Cease and Desist

You ever get tired of something being the way that it has been for so long?  I mean, tired enough to just stop whatever you are doing, and DECIDE to call an end to it? Yeah, me too.


And on this-wise, I'm gonna have to go biblical on y'all. 


Luke 8: 
43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

We've all come across that one person in our lives who seems to be so fortunate, favored or "lucky," as some call it; that one person who seems to have resolute ability to make most anything they want become a reality.

What is it about that person that they can seemingly bring their dreams to life?  What is it that they have that they are able to dream up something, and the next thing you know, they have it?  Not just material things, but they are able to bring about positive moves in their lives, no matter what.

Are they just naturally favored, lucky, or blessed?  Not necessarily.  What sets this individual apart and makes their path so positive and prospered?

I pondered this question for a long time.  I've looked at examples of people, who, no matter what happens, they seem to come out on top.  Not diminishing the importance of hard work and planning, but sometimes these fortunate folks seem able to accomplish miraculous feats without much effort at all?  Why?

One thing I have learned in life is the power of belief and decision.  Part of the reason that I understand the power of belief, is because my faith in God is based on it.  However, from a practical perspective, I have watched people who weren't necessarily the smartest, most attractive, or most talented, but they believed in their abilities, and were therefore able to accomplish incredible tasks. 

Somehow, limited people have been able to reach limitless heights for two reasons: First, because they decided they were going to, and second, because they believed they could.

The decision comes first. The decision that something has to be done, and that I'm going to be the one to do something.  Next, comes the absolute belief that I can do whatever needs to be done to change my situation. 

Much was the case with this woman with "the issue of blood."  She had been plagued by this issue for 12 long years, and had apparently exhausted all efforts to resolve this issue.  The passage of scripture says that she had spent all her money to on doctors to try to cure her medical condition, all to no avail.

During the course of those 12 years, she likely had some moments of hope, when she thought she was coming close to a cure.  She probably had some days when she felt better than others, and thought that this plague would soon be gone from her.  But some days, she undoubtedly awoke, feeling week and unable to function, and as a result, drifted back into a ditch of despair.

This was her body, her disease.  She couldn't escape it.  She probably woke up every morning, conscious of the fact that she had a problem in her body that she couldn't fix.  Her friends likely tried to encourage her, tell her that it could be worse, in an attempt to help her see the bright side of her affliction. 

But, again, the infirmity was living and thriving within her body.  She probably felt there wa s no bright side.  It was not someone else's sickness, it was hers. It was not something she could forget or escape. There was only so much her friends would've been able to understand. 

I have been told about this story in the Bible for most of my life.  This story was used as an example to illustrate the importance of faith.  Faith being akin to belief, it makes sense that the point of the story was that the woman believed a change was possible for her life. 

That makes sense to me.

Another significant point, however, is that she had to come to a point of decision, where she became tired of her situation enough to personally resolve that things had to change. I believe that her decision came first.  Next, came her belief that the situation would change. Having made that resolve, she then reached out to the only source that could remove her pain forever.

At the age of 28, I began experiencing some abnormal symptoms--extreme thirst, having to go to the bathroom often, nausea--all types of things I wasn't used to.

After going to my family practice doctor and being told that my blood sugar was so high that the reading wouldn't register on the meter, my doctor surmised that I was probably a diabetic. She called an ambulance and had me rushed to the hospital.  Even with coma-level blood sugar readings, I was still my fun-loving, good-natured self.  On the way to the hospital, I joked with the EMTs in the ambulance; they couldn't believe that I was conscious and still laughing with levels that high.

After a week-long stay there, a young, handsome doctor came in with my chart, stood over my bed, and told me that I was "likely" a Type 1 diabetic.

I looked up at this doctor, his youthful face, detached disposition, and smooth hands, and I wondered what it felt like to have to deliver life-changing news to people every day.  He seemed virtually unaffected as he stood above me and told me that I would have to take insulin shots every day for the rest of my life.

Something just didn't add up.  He said I was "likely" a Type 1 diabetic.  Okay, so if he said I "likely" was, who was going to give me the definite diagnosis?  

The next day, an older, formidable nurse stepped into the room and with an orange and syringe and showed me how to inject myself with insulin.   I was still in shock.

Finally, after days of confusion, visits from multiple doctors and nurses, and my body being riddled by  saline IVs, insulin injections, tests, and pills, I was released to go home.

But, released to what?  I was still confused about my diagnosis; since he said "likely," I wondered if something else could be wrong with me. 

Over the course of the next 2 years, I would go on to master insulin formulas, carb ratios and blood sugar readings.  I got so skilled at handling this disease, I could awake from sleep, check my blood sugar and inject insulin, all while still being half asleep.

I became more conscious of what I put in my mouth, and calculated the effect that various foods would have on my body and blood sugar levels. 

I went to the gym, I worked out more, planned my meals, cut out fast foods, and lost about 25 pounds.

I was not a heavy person to begin with, but focusing more on my body and overall health caused me to become leaner and overall a healthier person.

Then, a funny thing happened.  The insulin I was taking every day started to have an adverse effect on my blood sugar.  The amounts of insulin that were supposed to keep my blood sugar regulated were now causing it to go lower than normal.  I consulted with my endocrinologist, and together, we kept reducing my daily insulin dosage, until I was down to no insulin at all. I returned to a life free of artificial injections, and my body resumed its ideal settings, releasing its own insulin into my bloodstream.  My blood sugar levels returned to normal without the aid of injections. 

I was free. I had never felt such a feeling of release in my life prior to that point.

Fast forward 6 years later. I found myself back in the boxing ring with Type 1 diabetes again. This time, levels staying consistently high for days on end.  Battling being overwhelmed at work, walking an internal tight-rope with life by losing focus on my holistic health.

The severity of my condition seemed to have reached its apex at this point. My endocrinologist and I were frantically adapting formulas, studying readings, trying to get my body to return to a more solid state of health and balance.

I was frustrated.  Often discouraged.  Feeling defeated. What happened? 

Much like the woman with the issue of blood, at this point, I had depleted resources and exhausted all efforts to fix this problem within my body--this issue of blood.  

After days of struggling, being confined to medical leave, being juggled between doctors and specialists, I grew weary of my infirmed existence.

Finally, the realization hit me again.  In order to change my situation, I was going to have to decide that I was not going to remain in this quandry.

I had decided it years ago, believed that I had it in me to change things, and as a result, my whole life turned around.

Equipped with that reminder, I changed direction.  I called a definitive end to the calamity that had wrapped itself around my life and my body. 

I decided that enough was enough.  The whole notion of being encumbered with weakness and infirmity is dead to me now.  Once I uttered a firm "cease and desist" to the idea of sickness, I closed the case on the dead energy that once stunted my progress.

I realized that I couldn't live that way.  And guess what? I decided that I will not live that way.  

10 days after my decision:  Insulin injections are now at 1/3 of what I once needed to keep my levels normal.  Today, I took the regular dosage, and it dropped my levels below normal.  

Translation: my body does not need the amount of insulin that I once used to take.  I made the decision, accompanied it with the belief, and my body is responding.

Cease and desist, issue of blood.  I've decided against you, and I believe that your time has come to a close.