With 2018 drawing to a close, I’ve had a chance to reflect on my year. A lot has happened - I got a promotion, I got MS, i was off work, i went back to work, I’m selling my house. I’ve been a good wife; nurse; sister; daughter; friend and patient. I’ve grieved, I’ve healed, I’ve used my support network and surrounded myself with the good in my life. I’ve been humbled by the reaction of people around me when I have needed them. I’ve laughed, cried (a lot), been tied up in knots and as this year is ending, I feel I can wrap this year up, for all its good and bad and move into 2019 with optimism, health, hope and contentment.
It has been a long year, and one I thought would never end. I hoped but never believed I would get to this stage. I wake up every morning grateful that I can brush my teeth, walk downstairs and do the thousand other things that I do in my day. This gratitude hasn’t diminished since the day in July I couldn’t walk more than 10m, it has actually heightened. While others think that I have gone back to normal, nothing could be further from how I feel. Health is such a privilege, and my body is the temple that i can honour to demonstrate my gratitude. I am completely committed to nurturing and healing my body physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Eating well, exercising, meditating, resting and challenging myself is a fine balance that will take years to master, but the journey has already given me so much insight, I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
From the death sentence I perceived that MS had given me in July, I have actually become grateful to the disease. Am I mad? Maybe, but through the diagnosis, I have learned so much about myself, and the life that I want to live. I don’t believe that I would have made the changes to a healthier life without it, and I can honestly say that I’ve never been healthier. I am no longer poisoning my body with the dietary choices I was making, and am reducing the risk of developing all sorts of diseases that would have caught up with me in a few years. By having MS, I have somehow become healthier, and am aiming to live longer and better than if I’d carried on the path I was walking.
A mutual respect between my mind and my body has meant that I have come into alignment with ‘me’. MS is not something to fight, but a reflection on your relationship with you. Listen for the warning signs; your body is very sophisticated and will tell you if you’re doing too much. Look after your body and your body will look after you.
Nurture, cultivate compassion and grow in 2019, make this the year for you!
It has been a long year, and one I thought would never end. I hoped but never believed I would get to this stage. I wake up every morning grateful that I can brush my teeth, walk downstairs and do the thousand other things that I do in my day. This gratitude hasn’t diminished since the day in July I couldn’t walk more than 10m, it has actually heightened. While others think that I have gone back to normal, nothing could be further from how I feel. Health is such a privilege, and my body is the temple that i can honour to demonstrate my gratitude. I am completely committed to nurturing and healing my body physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Eating well, exercising, meditating, resting and challenging myself is a fine balance that will take years to master, but the journey has already given me so much insight, I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
From the death sentence I perceived that MS had given me in July, I have actually become grateful to the disease. Am I mad? Maybe, but through the diagnosis, I have learned so much about myself, and the life that I want to live. I don’t believe that I would have made the changes to a healthier life without it, and I can honestly say that I’ve never been healthier. I am no longer poisoning my body with the dietary choices I was making, and am reducing the risk of developing all sorts of diseases that would have caught up with me in a few years. By having MS, I have somehow become healthier, and am aiming to live longer and better than if I’d carried on the path I was walking.
A mutual respect between my mind and my body has meant that I have come into alignment with ‘me’. MS is not something to fight, but a reflection on your relationship with you. Listen for the warning signs; your body is very sophisticated and will tell you if you’re doing too much. Look after your body and your body will look after you.
Nurture, cultivate compassion and grow in 2019, make this the year for you!