I’m very happy to join A Chronic Voice again for the October/November 2026 Writing Prompts.
Approaching
The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are approaching. I feel like when these holidays get close on my calendar I start to panic. Not serious panic, but some dread. These are my favorite times of the year and I want to feel the way I did years ago.
Because I’ve found more peace with all of this pain, I realize that the abundance of baking, decorating and cleaning have to be toned way down. I’ve even gone so far as to bake a frozen pie! My family doesn’t care if the meal is made from scratch or not. They definitely don’t want me to spend days in pain.
Dreading
The past few weeks I have been dreading a mammogram. Of course, no one ever looks forward to those tests. I have very dense breast tissue and I’ve often been given a sonogram after the mammogram. Because I felt a bump, my doctor put in an order for both tests. After dreading the tests, they were over quickly and negative for a tumor. I only have a cyst!
It’s such a blessing when getting a good test result, because it doesn’t happen every time. So many of us with multiple chronic illnesses aren’t used to good news. But when it happens, I always celebrate.
Naming
As a grandparent I am past the age of naming sweet babies. But as a grandparent I get to name other things. Hubby has been calling things the “thingy” instead of calling it by the right word. This is especially true with the remote.
My mind has been going blank for a long time, even in my thirties. When my mind goes blank I usually sit and try to remember it. If I can’t, I sometimes will just describe what I’m trying to say., which sounds really dumb.
I think from now on, Hubby and I should give items a new name that we can remember. I hope you sense my sarcasm.
Depending
Depending on many inanimate objects is a necessity of life for me. I have dizziness after I stand up. It doesn’t happen every single time, but when it does, I lean on whatever is close. Usually it’s the wall or if I’m lucky, a chair. When I walked into the doctors lobby, I felt dizzy and hot. Thankfully a chair was just a few feet away.
I sat down until it passed. When I got up to find the elevator I was better for a while. I depend on strong places to hold me up. The most perfect thing I depend on is not a thing, but a person: Jesus. No matter what I need, I can always depend on Him.
Regaining
I’ve been watching ads about a tens-type system that could be the answer to regaining my ability to stand/walk for more than 5 minutes. At present, I can’t stand to: visit, cook, walk, do chores, exercise, and pretty much everything. Regaining this ability that most people take for granted would mean so much to me.
The ad I watched talked about the multifidus muscles, which are involuntary muscles on the side of the spine. They are too deep to be helped by a normal tens-unit. In some people with spinal stenosis in the lumbar region, these muscles become atrophied.
I have hyperlordosis, which is extreme swayback. This was found with scoliosis and hyperkyphosis, as a teen. I wore a Milwaukee Brace for two years, but started the treatment late. Because I was too old to start bracing, it wasn’t able to correct my spinal curves.
The curves in my neck and lower back have grown more extreme over the years. Because of my lower spine (and probable atrophy of the multifidus) standing for more than five minutes is excruciating. I can lean over a counter for a few minutes, but must sit down quickly. This prohibits me from living my life.
I researched my area, looking for a place that offered NMES or PEMF therapy. I could only find a PEMF clinic (not run by doctors). I wanted to spend the money to try it. They don’t take insurance, so it was all out-of-pocket. I don’t know if it would work long-term but, I couldn’t tolerate the treatment. It made me extremely dizzy. (https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/multifidus-stimulation-helps-strengthen-muscles-reduce-low-back-pain)
I will continue trying to find help for this problem, because regaining use of my lumbar spine would change my life!
Wrap It Up
Well, as usual, writing based on the five terms in our monthly prompts with Chronic Voice, has been emotional. When I concentrate on these terms I usually feel that I have a strong feeling about them. This makes it a different type of post, but one I enjoy writing.
As October comes to a close, I hope and pray that we all can look forward to many nice days.
My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. PS 73:26 NASB
@2026, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical expert. This post contains my experiences and opinions and is not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your personal physician.