I'm on the mend. My pain went from eight out of ten, unrelenting, with peaks into the nine range with movement, down to four. From the diverticulitis, my muscles on the abdominal wall and quadratus lumborum were inflamed. I could only move by using my arms to do more of the body movement -- up the stairs, into our out of the bed-- and by pressing really hard on my left lower quadrant. Involuntarily I would exclaim OW! Ow! OW! with movements. Driving was agony.
At the ER I got a diagnosis but no relief. Not from the pain. And the antibiotic didn't work. It wasn't one for abdominal pain. It was for respiratory ailments.
The pharmacy messed up twice. But after three trips there I was heading in the right direction.
Why did I get sick?
Only the patient can tell you why. The healers can guide, can help make the connections. I know from Louise Hay and Mona Lisa Shulz MD--by the way their book is excellent--that it's from the orange/yellow chakra, doing too much for others, and having way too many things.
That was a little of it.
I think I got sick to see the I've been unwell for a very long time. My digestion hasn't been right since 2012. I thought a myomectomy would fix things, it sort of did. But not the main problem.
I realize my diet and exercise need to be number one. And celebrating mom by eating fast food we ordinarily don't eat, plus working so hard there was no time to cook, and the kitchen countertops being crammed with too much stuff was a situation to lose-lose.
You see, when you are overweight, the fat actually helps make a colonoscopy easier because there is less movement possible for the intestines large and small. This isn't good when you have diverticulosis. And daily movement for one hour is a must. Not just to help the bowel, but for glucose control too. It may or may not help with weight loss. Then once I'm better, I go on this: https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/rethinking-diverticulitis-treatment-and-prevention/ as well as search for https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/kampo. After that the diet goal will be FIBER FIBER FIBER at every meal.
Then I should be okay.
My lesson into extreme pain was twofold--one to see the split between the spirit and body, and second, it acted as a gateway to discover there is ample room to feel much better than I had been feeling!
When your gut isn't working right, your Life Force, your Hara, suffers too.
What other lessons were with this?
- realizing the ER doctor is limited in what he could prescribe--and the antibiotic was wrong for my diagnosis
- discovering the impact of my insurance restrictions on pharmacy--which are MAJOR. They didn't pay at all for the second antibiotic when the first one didn't work. (I need two, one for aerobic and one for anaerobic organisms)
- learning how the 'pain pill pandemic' left me with substandard care. No pain relief. For days.
- appreciating how much better off I was to be friends with my gastroenterologist. He saved me. In so many ways.
- putting my foot down and not being willing to sacrifice myself for my work. Yes I had to negotiate and do lots of communication but I got to stay home when I needed it most, to prevent worse health and also possible mistakes due to my being distracted by pain.
- accepting first things first and not pushing myself through something I thought was 'first' erroneously.
- understanding how Ross could be with me the whole time, even though there wasn't much he could do, this was a lesson.
- listening to the wisdom of friends and family. The nurse who told me to take the pain med (tramadol) because with 8/10 pain you can't rest and heal. I could hear Creator talking to me through my loved ones.
- being HONEST with those closest to me about my fears and worries and health.
- your priorities
- your 'world view' is shaken, in what you once took for granted you cannot any more. You have to focus and adapt
- your sense of well-being (this one helps to trim and contain the ego, like a sandy surface helps to smooth and wear down the claws of a dog or cat who is walking on it.)
- your body and how it isn't really under your control--or isn't really YOU in all totality
- your ability to make plans and carry them out is a gift not to be taken to excess
- ability to open the mind to new thought/viewpoints/options
- connectedness and ability to work with/depend on others and perhaps as in Carla's case change the 'status quo'
- humbleness in acceptance of the lesson
- willingness to serve and to help others with the knowledge gained.
