Ok, I am sick. Stomach ache, sore throat, coughing, I just feel bad over. Been this way for over 2 weeks, taking what I feel is the best over-the-counter medicines for my symptoms, but still so relief in sight.
I finally break down and call a Doctor’s office. They ask, “when you do want to come in”? And I’m like “Please, as soon as possible, I can’t even function.” “How does tomorrow afternoon look for you?” “AWESOME! Thank you!” I hang up the phone relieved that relief will be coming soon.
However, it seems that relief comes sooner than expected.
I wake up the next morning, thinking how I actually slept pretty decent last night. Then I get up, go to the bathroom and brush my teeth… my throat isn’t bothering me anymore… and hey, my head is pretty clear. I walk out of the bathroom and head into the kitchen to fix my morning coffee, noticing my body isn’t so horribly achy this morning, that’s a change. Shucks, by the time I get to the doctor’s office, I am standing there wondering why I’m even there! Doggone it, maybe I should have just gone to the doctor to begin with and saved myself two weeks of suffering.
Have YOU ever done that? It’s crazy, right??
Yes, there really IS a thing of MIND OVER MATTER!
Really, think about it, notice people around you, people you know. Granted, people can really get sick for real. But sometimes, well, it’s really not totally the case.
We all know that person who is always constantly going to the doctor, complaining about their aches, pains, symptoms, all of medications they’re taking, then the cycle repeats again and again. And I don’t mean sometimes, I mean ALL the time. And believe me, I’m not saying anything bad about these people, some of them can be the sweetest people on this earth. But Bless their heart, why do they seem to be sick all the time when actually, they seem to be relatively healthy?
Scientists have actually been studying this (c’mon, they study everything. lol) And they say that sometimes your brain can actually create pain. Well, if not actually “creating” it, it CAN accent and AMPLIFY it. That there IS a link between our emotions and pain.
Think about it, we can really have a real pain. But when we have time to sit and think about it, concentrating on just how bad it really feels, the next thing we know it’s getting worse. And goodness knows, it can start spiraling downhill.
Make it easier on yourself. If you get sick or hurt, go ahead and go to the doctor. Don’t “wait it out.”
When we do and think positive, that makes us feel better, hence, calling the doctor and making an appointment that I knew would help me feel better, lifted my spirits enough that the over-the-counter meds had the opportunity to work.
This is why scientist say that people who are depressed are up to four times likely to develop chronic pain and illnesses that other people. And they will dwell on those pains and get more depressed, leading to more pains. And just saying, if you really are feeling seriously depressed, you CAN and SHOULD see the doctor about it. They can help you with that.
My breakthrough
I’ve never been one to go to the doctor unless it was severe, if not life or death threatening. And over time, my ailments were growing. (Btw, this is NOT a good thing.)
If I took a fall, I dealt with it. I may have developed a limp, but hopefully, it will go away. I fell down a staircase (a couple of times). Ok, I’m still breathing, I don’t think anything’s broke. I’ll be alright. I’m riding my 4-wheeler and got spooked, turned around, and when I turned back, I met with a tree. Ok, I jammed my thumb up with that one, I felt stupid, came back home and put some ice on it, hoping it will get better.
These, and others, were things I felt I could deal with, just give myself some recovery time and maybe an ice pack or heating pad. (Again, I should have gone to the doctor.)
But, eventually over the years, everything was catching up with me. I couldn’t walk from my car to a place of business without my leg giving way, causing me to fall onto my knees (and in one or two other circumstances, I faceplanted.) I started using my walking stick, never leaving home without it. Sometimes, even needing it INSIDE my home. My thumb was still not better either. But it was my foot that worried me most.
All during this time, I found myself getting depressed and thinking too much. I would sit and wonder about my blood circulation. Did I pinch off a nerve? Did I possibly sever a blood vessel? Will my foot turn black and fall off? Oh yes, wait, yes, it DID turn black when I tripped and fell in my house. And it turned black all the way up to my knee. THAT’S when I finally called a doctor (after suffering over a week after my fall).
So in I went, hob-knobbing with my walking stick. She had x-rays ordered on my foot and leg, and did her routine exam. All tests came back and she said my circulation was great, oxygen levels great, nerves, muscles, everything great. I just royally mussed it up, but I will be ok. As far as my previous gimping, she said had I gone in sooner, she could have helped, but now, the damage was done. Oh, and my hand? Same thing. The damage was set.
So, I left relieved, thanking my guardian angel that I wasn’t going to lose my leg. And kinda kicking myself for not going to the doctor years ago. But what’s done is done. Now, to just go forward. I have a clean bill of health from my doctor, there is nothing that can be fixed. Had I not gone to the doctor, I’d really think I was going to fall apart. Now, I know I’m not, so it’s up to ME.
Now, I’m definitely not saying sickness and pain is all in our head, by any means. Goodness gracious, I’ve made a whole website devoted to aches and pains, and a lot are based off of my own. lol But I WILL admit that I have learned, by trial and err, physically speaking, that I can actually at least TRY to control SOME of the pain. If I can at least control some of my pain, I can live with the rest and be happy and save the doctor visits for when I really need it (and actually GO when I need to).
Now I know I’ve got to make the best of what I’ve got! This is what we ALL need to do!
Granted, we are going to have some bad days. But goodness knows, I am going to do my best to make all that I can be GOOD!
While I still have problems with my thumb, I’m good with it, just on the bad days I will wear my thumb brace that I got from the pharmacy. I am doing my exercise workouts regularly! I am doing my best to have a positive mind-set! And I am doing my best to take care of ME! I’ve finally gotten myself a regular physician, to have someone that I know and trust, to go visit when I am in doubt. And he ran more tests on me to give me HIS clean bill of health, which inspired me even more! And did I mention that I’m doing my workouts regularly?? 🙂 And I’m paying better attention to what I’m doing and how I’m doing it, so to NOT (hopefully) have those accidental falls.
I mentioned in a previous post that I am now going out withOUT my Gandolf stick (unless I know I will be doing a lot of walking.) I am feeling better and I’m feeling more like ME.
Granted, I still cannot run, but I can dance! (Well, in my gimpy sort of way. lol) I play with my grandchildren! (They are a HUGE incentive!) And I can walk. Slowly, but I can walk. And I am happy with that. And I want YOU to be happy, too!
Now, please, don’t misunderstand me. If you’re sick, please, go to the doctor. Not going to the doctor is not a good thing. I should have realized that sooner. But can’t look back, we can just go forward from here.
For physical ailments (and definitely accidents), go to the doctor, listen and heed his advice. Consult with him and ask what you can do to help yourself, too. Then make some adjustments to your mind-set. Really start applying “you” to fix the things in your control, because there really aren’t any magic fix-all pills out there. We can’t do things as easily as we could when we were younger, so we have to work harder for it.
If you’ve previously done similar to what I’ve done and have old damage, start anew here and now and start doing better! Go see your doctor NOW and make up your mind to do what you can to better yourself. Do this for YOU. You deserve to be happy! Say to yourself, “This is MY life and I am in control!!” Now c’mon and let’s do something about it! I want to hear you say “I’ve got this!” 🙂
