Driving into the Sunset, Part 2 - Health

[vernecarty]

I have finished my short essay about my experience in the Zach household.  Send me a personal meesage if you'd like a copy of it.

If it is indeed short why not post it? I would like to read it.
Verne

[BeckyW]

Mithrandir,
Just noticed this thread.  Another good question.
I wonder how many others are still having some back problems resulting from too many years of long exposure to poorly designed metal chairs 3x a week or more.  It might have been better to have been running in place.
But overall, I feel much better healthwise, especially on Sunday afternoons when we are outdoors, breathing fresh air and moving around.
Btw, I don't think this is 'complaining'.  I think I am 'rejoicing'.
Becky

[M2]

In the assemblies, many of us were coerced into working to exhaustion to support the "ministry."  And I know many who had their health seriously damaged or ruined by the schedules we used to keep.  I have another question, therefore:

What effect has your leaving the assemblies had on your health?  What steps have you had to take to regain your health?  How has your schedule changed since you left?

mithrandir

Dear Mith,

I suffered for years with hypoglycemia brought on by adrenal exhaustion which was a result of stress.  It was like a little piece of hell.  I tried every remedy known to man except common sense.  I went to chiropracters, nutritionists, a chinese herbalist, (that ground up goat horn powder makes a real tasty drink...if you are a goat), medical doctors...whatever.  I even let some MD inject me with pig adrenalin at about $40 a whack.     Nothing helped.  

About 10 days after I left the assembly...it went away.

I have been fine for years now.  Rarely a problem and then very mild.  Just a few times a year when I am stressed.  

Now if I could only conquer this urge to eat garbage and roll in mud.

Thomas Maddux

Tom,

Did you ever try the Gruesome diet? Everyone on it grew some.

OR the Candida diet - can't eat a this and can't eat a that.

OR take coffee breaks?

OR the latest fad started by none other than Brent Tr0ckman - the Zone diet. People vowed that they would be on that one till death did them part this life.

What's the recommended diet for NPD?

Lord bless,
Marcia

[d3z]

I wonder how many others are still having some back problems resulting from too many years of long exposure to poorly designed metal chairs 3x a week or more.

When I was on a team, the "young" people had to sit on the floor during the prayer meetings.  After two weeks of this, my back was so sore that I found it difficult to walk.  Fortunately, there were many chiropractors in fellowship there.  He told me to stop sitting on the floor, which I did.  No one even questioned me after that (perhaps he spoke to the LBs and/or the team leader).

"Young" basically meant anybody that didn't have a family.

Dave

[Oscar]

In the assemblies, many of us were coerced into working to exhaustion to support the "ministry."  And I know many who had their health seriously damaged or ruined by the schedules we used to keep.  I have another question, therefore:

What effect has your leaving the assemblies had on your health?  What steps have you had to take to regain your health?  How has your schedule changed since you left?

mithrandir

Dear Mith,

I suffered for years with hypoglycemia brought on by adrenal exhaustion which was a result of stress.  It was like a little piece of hell.  I tried every remedy known to man except common sense.  I went to chiropracters, nutritionists, a chinese herbalist, (that ground up goat horn powder makes a real tasty drink...if you are a goat), medical doctors...whatever.  I even let some MD inject me with pig adrenalin at about $40 a whack.     Nothing helped.  

About 10 days after I left the assembly...it went away.

I have been fine for years now.  Rarely a problem and then very mild.  Just a few times a year when I am stressed.  

Now if I could only conquer this urge to eat garbage and roll in mud.

Thomas Maddux

Tom,

Did you ever try the Gruesome diet? Everyone on it grew some.

OR the Candida diet - can't eat a this and can't eat a that.

OR take coffee breaks?

OR the latest fad started by none other than Brent Tr0ckman - the Zone diet. People vowed that they would be on that one till death did them part this life.

What's the recommended diet for NPD?

Lord bless,
Marcia

Marcia,

I don't seem to need the Gruesome diet.  My waistline grows whenever I even think about food.

I avoided the "Alternative Coffee Drinking Method Diet", also called the Gershom Diet, by doing some research.

I went to the Library and found a book on alternative cancer treatments.  One section evaluated the Gershom Diet.  What the authors had done was to contact the people who were examples of "cures" in Gershom's  book.  Or, their families.

What I learned was that the diet produced positives results in many cases.  IF you stayed on it faithfully for life.  Most of the people had eventually died of cancer, after having gone off the diet after several years.

Since my case wasn't a life or death issue...I opted to drink my coffee in the usual way.

Interestingly, when my daughter Glory came down with Wilm's Tumor, (kidney cancer), at 13 I did some pretty serious looking into alternative treatmets.  I called the Gershom clinic in Mexico, and talked to Gershom's son-in-law.  When I asked if they had ever heard of Wilm's Tumor, he said, "No, but I'm sure we can cure it".

That was such a turn-off for me that I dropped that line of investigation.  

Good thing...the Gershom diet is based on the idea that all cancer is caused by toxic substances that get into our bodies from food, water, and our living environment.  In recent years, it has been shown that Wilm's Tumor results from a recessive gene that you inherit from your mother.  Kind of like color-blindness.

By the way, Glory took me out to lunch on my birthday a couple of weeks ago.  She is 32 now.  That is amazing, since I am only a few days past 39 myself.  (about 8400 days, more or less)

God bless,

Thomas Maddux

[outdeep]

After I was married and had my own home, I occasionally went for a jog between Sunday meetings in order in order to try to keep the body going for the long, grewling Sunday.  

It's sad, really.  I remember at 18 or 19 being so excited about this new Christian group and making sacrifices so I could come out.  Then, it grew into something where I would wake up on a Sunday morning and just groan wishing I could relate better to King David who seemed to love inquiring in God's temple.

