Health...
I have been quite healthy in these 50 years. I don't take that lightly. I have a frontrow seat to illness: my mom's and others'.... so in many ways I have a Good understanding of just how fragile and tenuous our health really is...
about 7 years ago I hurt my foot. banged it up after a weird and unsettling massage (that's a story for another day.) so many details, but the long and short of it all is that after all this time it's still hurting and swollen: many doctors, physical therapists, tests, hopes for it to recover....but it's still not ok. my leg and hip have developed issues and the whole thing (while SMALL in the whole scheme of life) has been very frustrating.
most recently, chiropractor treatments and massages have helped. I have the best insurance currently that I've ever had (thanks to the affordable care act) so I've been accessing needed care more consistently. I saw a new doctor this week, a rheumatologist. this was after some bloodwork showed some AI concerns. it seems unlikely that those are truly concerns for me (thankfully!)....but this new doctor talked a lot to me about the overall affect stress can have on our muscles and psyche. I'm pretty aware of this. sometimes I think I manage it all as well as any person could....but I also live with awareness of the lacks in my life that might offset the extreme hypervigilance and exhaustion that over 20 years of caregiving has included. this new doctor also talked to me about sleep: she used the term "sleep hygiene" which I think is new to me. so I looked it up and have determined to Do Better!! I've started this week:)
there's only so much any of us can do about our health (there's a lot of randomness in it all, in my humble opinion) or about our stress. but I can purposely turn off my ipad and iphone when it's nearing time to go to sleep: can allow my brain to rest from that artificial light. can turn off texting. can pick up a book and my actual bible and benefit from growing my mind and my spirit....
the past 7 months have been brutal. but we've stayed out of the hospital this month! (yay!). my health realities could radically change tomorrow (and so could yours). for now, I've been able to start walking again and have a little more breathing room. I'm taking in very little of the awful news cycles; I'm listening more to calming music and such. I do have a counselor I see now and then. I'm doing things I know to do to treat my weariness and stay as healthy as possible....
*I offer these honest thoughts, hoping others might care for themselves better, too.
*I will be glad when this once a month blogging thing is over:)
