A Little Self Care
Lately, when people ask me what I do all day, I am somewhat embarrassed to give an answer because, some days, it seems like all I do is self care.
I often long for those mornings, long ago, when I could hop out of bed, throw on some clothes, eat a leisurely breakfast, brush my teeth, and head out the door for school, all in half an hour. Those days are long gone. Now, I wake up at a reasonable time in the morning, but I often find myself adjusting the bed to a comfortable reading position and turning on the built-in massage feature while I catch up on some reading and play a game or two on my phone. Realistically, I'm just putting off that inevitable morning routine that seems to take forever these days but, in reality, takes me 30-40 minutes in the bathroom before I can even think about sitting down for breakfast. (And, if I take a shower, that adds even more time, because those long, hot showers soothe my aching joints.)
Getting dressed is the easy part, although I fumble around a bit with buttons and other kinds of closures. I have to take medication for my asthma, allergies, osteoporosis, and arthritis/polymyalgia, as well as pain medication and meds that counteract the side effects of some of the other meds. Unfortunately, I have to swallow those pills one at a time, just because I've always had trouble swallowing pills, and that takes a while. It takes a few minutes to use an iron to tame my unruly hair. And then, I brush my teeth, and floss, and swish, in hopes of keeping my remaining teeth, and I have to use a nasal rinse every morning in an effort to prevent sinus infections and resulting asthma issues. For years, I used little makeup, but now I have to use more just to maintain that no-makeup look. Ah, such is vanity...
After I retired from teaching almost nine years ago, I started walking every day. That hasn't changed much. I still walk outside most days, except when the weather is exceptionally cold or windy. When I can't walk outdoors, I walk inside or use my strider in the basement, but I much prefer walking outside, usually for at least 30-45 minutes a day. My daily goal used to be 10,000 steps, but I've had to cut that back to 8,000 steps in the last year due to some health concerns that limit my ability to walk so far. Even so, I walk two or three miles a day and, if I don't walk, I pay for it with increased back pain and inability to move from a sitting to a standing position. "Use it or lose it!"
My back has become a big problem. After seeing several doctors and physical therapists and, finally, a competent chiropractor, I've learned that my neck and spine suffered major trauma years ago, probably when Bill and I were in a serious car accident in Michigan in 1978. Bill recovered from his significant injuries, and I walked away with a few chipped teeth and some cuts and bruises. Because I looked and acted fine, no one thought to x-ray my spine. And a few years later, when I started experiencing debilitating fatigue, and tingling and numbness in my arms and legs, no one asked if I had ever been in a serious accident, or even stopped to think that the problem might be my back.
I often think that I've had too many doctors. In this era of specialization, no one caregiver ever looks at the whole person, so some things are missed. I didn't realize that back injuries don't often cause back pain until years after an injury, so I wasn't able to point my doctors in the right direction to find a solution for my frustrating symptoms that seemed to have no cause.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to see a chiropractor after you have a car accident, a serious fall, or any other traumatic injury, just to make sure your spine has not been affected. I've learned that spinal injuries can be easy to correct if they are addressed soon after they happen, but are harder to treat years later. With that being said, my four rounds of physical therapy and ongoing chiropractic treatments are helping a lot, but the therapists' suggested daily exercise routine adds more time to my day, and my frequent medical appointments cut into my week. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. (Proverbs 3:8)
It was just a year ago that I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease, most likely caused by some of my meds. Because of that, I've had to permanently change to a low fat diet. After doing some research, I decided that the Mediterranean Diet would be a good choice for me. That means that both Bill and I have had to change the way we shop, cook, and eat. We've never eaten a lot of processed foods, but this particular way of eating means more time spent on food prep for me, since I chop a large variety of veggies for each noon's salad, and make my own soups, salad dressing, and healthy snacks. I'd much rather leave most of the cooking to Bill, who loves to cook and had taken over much of the cooking in recent years. I had good news, though, at last week's doctor's appointment: most of my liver enzyme levels are finally back in the normal range.
I may not get as much done in a day as I want to, but I'm still able to write my blog, and even work on a new book. I get to spend time with my local grandkids every week. I can see well enough to read my Bible each day, and play my guitar and sing praise to God. I make time to work in the yard and finish some inside projects, even if I pay for it with more pain the next day. And, of course, there's always laundry to do, and the kitchen to clean, and errands to run. By the grace of God, I can accomplish everything I need to do, because he makes it possible. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. (Psalm 73:28)
I don't often talk or write about my health concerns, because they have been with me, in one form or another, for most of my adult life. I've learned to live with it and, most of the time, the people around me haven't realized I have any significant health issues. Even some of my doctors have made a point of telling me that I'm "in good shape for the shape I'm in." However, in recent months, people have begun to notice my diet changes and occasional movement difficulties, so I've decided to let you know what's going on. I'm certainly not looking for sympathy; instead I want to encourage you to take care of the body God has given you. Eat right, get some exercise every day, even when you don't feel like it, so you can keep on keeping on, doing those things God has left for you to do in this world.
Not too long ago, I was reading Psalm 73, and I realized that the words found there applied to me, and probably to a lot of other people, as well. That led to a new song, taken directly from the psalm, called God Remains. You can listen to it here:
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