Is Your Spine In Line? About a year ago I slipped and fell down our carpeted camper step, in the middle of the night, while getting up to let the cats out……………..again.  Three steps, mind you.  I had socks on and my foot slipped bringing me down HARD on my fanny on …………. .each …………. step!!!!!  Well, being a retired EMT, I triaged myself while laying at the bottom of the stairs, sprawled out like a pancake (GF of course!).  My poor husband came straight up out of a sound sleep and hurried over to check on me.  “I’m fine” I said, wiggling and moving legs, arms and head.  He argued that I should be taken to the ER and be checked out.  I declined his offer to run me into town.  After all, I knew my body and everything moved and I didn’t hurt….too bad.  Onward I went, the next morning, helping my hubby build our cabin.  “I’m fine” I kept telling myself, while sporting a purple and blue bruise on my right butt cheek the size of that GF pancake!   Arnica was my friend for a few days and then eventually I tucked it away in my brain.  

Fast forward to a couple of months ago.  I couldn’t sleep on my side.  Either side. I would wake up in pain and have to carefully turn over on my back to get back to sleep.  Finally, I accepted in my head that I may need to see a professional. (What??  I’m not Superhuman?)  I sought out insight as to why my sides were hurting, my toes and heels were numb as well as my little fingers.   Physical Therapy was advised. I decided to go with my heart and sought out the absolutely amazing hands of a local massage therapist.  I went to one session and after I got the number of the truck that hit me, I began to feel better a bit.  I went back again and she identified “things weren’t where they were supposed to be” and recommended I see a chiropractor.  I agreed and made an appointment.  

My hubby and I went to my first appointment and I could feel my heart beating in my chest while sitting there.  You see I’ve had neck surgery and have not seen a “bone cruncher” since then.  We were invited into the exam room and he promptly took my blood pressure, which in “normal” circumstances would have set me up for BP meds (my BP is ALWAYS low).  Nice guy, so I decided I was safe.  He took x-rays and we reviewed them.  As my hubby was looking at them, he told the provider the story of my falling down the stairs a year ago.  A lot of things on the image were wonky and not where they were supposed to be.  “Oh, and then there was when she fell down the ladder”, “and when the dog drug her down the driveway” he added.  So, my memory was refreshed, the misalignments made perfect sense.  After adjusting the femur that I had knocked out of the socket, and my tailbone that was pointing the wrong direction and multiple other wonky things, I didn’t realize how much I had just put up with.  I’ve gone through my treatment plan and plan to go back periodically for tune-ups!!!   I am almost pain free and I can feel my extremities again.  Wooo Hooo!!

So, how much do we “put up with” in our lives?  Life hands us bumps along the journey.  Even the little bumps can make a huge impact on your mind and body. Much like your spine can get knocked out of alignment.  Does this stop the body from functioning?  No, but is it harder somedays than others?  Absolutely!  Do we adapt a different way of walking if our femur is not where it’s supposed to be?  Totally!  As busy humans, we file it in the “I don’t have time right now so I’ll deal with it later” folder.  What if, like me, LATER is a year or more.  How much damage tough events can do physically and emotionally if we just file it away?  If we are just too busy to deal with it right now?  News flash……We are always going to be too busy.  But the truth of the matter is, we only get one trip on this big round ball and we only get one amazing vessel to live in while we are on that journey.   No one but YOU are responsible for your health and your happiness.  Read that again and let that sink in……………

No one but YOU are responsible for your health and your happiness. 

I felt I was too busy to take care of myself back then. Too busy to make “me” a priority.  And, honestly, this wasn’t the first time.  If you want to give your family & friends 100% of yourself and be the best mom, wife, daughter (in law), sister (in law), friend or even employee that you can be then you have to start by giving yourself 100% of you.  It is scary to find out that you are not superhuman.  I GET IT!!!!.  But what’s scarier is to find out later and then your journey to healing and obtaining optimal health seems beyond your reach.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  You can start NOW!  I hope you start NOW.  It begins with you, one step at a time.   So Just How Much Are You Willing To Put Up With In Your Life?