes. Unfortunately, I have spinal cord damage from surgery when the surgeon ground a bone spur away, scare tissue, et cetera. I don't know exactly what went wrong, but the first surgery caused more pain in my right arm and leg, and the 2nd surgery caused my arms to feel like puffed-up airbags. I've been taking more B-1, B-6 and B12. I take a product called, Gaba-Plus (gamma-aminobutyric acid). It's supposed to support a healthy nervous system and brain health. I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached. I recently drove 10 miles to Home Depot, picked out some items, scanned them at the self-checkout, and then went to reach for my wallet which I forgot at home. I put the items back and went home in frustration. I am forgetting things lately. I am so tired of suffering, physically and emotionally, but God somehow sustains me. God is my strength.
I take various nutrients from Vitamin World; including 600 mg. daily of Calcium (with vitamin D3 for healthy bones), 500 mg. of Resveratrol (grape seed extract for a healthy heart), 500 mg. of Ester-C (loaded with antioxidants to ward of sickness), Triple Omega 3-6-9 fish oil (which also has flax seed oil), 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 (promotes bone, colon and breast health), 4 mg. of Astaxanthin (for healthy skin), Psyllium Husks (for regularity and colon health), and GREENE SOURCE multi-vitamins. Since I take pain killers that dehydrate my body, it's important that I take flax for fiber and Psyllium Husks to stay regular (and I drink water continually). It's more important to maintain a steady supply of water throughout the day, than it is to drink a lot of water at one time. Also, Calcium helps calm the body, which I take before bedtime to promote better sleep. I also take 30 mg. of Maitake Mushroom Extract (supports immune system function).
It's really hard to do anything
good for my health, when I know that my arms and legs and neck will be
messed up the rest of my life. I just want to die and get it over with. I
wouldn't mind living to 100 if I had a healthy body, but being in pain all
the time and suffering with nerve damage is not the quality of life I would
want to have until 100. I hope with all my heart that I die at a much
earlier age, but it is God's decision and not mine. I don't want to go out
one limb at a time from diabetes or other health problems caused by poor
diet. Still, who knows what will happen. There are a million things that can
happen to a person in this fragile life and body. If I died tomorrow, I
would be happy in Heaven. I am ready to go. For me to live is Christ and to
die is gain. My mind and heart are on Heaven. You can have this crazy world.
All I want to do is help people for the Lord until I die, laying up rewards
in Heaven (Matthew 6:20). Jesus is precious!
Adjustable Bed
The adjustable bed hasn't helped, but it hasn't made my neck worse either. Bad posture aggravates my neck, so I need to watch my posture. Good posture doesn't help alleviate any of my suffering, but it doesn't aggravate it like slouching or sleeping crooked does. I bought a Tempurpedic bed after my second surgery, thinking I had bought a good thing. But I found myself stacking 5 or 6 pillows to prop my head up when not sleeping or watching a movie. The bed was flat and I found myself stacking pillows to sit up, which was aggravating my neck. My spine was crooked because of the pillows and my symptoms got worse. So I gave the bed away in July of 2011 and bought an adjustable bed instead, which is the best investment I could have made.
Instead I bought an adjustable S-cape model bed made by Leggett & Platt, which allows you to raise your feet and/or head separately. The bed even has a vibrating massage feature, with a wave function. It's really nice compared to what I had. I didn't get a head board and didn't need it. The bed just plugs into any normal electrical outlet. If your spinal cord is messed up, don't suffer needlessly like I did for so long with a flat bed that prompts you to stack pillows to sit up. Take it from me, lying crooked for an extended period of time is not good. Get an adjustable bed. A good bed won't make you better, but it won't make you worse either.
The Leggett & Platt bed even has a massage feature in it, which I didn't expect (it vibrates the mattress). Make sure you ask for the massage feature if you want it, because not all the beds have it. I have the wave feature, but it just seems to intensify the massage (which is nice if you want that). I had never thought about buying an adjustable bed, but it is a blessing on my neck. Your health is worth it. You can adjust the intensity of the vibration, to have a little bit or a lot. I usually just use the foot massage feature because my neck is aggravated by just about everything. The remote control is wireless, which is really nice.
