On July 10th I had a total hip replacement. I joked about it prior, saying they were about to cut my leg off. Not entirely false, but laughing about it helped chase away my looming fear. As much as I hate surgeries (and I’ve had a few now), I knew that for the best outcome I must embrace the “suck” as my Army son says and be extremely obedient in my rehabilitations.
When storms come in our lives, we have a choice: remain in fear or rise into hope. I suffered with hip pain for 5 years. That's a long storm! After multiple scans and doctor visits I was told there was no arthritis and I had to just allow time to heal. Of course that never happened. When I finally found a surgeon who would give me surgical options, I cried tears of relief. Post surgery he told me the hip and ball socket were bone on bone. I had given up hope for any solution for healing...and yet, yesterday - almost 3 months post procedure - I rode my bike 26 miles thanks to my doctor believing in me, the belief of my wife and closest friends, and ultimately my belief that I can and will find healing. I’m convinced that in order to heal faster and more completely, our mindset must remain positive. Hope is strong medicine for both physical and emotional healing.
The body requires rest and nutrition to heal, and emotional healing is no different. Many studies have been done on the impact of trauma and its long term effects on our cognitive and social behaviors. Quieting the mind and feeding our thoughts and our spirit with good is like salve on a wound. When is the last time you sat in peace, quieted your thoughts or spoke kindly to yourself? If you want to heal, start with your mind and consider the way you think about yourself. Is your self-talk positive or negative? What practices do you do to surround yourself with positive messages or affirmations? Perhaps it’s time to write yourself a love note, and be kinder to your body.
60 days post surgery, my wife and I walked a 5k. I cried as I walked past the finish line, not because of pain but because I was healing. I did the work, but more importantly I believed I could. Healing feels like sunlight on your face after some very dark days. It doesn't mean the healing is done necessarily but a gentle reminder that you are getting closer with every new morning.
If you need to heal, albeit physically or emotionally, feed your wounds well and rest. Seek out wisdom from experts/doctors and hold onto hope. Feed your spirit with good things, good thoughts. Listen to music that lifts you up. Surround yourself with people who fill your cup. Hold onto hope like an anchor. Hope will keep you steady in any storm.
And if you need some shelter, I am here.
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