On the healthy side

2020 was a year that brought little health challenges. For sure there were a few things, here and there, especially when dealing with a chronic illness, but overall I have to say that it was manageable. A key word that makes all the difference for us suffering from chronic pain. Manageable, still a major annoyance and pain in the rear, but deal able.

Somewhere near the beginning of 2020 I got a little break. Big enough to jump on the bandwagon and run with the crazy idea that I could change my stars and improve my health. It’s amazing what a little believe, hope and motivation can do. It literally feels like it gives you wings and wings I had. I was soaring high.

I focused on water intake, more veggies in the form of juicing, which in turn helped me shed a few pounds, reduced the daily pain which then helped me become more mobile and active. Everything played an important part, equally contributing to the snowball effect. I pushed myself harder than ever on the physical aspect, and at times it even felt as if the clock was turning backwards. All of a sudden I achieved things I didn’t in younger years. What a high. How wonderful life could be if it wasn’t overshadowed by physical pain. There was still the emotional aspect of pain I seldom talk about. A life less fulfilled that I was trying to keep in check, but for the moment it was working and living with reduced pain fueled the quality of life. So much as though you’d think it to be enough motivation to keep going. I had such great results, how could something ever throw me off track again? Well it did and it’s called life. Life itself throws us off track and I didn’t even notice. Not until I took that honest look and of course the pain reminded me of an old familiar feeling.

More and more it returned. Not bad, but enough, swollen limbs and all, a constant dull pain with the occasional sharp stab. Things took more effort again and became a challenge, you’d never know what was going to hurt the next morning. Eventually even the dull pain, the manageable, the nudges and reminders that not everything is well, got to me and I tell you, it does some tricks on your mind. You almost become an instigator, acting out of character, starting up something so you can justify the lousy way you feel. Kind of like “I’ll give you something to cry about.” It’s awful, until the tears break and you get relief from one thing but now are left with the emotions aspect of feeling low and like a person with major issues.

I was feeling more vulnerable, emotional, perhaps subconsciously worried of going back to a point of feeling debilitated, fighting pain every day. I had been there so many times and it’s a scary, scary place. It still wasn’t “that” bad, but a warning sign that reminded me of how fast things can turn for the worst. It was time to reassess. What in the world happened? Why did I needed the reminder that this is out of my control, that the pain free days are a gift? I think I knew why and it was because I had taken things for granted. Feeling better and not feeding my body the nutrients required to keep going. I wasn’t honoring my temple, at least not in the way I needed to.

Despite of what initially was perceived as a setback, as a pain signal, turned around once I searched for the lesson, the positive, the silver lining, the cause, and what was in my immediate control. And it was eye opening.

One of the biggest things I noticed was that my water consumption had halted dramatically. I wasn’t even drinking 32 oz a day. In other words I wasn’t flushing out toxins. I wasn’t hydrating my body, my joints weren’t oiled and instead rubbing on each other. Time to fix that, it should be easy enough, now that I was consciously aware of it. And it was another one of these “what the heck happened” moments.

Another was that I took feeling better for granted. I was eating more of the stuff I love such as pasta and pizza, yeah even the occasional soda that is ultimately also the stuff that causes inflammation. Still drinking my veggie juice, it simply wasn’t enough to balance the things causing me harm. Inadvertently it became a bandaid for eating the bad stuff, and that’s missing the point all together isn’t it? Health halted and instead of making more progress, I slowly regressed.

More joint pain became the norm which in turn triggered and caused more inactivity. Surely it was the winter months when things are always a little worse, but could I – or truly wanted to use this as a crutch, as an excuse? It didn’t seemed right and I knew I wasn’t true to myself if I believed this to be the reason.

I used to sleep with my Copper gloves at night. They cradled my hands in perfect comfort, easing the stiffness in the morning, cutting down the time I could actually function somewhat normal and complete simple tasks such as dressing. It’s been months since I wore the gloves at night and despite swelling and increased stiffness, I have to admit that I was still functioning much better compared to recent experiences in the past.

https://rhapsodyboho.wordpress.com/2019/08/04/copper-health/

So overall, despite regressive changes and more pain, I believed that I was still in the green and could reintroduce a couple of things that had fallen off track. Today, I’d start with measuring my water intake to oil the joints for better movement. Once again I am dedicated and motivated to build a better future for myself. While I realize that there are things not always in my control, my focus lies on those things that are. So here we go….drink up and flush away those toxins.

If you suffer from chronic pain, I send you blessings and a reminder that it’s often the simplest of things that can make a difference for us. I hope you found something here you might even be able to add to your own routine. 💙🙏🏼