As a college student, I was feeling worse and worse physically. If you missed last week’s newsletter, you can read it here.
After college graduation, I began working as dorm supervisor as well as college secretary. There was always work to do. This person “needed” my assistance, and that person did as well.
Besides not having any time off between my sophomore and junior year, nor between my junior and senior year, I was going into employment with zero break after a crazy college schedule.
One particular summer before fall class registration, the other secretary and I worked two fourteen-hour days under a huge amount of stress and pressure.
My work responsibilities continued to increase as staff members were laid off. I foolishly thought that by being more efficient, I could handle more work. However, the extra work became an overwhelming burden as I also needed to add part-time jobs to be able to support myself financially.
At one point, I was working full-time (and overtime) at my main job, driving my cousin to work and picking her up Monday through Friday, cleaning apartments, and giving a few clarinet lessons every week. Oh, yes, how could I forget being “part-time” employed by a man who knew no office hours?!
Working 50-60 hour weeks was a disaster waiting to happen when my already feeble health was considered.
Ministry responsibilities also increased. In addition to everything I was doing on the weekends in college, church choir and a Sunday school class were added to my list of things to do.
My bus captain was very kind because he understood if I could not make it to church at 7 am on Sundays. There was just no way I could wake up at 6 am to be on the bus by 7 am. Waking up at 9 am was enough of a challenge.
The stress and overwork (I did not know I could say “no”) added up, and I was ill for an entire week. After I missed three days of work, my co-worker gently said I needed to go to the doctor to find out what was wrong with me. She recommended her family doctor, who said that I had an upper respiratory infection (a bad cold). Yes, you read that right–a bad cold kept me from working for an entire week.
My friend who was a pharmacy technician asked me what this doctor prescribed for my cold. When I told her the names of the medications, she sadly reported to me that I was taking a strong antibiotic and a strong painkiller. Thanks to my friend, I realized that going to the doctor was not the way to optimal health.
My health continued to decline, and one summer, allergies as I had never experienced plagued me. People who called the college office said that I needed to do something because I could not stop coughing, and my voice sounded pitiful at best. One lady said I needed a steroid shot, but I realized that was a horrible route to take. Nothing helped me, and I suffered with allergies and acute sinus issues for weeks.
I didn’t know where I could go to seek help. One doctor that seemed to be more naturally minded still prescribed a medication with drowsiness as a side effect. As someone who had to drive herself to work daily, I could not take such a medication.
My level of despair rose as nothing that I did helped. Note also that I could not fall asleep at night til about 2 am because of stress and anxiety about all I had to do the next day.
My cousin, who was in college at that time told me, “When God allows you to meet the man you will marry, you will have to give up something that you are doing.” Very foolishly, I replied, “No, I’ll just have to become more efficient.”
Well, God did send my husband to me at this time, and he was such a blessing to me. However, I did not dare share with him just how tired and worn out I was.
Be sure to watch your email next week for the final part of my story!
At what parts of my story have you been nodding your head as you say to yourself, “Yes, that is what I am going through?” At the time this was all happening, I will be very transparent with you and say that I was not praising God for these trials and tribulations.
However, today I am grateful that I had these health issues because I can relate to others who have them. If you are tired of getting no answers for your known health issues, let’s talk. God has providentially led you to my website in His perfect timing.
The work that I do is very unique in that it’s not a teaching but rather a guiding. I support women in getting rid of toxins in their bodies and their homes so that their bodies can heal naturally without odd side affects. Relationships, work productivity, and your overall life can drastically change for the better over time with encouragement and support.
I have three complimentary calls available in my schedule in the next two weeks. Just here to email me, and we’ll get a call scheduled to see where your health is suffering the most and what it would feel like if those health issues were gone! We will see if the work that I do makes sense for you!