Now, I am in a large church with padded chairs, we sit during some choruses and we have a coffee house during Sunday School.  

[outdeep]

Yes.  The truth comes out after all these years.  Of course, it was Bob Ford from whom I got the definition of Assembly-type evangelism - "going up to someone you don't know and telling them what they don't want to hear."

[editor]

One of the best things that can happen to an ex-assemblyite is to go camping, sailing, or something like that with another ex-assemblyite, and then, when the conversation inevitably turns to the topic of The Assembly, the next hour is taken up with nothing but laughter at the zany, whacky, mystifying things we used to do.

I think that is one of the healthiest things we can, and even better when done viewing a fine sunset.

Brent

[Oscar]

Brent,

I agree wholeheartedly.  Tonight I had some good laughs while doing some "remembering" with my three adult daughters; Grace, Glory and Joy.

You know, "hey, remember the time brother ... said/did/forgot to/lost/ didn't zip his.. and so on.

Thomas Maddux

[vernecarty]

One of the best things that can happen to an ex-assemblyite is to go camping, sailing, or something like that with another ex-assemblyite, and then, when the conversation inevitably turns to the topic of The Assembly, the next hour is taken up with nothing but laughter at the zany, whacky, mystifying things we used to do.

I think that is one of the healthiest things we can, and even better when done viewing a fine sunset.

Brent

I wonder if we could talk Tommy K into doing a bit of sailing in the V.I.? I know he really enjoyed diving the wreck of the H.M.S Rhone...Mark C is a diver too...is this a possible expedition in the making...? the combination of ocean and sunset is really hard to beat!
Verne

[editor]

I wonder if we could talk Tommy K into doing a bit of sailing in the V.I.? I know he really enjoyed diving the wreck of the H.M.S Rhone...Mark C is a diver too...is this a possible expedition in the making...? the combination of ocean and sunset is really hard to beat!
Verne

Been there, done that, (With Tommy K.) and ready to do it again!  I spoke to Tommy a couple weeks ago, and he is also game.

Shall we make plans?  What will people think if they find out that we know how to smile, dive, have a beer and sail in tropical paradise?  How will this fit our hard won image of bitter, hatefilled, perpetual victims?

These things must be given consideration before we embark on a trip to the BVI.....


OK, I'm done considering.  Shall we go?

Brent

[vernecarty]

I wonder if we could talk Tommy K into doing a bit of sailing in the V.I.? I know he really enjoyed diving the wreck of the H.M.S Rhone...Mark C is a diver too...is this a possible expedition in the making...? the combination of ocean and sunset is really hard to beat!
Verne

Been there, done that, (With Tommy K.) and ready to do it again!  I spoke to Tommy a couple weeks ago, and he is also game.

Shall we make plans?  What will people think if they find out that we know how to smile, dive, have a beer and sail in tropical paradise?  How will this fit our hard won image of bitter, hatefilled, perpetual victims?

These things must be given consideration before we embark on a trip to the BVI.....


OK, I'm done considering.  Shall we go?

Brent

Ai Yi Yiiii! Anchors Away!      
Verne

p.s As for the bitternes bit, let 'em keep thinking that and pass me a Guiness!
Verne

p.s. Gonna be in Barcelona December and some of January, let's think about 'round Spring...?

[Mark C.]

Hi to all those driving and diving into the sunset!  

  I sold off all of my diving gear and don't even have a mask and fins now!  I would have suggested that we move our vacation plans to St. Eustacius, but my Mom has sold her place there and now lives with us here in Fallbrook.  This island is owned by the Dutch, where Heinikein is .50 a bottle, and the diving in nearby Saba is some of the most spectacular diving I have ever done!
   However, this Spring I am going to Australia with my Mom, as that is where she is originally from, to visit relatives before they pass into the sunset.  I will of course try and make at least one dive while there, hopefully up in the Coral Sea, as that probably is one of the best spots in the world to dive.  I'm not much of a beer drinker, but if only to demonstrate a lack of bitterness and anger against
GG and the Assembly  , I will drink at least one toast to the joy of a beautiful tropical sunset!  
                             God Bless,  Mark C.

[vernecarty]

Hi to all those driving and diving into the sunset!  

  I sold off all of my diving gear and don't even have a mask and fins now!  I would have suggested that we move our vacation plans to St. Eustacius, but my Mom has sold her place there and now lives with us here in Fallbrook.  This island is owned by the Dutch, where Heinikein is .50 a bottle, and the diving in nearby Saba is some of the most spectacular diving I have ever done!
   However, this Spring I am going to Australia with my Mom, as that is where she is originally from, to visit relatives before they pass into the sunset.  I will of course try and make at least one dive while there, hopefully up in the Coral Sea, as that probably is one of the best spots in the world to dive.  I'm not much of a beer drinker, but if only to demonstrate a lack of bitterness and anger against
GG and the Assembly  , I will drink at least one toast to the joy of a beautiful tropical sunset!  
                             God Bless,  Mark C.

An absolute amen to your comments about Joe's hilarity. Telling Joe to stop being funny is like telling me to stop being loquacious! We certainly would not want that now would we?  
 I too reseverve  the occasional Guiness ("it's good...and good for you!" ) for very special occasions and hitting open Caribbean waters would certainly qualify!

What on earth was your mom thinking? Not to worry, I got a few acres in the BVI...


Verne

[Joe Sperling]

St. Eustacius!!!! I went there once. I don't really remember it too well though, because Heineken is only .50 cents a bottle there.


--Joe

P.S.  Mark---I used to go diving up here off of Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands. I know it doesn't compare to a place like you've mentioned, but just curious if you ever went diving there.  --JS