Journey to Health: An Update...

I am having lots of medical challenges right now. It is extremely frustrating. I have not been "allowed" to exercise for weeks. I have been to Urgent Care 3 times in about a month, along with seeing a specialist and a few other things. I was extremely disheartened at first, I gained some of the weight back, which made me even more disheartened in the whole process.

I recently had a change of mentality, I realized that while I could not actively seek the physical well being through exercise and activity, there are so many other aspects to this journey...it is time to take ownership and reevaluate my challenge areas.

I was going to a weekly therapist in an effort to deal with Vivace's trauma and how it has impacted the entire family. She gave us parenting tips and safety tips, and focused on how best to help him. Well, she happens to also be an addiction counselor and a few other things that  "fit my needs perfectly" counselor. Including helping survivors of trauma. Yes, God is amazing!

 The fear of finding the right personality/expertise counselor that also accepted our insurance and then educating them about our unique family, just vanished. I am now seeing her weekly for ME. Yes, me! What an amazing concept! *smile*  We talk about me! How am I doing? What are my goals? How am I achieving them? What is standing in my way?

My husband and I have been working ind-depth, with just each other, to improve our communication and listening skills. We have taken the time to say, "When you said abc, I heard efg." and "When you said hijk, the demons from my past added lmnop and now I am hurting." It has been awkward at times, but mostly really wonderful. We are both pleased with several things we have been able to discuss, including things he never knew happened with Vivace when he was deployed-because I was protecting him. And things I never knew happened with him while he was deployed-because he was protecting me. I am grateful for these long, late, in-depth and awkward conversations, they are becoming more natural and fluid and extremely healing.

So, right now I am on a physical pause-as we await more labs, more appointments and more specialists over the coming weeks. I have finally accepted that I will not be ready to run the 5K on Thankgiving day, and I am currently looking for a Jan or Feb date to run. It is still my goal, I will move it back slightly but I will not let go.
I also will dive in farther into the emotional and spiritual aspects of this journey. So when the doctors give me the physical "all clear" I will be mentally and emotionally stronger than ever...

I believe it isn't too late to reclaim health, in anyone. Not Vivace, not me, not anyone. I challenge you to pick one area of your life that you need to get back control to be healthy, tackle it now, don't wait for a New Year's Resolution...join me on the the Journey to Health. It is painfully emotional, challenging, 3 steps forward and 2 steps back, beautifully complicated journey, but you are worth it! The end result of being a healthier YOU, is worth it!