Also, this bed is very soft, which increases blood circulation into the lower body. Many people don't know that a stiffer bed restricts blood circulation into the lower body. I've never had one, but I've heard that water beds are great for blood circulation. Albeit, I need an adjustable bed for my neck and this one is very soft. I'm really happy with it. I'll never go back to a flat bed after using this.
I stopped sleeping on my back years ago as I
got older. I just didn't feel comfortable being on my back anymore. So I
turned from side-to-side each night and slept good. Then I started feeling
pain in my hip from laying on my side, so I have been sleeping with a thick
pillow between my knees for several years now. However, now that my right
leg feels half asleep all the time due to nerve damage in my neck, the
pillow feels like it's cutting off my blood circulation. So what's really
nice about this new adjustable bed is that I can raise up my upper body just
a little bit and I now feel comfortable sleeping on my back. I haven't done
this in years. I still sleep on my side when the bed is flat, but I now have
both options. Sleeping takes up one-third or more of our lives and the bed
that we sleep in is important.
Trying to Improve My Health
I am desperate to help myself to cope with nerve damage, because the medical profession has been worthless to help me in the least way. Most healthcare professionals just don't care. If you have a health problem that won't go away, they don't want to hear about it. They just want to prescribe you pills every month and that's it. If there's legitimate healthcare available, I haven't been able to find it yet. Only God knows how bad my neck hurts all the time. I couldn't humanly possible go to all the different medical clinics where people recommend that I go. The insurance company won't keep paying for hit-and-miss visits to dozens of different doctors and surgeons. I tried to choose the best doctors I could.
I am also using a SOTA Magnetic Pulser, which so far hasn't seemed to do anything to help me in the least. It's only been a couple weeks so I am going to try it for a few months before making a final decision. It plugs into any electrical outlet. There's a bunch of crude homemade units being sold on the internet, but SOTA's unit is very professional looking. It was $325. It has a capacitor inside and fires an electrical wave into your body wherever you put the pad. It's supposed to help your body's natural electrical system (which is what makes your nerves work). Many people claim to have received relief from ailments by using a Magnetic Pulser. I haven't used it long enough to make a determination yet, but I really want to use it for a few months, daily, in hopes that it might help.
I've been taking NerveFix and I think that is helping me more than anything right now. I've been trying to take back my health by eating ground flax seeds daily (I grind the seeds myself), watching my posture, using the Magnetic Pulser, taking NerveFix, and I also take some GREEN SOURCE natural vitamins every day, drinking plenty of pure (no-fluoridated) water, and praying for God to heal me (or not) according to His will. I've also been trying to lose some weight. I did really good for a while, losing 40 pounds, but gained most of it back over time. I'd like to start dieting again and lose some weight. I'm about 35-40 lbs. overweight. I eat comfort foods to deal with my pain, tingling, et cetera. However, I don't want to make my health worse by eating my way to high blood-pressure or diabetes (which I don't have yet). Losing weight and a high-fiber diet is a sure cure for diabetes and high blood-pressure.
Regardless of my efforts to maintain the best health as possible, I'm still a mess and will be for the rest of my life. My arms feel like airbags. My right arm and right leg feel half asleep. My neck is sore day-and-night with toothache-like pain that afflicts me oh so horribly. I told the surgeon that my pain was mostly on the right side, but he was adamant that the MRI showed the left side. That shows me that they totally missed the problem (and they did for I am worse off now than I was before). I have stenosis of the spinal cord in my neck due to bone spurs, and permanent nerve damage (neuropathy) that causes radiculopathy in my arms and legs. Please pray for me, for God is my only hope.
I long for death, very much desiring to depart from this miserable life (which is no life at all). I am functional and thankful for that, but I have lost my desire to live because of the pain and problems in my limbs. It's no fun playing my pedal steel guitar when I can't feel my right leg. I can jog slowly for a minute or two, but I can't stand in one spot for more than 20 minutes at times because the pain becomes so bad in both legs. I have to go sit down. I can walk, although my right leg feels asleep. I've tried to adapt and get used to the new feelings in my body.
