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Before I get started, I’m just going to say that I’m not about to tell the world my full medical and health history. Some of it’s gross. Some of it’s terribly embarrassing. And frankly, it’s no one’s business but my own. In fact, my whole life is no one’s business but my own… but then again, I have this here blog. So sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to say, and what should never leave the walls of my home.
And when I do decide it’s time to talk about something, how far do I take it? Obviously, I have no intention of causing harm or discomfort to the many people in my life I care about. But when a message is so important that I’ve decided to write about it, then figuring out what to say and not say becomes a big part of where I go from there.
Quite the Medical Resume
I am not the poster child for medical issues. But in 45 years, many of which I really did not take care of myself, you can build up quite the medical resume. And build one up I did!
Growing up, I suffered from violent chest pains. They went undiagnosed for most of my life, and continued into my late twenties. When I was eighteen, I tore my kneed to shreds. Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes. And several years ago, I stopped being able to sit down because I somehow developed an uber-painful, crippling case of sciatica.
And this is by no means a full list of everything I’ve gone through or am currently going through!
Sadly, that would take up a lot of room.
And some matters would leave the average person cringing with discomfort.
But I’m not here to complain. Nor am I here to garner sympathy.
Complaining won’t make pain go away. And save your sympathy for people who have it far worse than I do.
My Health Journey
Fact is, I have come a really long way.
And that’s what I wanted to talk about today.
My journey into fixing my health started way back when with my diabetes diagnosis. I had eaten myself into a corner. You can’t outrun a Twinkie. Or several hundred. And I realized I had messed things up and needed to now play defense to try to keep myself at minimum health, and preferably alive.
So I started exercising. And eating a bit better.
But I knew nothing. And I had a long road ahead of me.
So there I was, an overweight diabetic, with a torn ACL, asthma, a deviated septum, and a pile of new health concerns that would start getting overwhelming as the years would pass by.
Getting to the Other Side
Fast forward nearly two decades and you would barely be able to tell I ever was suffering as much as I was.
I’m thin. Don’t even look so bad in the mirror. My diabetes is so under control, I might actually be in remission.
Please note that the majority of the medical world doesn’t believe you can cure diabetes. But my research has shown that it is possible. Not easy, but possible. And the evidence is in their favor, since I’ve been doing (almost) everything right for long enough now, so much so that my last tests may have been impressive even for someone with no blood sugar issues whatsoever.
My cruddy knee plays virtually no role in my life. I go to the gym, lift heavy things, and jump all over the place, pretending as if I don’t have a completely demolished ACL. Why? According to my trusted sources, the human body is ridiculously complex and self-correcting. And if you don’t have the right ligaments, the surrounding muscles step up to the plate and take over additional roles. So, I may not have an ACL, but I have muscles surrounding my knee that took over its job.
Despite two years of not being able to sit for a few moments without violent pain, I now function completely normally. In fact, as a kid I was diagnosed with asthma and a deviated septum. And as an adult, I was diagnosed with GERD, finally explaining the violent chest pains. Now I breathe normally, through both nostrils, and I virtually never have any chest pain.
How Did We Get Here?
So how did I get from point A to point B? And why in the world am I telling all this?
Well, the answer to the first question is not simplistic. In some cases I fixed things by finding the right medical professional to help me. Other things were diagnosed by doctors, and I took the reins from there, doing everything I could to solve the problem at hand. In other cases, I researched like crazy, found the right natural solution, and took care of everything from the comfort of my living room. And some situations required a combination of all these things.
There was a whole lot of trial and error.
But if I was strong enough and patient enough, I always made it to the finish line.
These were major trials. And there are a few more left, to be sure. But the main point here is that they are winnable. There really can be a light at the end of the tunnel.
You Can Get Here Too
I recall vividly lying on the floor in such pain from my sciatica that I would rather have had my leg chopped off than go through that for another minute. And yet, here I am, running and jumping and squatting and living my life like any other active person. Because I fought and persevered.
I thought my life would never be high-quality again, because of dietary mistakes I made in my past. But look at where I am now! With numbers that would make most non-diabetics jealous.
Anyone can do the same. Will it be easy? I cannot say. I’m not you, nor familiar with your unique situation.
But life circumstances robbed me of the confidence that things could get better. And perseverance restored that confidence. Struggle and success put me back on the path I needed to be on.
I can be in charge of my own health. I can conquer any health challenge life throws my way.
And you can too.
