KATHY SHEEHAN

 

The Daniel Plan changed Kathy’s life in radical ways. She courageously brought The Daniel Plan to the attention of her church leaders. What started out as an effort to personally make positive changes to manage her diabetes may have just started a health revolution in Southern Maine.

An Answer to Prayer for Healing
I have struggled to manage Type 2 Diabetes for over 15 years. Last year, I took a turn for the worse. I have tried with great effort to follow my doctor’s recommendations to the letter, but my blood sugar kept creeping up. After a particularly upsetting appointment at the doctor’s office, I came home, lay down on my bed, and began to cry out of frustration. Then I began to pray.

Within a few days, my research at the public library led me to a book by Dr. Mark Hyman. In the resource section of that book, I learned about The Daniel Plan and knew right away that this program was an answer to my prayer! I approached the Adult Religious Education Committee of my church, proposed the idea of doing The Daniel Plan as a Lenten program, and volunteered to be the coordinator. We offered the program to the three small churches in our “cluster” which serves small communities in southern Maine.

What a Difference Six Weeks Makes
The Daniel Plan was so different than any religious education program my church had ever offered. I thought maybe a dozen people might sign up. Imagine my amazement when more than 50 people joined my group! We divided into three overflowing small groups and we began meeting in March for the six weeks of Lent. Quite a few of the participants had a chronic illness of some kind, including Type 2 Diabetes, IBS and other digestive illnesses. Others just wanted to lose weight or get healthier.

At the end of the six-week program, the response and support among the participants was tremendous! Everyone stuck with it and encouraged each other through difficulties and setbacks. Almost everyone lost weight, ranging from a few pounds to a dozen.

Through doing the 10-day detox, I discovered that I have a problem with gluten. Testing with my doctor confirmed that I have an intolerance to gluten and eggs. I have continued on a gluten-free, egg-free version of The Daniel Plan. These minor adjustments have helped to reverse my diabetes rapidly and my blood sugars are almost normal! With my doctor’s guidance, I am tapering off my diabetic and high blood pressure medicine. I have no doubt that all of these wonderful, miraculous experiences are a result of that day I reached out to God and prayed for healing.

God is On My Health Care Team
In my own journey with diabetes, I had been struggling for over 15 years following conventional medicine with limited success and many disappointing setbacks. It wasn’t until The Daniel Plan and its focus on The Essentials that my eyes were opened to the fact that my illness was more than just a physical condition.

Bringing The Daniel Plan to the attention of our church leaders has made all the difference. I have been blessed with a wonderful opportunity to facilitate a group, provide healing, companionship, and support to others who also might be suffering with a chronic illness. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people, sharing my journey with them, planning our group activities, and bringing God’s healing love to others through The Daniel Plan. Every week we prayed for each other before watching that week’s video. This connected us to each other in a very personal way. You could feel God’s love and joy in the room!

The Faith Essential has changed the way I view my health and self-care. Before The Daniel Plan, I felt like I was struggling alone to manage my diabetes. Now, God is on my health care team and I’m no longer afraid.

Kathy lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and is continuing to meet with her group once a month for healthy potlucks, to share recipes, exercise together, and encourage one another. She has been invited to lead another Daniel Plan group in the fall.

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