It was overwhelming when I came back from my 2nd surgery and both of my arms felt like puffed-up airbags. I remember thinking to myself, “My God, how I am I going to live like this?” It's surviving, not living. I went into a major depression and no man cared for my soul. I wanted to die, and still struggle daily with depression as of 2011. Everything irritates me, I don't even want a pet for company. I look fine from the outside, but I am afflicted inside. The burning, tingling, puffiness, pain and weakness in my arms and legs is not visible to others. All they can see is the limp in my right leg at times and when I close my eyes sometimes while talking because of the neck pain which radiates into my facial area continually.
I am very lonely. People don't understand, not even my own family. There's no way I can show them my bodily affliction. It is a burden that I must endure for the remainder of my miserable life (if you can call it that). I have to force myself to play guitar, take walks or do anything; because I am afflicted inside my body. I went into a serious depression for the longest time (over a year), which I finally realized was killing me slowly. My 2nd surgery made me worse and put me into a major depression. All I could think is, “My God in Heaven, how am I going to live like this the rest of my life, with my arms feeling twice their normal size and tingling all the time, and my right leg and arm feeling half asleep all the time?” This is in addition to my constant toothache-like neck pain and ripping tension (neck stiffness).
It's the little things throughout the day that have helped make life bearable... like eating flax with V-8 and healthier foods, praying to God about everything as the Bible commands (Philippians 4:6), listening to Alex Jones at PrisonPlanet.tv (the best source of alternative news available), and reading about people who have it worse than me. It helps to get your mind preoccupied with something else. Try to find something to focus your mind a few hours a day. Find a radio show that you enjoy. I don't like TV, but if that helps you, then just be careful what you watch. Cable is terrible these days. VH1 and FOX are evil to the core. I don't have cable nor do I watch much TV. In fact, I haven't watched TV for several months now. I listen to internet news and have bought several documentaries from infowars.com, and I also have bought several Christian films online to watch over and over. I love the Gospel of John starring Henry Ian Cusick.
I've tried rebounding (jumping up and down) on a personal-size trampoline, but I can't because of the pain in my neck and arms. Even gently bouncing aggravates my condition. But I still want to mention it to you because if you can tolerate rebounding, it may help your health. I had a Christian health teacher years ago who said that jumping on a trampoline for 5 minutes a day can correct near-sightedness in some people. As we get older the eyes tend to sag because of gravity. Using a trampoline re-strengthens the eye and internal components. I don't know if it works, but it sure makes sense to me. Too much of anything is bad. I've found many articles on the internet about the benefits of rebounding, but the only real evidence is what one experiences personally from trying it. It's not for me because of my medical situation.
I try to avoid deodorants that use aluminum, because it absorbs into the skin. People don't realize just how porous the skin is. All sorts of medication patches are now being prescribed. You just place a patch on your hip or arm and it releases pain medication into the body. I tried the Fentanyl Patch and it caused me to have a fever and feel sick, so I stopped using it. My point is that deodorants that use aluminum (which is used for its absorption properties) absorbs into your skin and is stored in the blood-brain barrier (which causes Alzheimer's disease). That is why so many Americans have Alzheimer's disease—because of all the aluminum in our shampoos, deodorants and most store-bought baking products. I use natural, organic deodorants.
I am continually battling my weight. Many medications, such as Gabapentin, cause weight gain. I've been taking Gabapentin off and on for years, but it only makes me sleepy. It hasn't helped my neuropathy at all. Yet I find myself taking medications just to help me relax. I've tried antidepressants like 50 mg. of Zoloft (which caused me to break out in rashes), Elavil (used as an alternative medication for nerve pain. It caused my taste-buds to stop working. My tongue felt coated with something, so I stopped taking it), and 1 mg. of Zanex (which made me feel like a zombie). I don't take anti-depressants now because they cause more suffering than relief. I tried .5 mg. of Klonopin twice a day (sometimes 3) for a couple months and it made me tired all day. Then I read how dangerous the drug is and stopped taking it. Some medications have affected my eyesight. Others made my feet and ankles swell up due to a drug interaction (I took Oxycontin, Percocet and Dilaudid all at once due to chronic pain). I didn't do that again. It's hell.
