24 Comments

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This is beautiful Deb! Thank you for sharing. Also, Trei and I are so grateful that you were our photographer for our engagement shoot. You are so lovely, and so fun to be around. Thank you!

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Dear Rylee, thank you so much for inspiring me to get back out. I am very grateful for you and Trei. You are both so lovely to be around as well. Thank you for saying that. It warms my heart. I wish you both peace in the process of planning your future together and a beautiful life full of God's blessings, and no matter what, love always. Thank you for reading this. oxox

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This is so lovely. I read once "the pain is the way." You seem to have found the way.

I lost my brother 6 months ago to ALS. He experienced excruciating pain and an unimaginable emotional journey, yet it led him to pure joy in a way that I cannot yet articulate. I know what you mean. Thank you for sharing your story and sorry to you and John and the family of the friend. May he be at peace.

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Dear Shaista,

I am so very sorry for the loss of your brother 😔. ALS is so viscous. For your brother to feel joy.. he journeyed in the Spirit. It's truly amazing to transform, fall away from the flesh, and experience total peace and happiness. Harder for us to witness their peace because we know they are ready to be pain free in eternity.

As for my joy in pain, I realize how easy it is to have mental pain/depression (since 2020) and that just about got me for good. I thought I've already lived with so much pain how could I be totally overcome? How could it win? No way. I have so much life to live.

Thank you for leaving me such a kind comment and, once again, I am deeply sorry for your loss. ox

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Oh my goodness. That is a wild legacy of pain. Thank you for sharing your joy and zest for life, through all the painful and hard things that come at you. Makes me glad to be alive, too ☺️

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It's been real Jenn but I am grateful for all the cool things I've done and continue to do. Plus I live with a manic 😂 Thank you so much for reading. I am so glad you are here creating! ❤️ oxox

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Your strength of character (and body!) are an inspiration. I hope you have a good Wednesday!

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Oh my friend. I told you knee replacements are nothing using a Sports doctor. Mine worked on Saints players. My left knee no long crunches pain gone I can't predict weather anymore. I will do my right in a second if needed. Why? Because before my first I met an 83 year old lady. Swinging both knees a week after having them BOTH done. She was happy and walking so good. Very blessed. And in my recent wreck. I banged my left knee when the dash came back on it. Only a bruise. Nothing hurt. My latest testimony of how God has protected me ALL my life. I should have died at least 9 times but still here. The shoulder thing must be a short people thing my right started several months ago. Thought I slept on it wrong but after thinking really hard realized I slipped on stairs at home with Ava walking in front of me and hanging in the rail to not fall on her. I think I must have snatched something but Tylenol helps and I'll do something when I have to. Lol. Yep hard-headed. 🙏 to you my sweet friend you made me write another book. 🙃love you always in my prayers. oxoxox

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Oh friend you have been through it bad! Thank God you come through each time, which absolutely means God's not done with you 🙏🏻 9 times 9 lives!! ❤️

I am grateful you are here to tell your stories. In regard to the terrible shoulders, dad was 6'2" and it's a very difficult shoulder problem that dad tried to get sorted. But doctors told him at UCLA in the late 60's that they were full of calcium crystals that if scraped they'd come back. I've tried to pursue mine - but it's complicated with Kaiser (the worst) and my knees, and Kaiser won't touch them until I'm 75. I've had mri's, been to the top orthos there and I'm a bone disaster who "presents well." So they basically lie to me as I have stood near all ages in the ortho checkin line and they've all had new knees, hips, and arthroscopy (which Kaiser drs have told me to my face from day one they didn't do). As small business owners in SoCal they are the most affordable and all we can afford is semi- catastrophic. It's been pretty horrible how I've been treated (and I'd never say that!) so I go it alone and buy out-of-pocket strong non-thc cbd oil, ice, pray, keep going. Love you friend! Be well 😘✨💐

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Thank you for this…the joy of pain means we’re alive/ living! My bone-on-bone shoulder pain is level 50 some days… will be today after raking and hours of yard work yesterday. But I keep going. Have been twenty years or more… it’s a nuisance. But some times my body is quiet and nothing hurts….Those are the gift moments. Love how you weave your family history with the everyday workmen who keep our cities running, roads in good shape, things repaired. You’ve given me a different outlook, Deb… thanks for always touching our souls with your perfect words! Love you! 😊🩷

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Oh shoot the shoulder. I feel you deeply and my mum. Same. The wear and literal tear of growing older which I believe I now have a small tear on the right one. Sideways stretch feels it. Look at you going at level 50 in the yard! Then we fall down, get a drink and let out a huge sigh, lots of ice and thank God we're alive. I do yell at the pain sometimes and I have had big tears. This just gets me worse and in a panic. The quiet low pain is my favorite time. And John is blessed to be strong. The work is extremely wearing and I can see it in his beat-up hands, face and the cryo scars all over his head. He sweats so much sunscreen melts and burns his eyes, hats get flipped off in ditches. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the construction worker. Thank you for reading, sharing with me and for your kindness Joan. ox 🩷

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Just a thought, have you ever tried a portable cryogenic machine? My friend ( a former professional bodybuilder turned NP) uses hers after surgery, such as knee and shoulder, but it is also good for general pain relief. She has the Game Ready machine.

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Hi Lee ❤️ I have heard of those since the pandemic. Knew a few people that did professional treatments and thought they might be too expensive but I think I'll look into it. Thank you for your kindness in sharing this 🙏🏻😘

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You can also rent them I believe.

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Bless you Deb. Thanks for sharing 🙏❤️

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Bless you too Jamie ❤️ Thank you so much for reading. ox

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Thank you.

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You're welcome Malcolm 🙏🏻😘

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You truly are inspiration for people suffering pain! It's courageous to open up for the possibility to find joy in all this! Thanks for being here Deb 🙏🍀❤️

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I hope I can be an inspiration Patrick (either that or completely annoying 😅). I just never saw life with the possibility of missing it. I didn't want to miss out as a kid, so it's a form of inherited control I guess, as painful as going it "minimal help" can be. Thank you Patrick 😘 ox

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Wonderful..yet felt the pain...

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P.S. Thank you for subscribing! Looking forward to your Substack! Good luck and many blessings to you. ox

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Thank you so much Sure ❤️ It's almost euphoric, the pain. It reaches that point. I forgot to say that in the story. I would feel this way after working a 12-15 hour job. Like screaming inside while excitedly looking/checking the job (back of camera) from the hard floor where I'd lay, knees-up for an hour unable to move, in pain holding the camera over my head looking 🤦‍♀️😩🙃

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