Back to Life
by Deborah Luce © 2003
I am an art teacher and I first started noticing something was wrong when my hands
and feet hurt all the time. I thought that the reason that I was often tired was because I
have a job and four kids, but then I was tired on vacation too. I got worse and worse;
I would lose my balance and suddenly get very tired, and it felt like I would throw up if
I didn’t lie down.
Blood tests, a CT scan, a MRI . . . family doctor, infectious disease specialist,
gynecologist, endocrinologist . . . I continued to work as a very absent-minded tired art
teacher. The students probably thought that I was just a very strange art teacher, but
really I was a very sick lady.
A friend of mine, to whom I owe my life, told me about a doctor she and her husband
were going to for her husband’s lyme disease. I was at the end of my rope and so I
said fine, let’s drive across the country -- what do we have to lose? It turned out that
the doctor is in my health insurance network.
I was tested for lots of things and more things and I had Lyme with some other virus
that I got from teaching high schoolers for years. I started on the antibiotic treatment
and lots of supplements in April of 2002 and I did not go back to work after spring
break. God provided financially throught the sick bank at work and I was able to keep
my insurance.
My husband is a stay-at-home dad and has truly loved me through all of this. I would
lie in bed and say ok... God, take me, I am worth nothing ... He said “No.”
I have continued treatment for over a year now and have improved a lot. I'm thinking
more clearly and am regaining my motor skills. I have gone from sleeping 14+ hours a
night/day to 9 hours, my vision is no longer blurry, and my muscles and eyes don't
twitch anymore.
But there are a lot of ups and downs. I have to constantly turn to Christ because you
can not brace yourself for the downs--you just have to cry out to God! He is in the
business of restoring souls, and that is what I need regardless of the state of health I
happen to be in at the moment.
I think I had to realize that I could turn to God afresh every day and yesterday was past
anyway ... I could not remember it any way! It is very important to use what energy I
have on relationships with my husband and children ... A three year old can fold their
own clothes and we only think paper plate is all they make.... Cereal is a dinner food.
Cookies are a breakfast food.
I have learned and am still learning to turn to Christ through the ugliness of lyme and He
always meets me where I am and restores my soul if I have the guts to cry out to Him
and not just melt into self pity. Christ has mercifully given me my life back through long-
term antibiotic treat ment. I wanted to be better yesterday but God has his timing and I
hope to be really back to new in 2 years.
See some of Deborah's Art Deborah is a High School art teacher. Click on her
picture to read her artist statement, or scroll down the left column about 5/6 of the way
to see her picture and links to her past and present art (which includes "Journaling in
Clay," a series of plates on the book of Acts).
back to Hope Stories
by Deborah Luce © 2003
I am an art teacher and I first started noticing something was wrong when my hands
and feet hurt all the time. I thought that the reason that I was often tired was because I
have a job and four kids, but then I was tired on vacation too. I got worse and worse;
I would lose my balance and suddenly get very tired, and it felt like I would throw up if
I didn’t lie down.
Blood tests, a CT scan, a MRI . . . family doctor, infectious disease specialist,
gynecologist, endocrinologist . . . I continued to work as a very absent-minded tired art
teacher. The students probably thought that I was just a very strange art teacher, but
really I was a very sick lady.
A friend of mine, to whom I owe my life, told me about a doctor she and her husband
were going to for her husband’s lyme disease. I was at the end of my rope and so I
said fine, let’s drive across the country -- what do we have to lose? It turned out that
the doctor is in my health insurance network.
I was tested for lots of things and more things and I had Lyme with some other virus
that I got from teaching high schoolers for years. I started on the antibiotic treatment
and lots of supplements in April of 2002 and I did not go back to work after spring
break. God provided financially throught the sick bank at work and I was able to keep
my insurance.
My husband is a stay-at-home dad and has truly loved me through all of this. I would
lie in bed and say ok... God, take me, I am worth nothing ... He said “No.”
I have continued treatment for over a year now and have improved a lot. I'm thinking
more clearly and am regaining my motor skills. I have gone from sleeping 14+ hours a
night/day to 9 hours, my vision is no longer blurry, and my muscles and eyes don't
twitch anymore.
But there are a lot of ups and downs. I have to constantly turn to Christ because you
can not brace yourself for the downs--you just have to cry out to God! He is in the
business of restoring souls, and that is what I need regardless of the state of health I
happen to be in at the moment.
I think I had to realize that I could turn to God afresh every day and yesterday was past
anyway ... I could not remember it any way! It is very important to use what energy I
have on relationships with my husband and children ... A three year old can fold their
own clothes and we only think paper plate is all they make.... Cereal is a dinner food.
Cookies are a breakfast food.
I have learned and am still learning to turn to Christ through the ugliness of lyme and He
always meets me where I am and restores my soul if I have the guts to cry out to Him
and not just melt into self pity. Christ has mercifully given me my life back through long-
term antibiotic treat ment. I wanted to be better yesterday but God has his timing and I
hope to be really back to new in 2 years.
See some of Deborah's Art Deborah is a High School art teacher. Click on her
picture to read her artist statement, or scroll down the left column about 5/6 of the way
to see her picture and links to her past and present art (which includes "Journaling in
Clay," a series of plates on the book of Acts).
back to Hope Stories
Isaiah said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my
strength in vain and for nothing.” (Isaiah 49:4)
Job said, “ My life drags by -- day after hopeless day . . . I give
up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense.”
(Job 7:6,16)
“Hope is as essential to your life as air and water.”
(Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life)
strength in vain and for nothing.” (Isaiah 49:4)
Job said, “ My life drags by -- day after hopeless day . . . I give
up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense.”
(Job 7:6,16)
“Hope is as essential to your life as air and water.”
(Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life)
| “So we fix our eyes not on what on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” II Corithinians 4:18 |
© 2004 Dave and Merry Marinello, all rights reserved.
Welcome! Thanks for visiting our little "harbor" amid life's storms. We hope you
will find rest and encouragement in your struggles, big or small. Here you can:
will find rest and encouragement in your struggles, big or small. Here you can:
Back to Life
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Hope is My Anchor
Strength for your soul amid life's storms
Strength for your soul amid life's storms