I thought it was interesting when I learned about some homeopathic remedies. For example: Many women experience tingling and numbness in their fingers because of the effects of perfumes that absorb into the skin, or due to aerosol perfumes that irritate the body. Use oil-based perfumes and you won't haven that problem anymore. It's true! I know firsthand that homeopathic medicine works. It is legitimate. Homeopathic remedies treats the root cause, not the symptoms like Allopathic doctors do (the drug dealing doctors). Most doctors are regulated strictly by the medical industry and big-Pharma companies.
There's trillions of dollars in the cut, burn and poison methods; so they won't make you better in most cases. By keeping you sick, or healing one problem and causing another... they have a lifetime cash-cow to milk. They're just like the greedy and rotten banks who issue credit cards to people, hoping to lure you into debt to the place where you can't get out. Likewise, the big-Pharma companies are greedy and rotten and want to get you to the place where you need monthly medications for the rest of your life. There are over 50 high-blood-pressure medications on the market now, and many of them you cannot stop taking once you start.
Few doctors are going to suggest that you eat a proper diet, or exercise, or drink plenty of pure water to lower your blood-pressure; but they all prescribe drugs, drugs, drugs. It's an evil scam. And those hypocrites swear a solemn Hippocratic oath to help people when they enter the medical profession. What a bunch of liars! If you have diabetes or high-blood-pressure, losing weight and drinking lots of pure water are the surest cure!!!
I never drink fluoridated tap water. I always drink pure water, and cook with pure water, and make my ice cubes with pure water. Fluoride causes weak bones and will rot your teeth, contrary to what scientists say. Good health starts on the inside and rots from the inside. You can brush and floss your teeth everyday and yet have your teeth all fall out if your diet consists of nothing more than French fries. You need vitamins if you don't eat a wife variety of foods. The food companies don't replenish the soil of essential nutrients, like Selenium.
I'm not being funny, but something
that helps me to cope with all my suffering is realizing that I could die at
any time, or tomorrow (Proverb 27:1). I try not to think about the rest of my life, because
it is scary and overwhelming to think that I will have to suffer with nerve
damage for the rest of my life. The key is to just take ONE DAY AT A TIME,
and don't think about tomorrow or you'll get depressed even more. Depression
is unavoidable. The promises of the
Word of God are as David said, yeah, sweeter than the honeycomb. I will hang
in there with God's help. One day at a time.
Christians Will Receive a New Body in Heaven
This thought encourages me more than anything else. God has promised me a new body, perfect and healthy. What a day that will be! I know some people don't believe in God, and I've considered the notion at times, but it's impossible to deny God's existence. When I see all the fresh vegetables and fruits in a grocery store, hundreds of varieties of great foods to eat, I am firmly convinced of a divine Creator who has blessed mankind with such foods. Evolution couldn't make all the different seeds, that all grow in the same exact dirt, and produce such a vast selection of tasty fruits and vegetables. God is a good God.
If you are suffering horribly like me, please know that I am your brother in pain. I would also like to be your brother in Jesus Christ. I want you to have the hope that I do of receiving a new body just like the Lord's body. This is exactly what God promises in the holy Scriptures to all who believe on Jesus Christ...
Philippians 3:20-21, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
What a wonderful thought! I definitely want a new body with no tingling, no puffiness, no weakness, no pain, no burning, no stiffness, no fatigue and no disabilities. Thankfully, I believe the Bible, which promises a new healthy body to every Christian. I am a born-again Christian. Jesus said in John 3:5 that a person cannot enter into the kingdom of God unless they are born-again by the Spirit of God. If you are suffering I plead with you to become a Christian. Why suffer all through this life and then go to Hell to be punished forever? I have a hard time accepting the Biblical teaching of everlasting hellfire, but do you know what, I am afraid not to obey God. Why take a chance? I'm not going to risk eternal doom in Hell. I'm on God's side. I am trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, Who forgave my sins and saved me.
