I am sorry it’s been so long since I’ve made a post. Recovering from a debilitating health event is challenging both mentally and physically no matter what the time or place but the freezing temperatures and lack of sunshine in Indianapolis during the month of January added another dimension. Despite my commitment to practicing gratitude, keeping a positive attitude has been difficult at times. All the people around me continue to tell me that I am improving, and I believe them, but at times my day to day improvements have felt so small as to be imperceptible to me.
In my mind, I was going to be well enough to return to work this week. So when I realized, just a couple of weeks ago, that I was not on a trajectory that would make that possible I was pretty devastated. I had reached a very frustrating plateau in my recovery both in terms of pain and function, leaving me filled with uncertainty and disappointment.
But this journey continues to be a rollercoaster. I was able to spend some wonderful time with my sister last week, which was good for both my body and my soul. My ability to walk unassisted has improved significantly over the last week and my pain, while not gone, is more manageable most of the time. I continue to pursue lots of options simultaneously in order to find relief and improvement. I am scheduled to receive my next infusion of Remicade later this week, and I am now seeing my neuro immunologist and pain navigation specialist in addition to my primary care and rheumatology physicians. I continue to do physical therapy, massage therapy, mental health therapy, and get chiropractic adjustments regularly. And on top of all of this I have started to explore what a functional medicine approach might bring to my recovery. So far, the biggest intervention is to explore how moving toward a modified paleo diet might positively impact my health. There is some interesting research on the topic (check out The Wahls Protocol if you’re interested.)
Thank you to all of you who continue to keep me and my family in your prayers and keep reaching out to check-in and send words of encouragement. Please continue to pray for healing, for the mental fortitude to stay positive while working toward recovery, and for the patience to trust in God’s timing.