All you need to do to become a Christian is acknowledge to God that you are a sinner and trust upon Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). Romans 3:19 says that the Law of God was given to humanity, that all the world would become guilty before God. We are all guilty of breaking God's Commandments. The Bible teaches in James 2:10 that breaking even one Commandment of God makes us guilty of breaking all. The reason is because even one sin is enough to keep us out of Heaven. No amount of good deeds or trying to undo our wrongs in life can erase the sins that we have committed. We all need a Savior. God sent His only begotten Son into the world to pay for our sins (John 3:16). Thus, eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9), paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). Everything has been paid for. God offers us the gift of eternal life, and the forgiveness of all our sins, if we'll simply receive Jesus as the Christ by faith (John 1:12).
The Old Testament Law shows us our sinfulness. The Ten Commandments are a measuring stick, which we have all broken, showing us our need for a Savior. Here's a wonderful Bible passage evidencing what I am teaching you. Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” That is very simple to understand. The Law shows us our sinfulness and need for redemption, and then points us to Jesus Christ, Who is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The only thing that has sustained me through all of my dire suffering is knowing that the God of the Bible has PROMISED to me a new body fashioned like unto my Savior's resurrected body. All you have to do is get saved. God won't force you to get saved. You must choose of your own freewill to receive Jesus Christ, trusting upon Him to forgive your sins and save you.
May I say, you don't have to be water baptized, nor attend church, nor do good works, nor keep the Sacraments, nor do anything to be saved other than believe on the Son of God as your personal Savior. Jesus paid it all. Our part is to believe, God does all the rest. Whatever changes that need to be made in your life, you can rest assure that God will attend to that as you grow in the Lord (1st Peter 2:2); but all that matters for salvation is that you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you trust upon Him by faith. Salvation is more than mere head knowledge, it is trusting in one's heart just enough to obey God by calling upon the name of the Lord. If you have even the smallest faith, just barely enough to appeal unto the name of Jesus to be forgiven of your sins, then you will be instantly and eternally saved. You get saved once, and just once. If saved, always saved!
No religion can save you. Every religion leads to Hell if you trust it to save you. Salvation is found in a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ! So many people have a difficult time understanding this because religion adds all sorts of works and requirements to get to heaven/ Don';\t you believe it! I am going to quote the Words of Jesus Christ Himself concerning the only WORK which a person must do to be saved. Here are Christ's Words from John John 6:29, “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Believing on Jesus Christ is the only work, because it's not a self-righteous work, to be saved. All other works are self-righteousness works (and a false gospel if they are added to childlike faith in the Lord). Simply acknowledge your guilt of sin and trust upon the Lord and you will be saved (Acts 10:43). We are the SINNERS and Jesus is the SAVIOR. Please receive Jesus now!
Thank you for allowing me to share my faith with you. I am not religious, but I do believe the Bible very much, every word of it! I have been an Independent Fundamental Baptist all my life, but that won't get me to Heaven. I don't go around telling people that I'm a Baptist; but rather, I tell people that I am a born-again Christian. Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world. Religion wants to fit you with glasses, but the Lord wants to open your eyes. I just want you to have the same blessed hope that I do of receiving a new body one day, perfect and healthy in every way. Wouldn't you like that also? Sure you would. I know I want a new body, sooner than later.
Only by believing on the name of Jesus Christ can you be saved and enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 4:10-12). Jesus has the nail-scared hands and feet, trust Him to save you. Simply believe in your heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, trusting Him to forgive and save you. Christ died, that's history; Christ died for me, that's salvation. He will forgive your sins and take you to heaven when you die, and you will be given a new body to enjoy eternity with the Lord and all that He has for you (Romans 8:32).
Hang in there, whoever you may be, you are not alone in your suffering. I love you in the Lord, which is why I made this entire website. I've never received a penny and never will, as this is a labor of love and I want the world to know it. I am a child of the King, and I simply want to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). This world is getting crazier each day. Surely, the Lord's return is closer than ever before and cannot be far away.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
