Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Be Thankful even for "This"

Whatever the "this" is for you... a bad break-up, financial uncertainty, a job you hate, or in my case, a new (or ongoing) health issue.... remember to THANK the Universe and be grateful.  Yes, even "this" is designed for your greatest good! 

                                       

I've had a few health issues arise in the past five months.  First, I have a toe injury.  I know, a "toe injury."  Sounds awful, right?  (I hope you can hear the sarcasm.)  But it's been bad enough that it's kept me from running for weeks at a time.  I'm a runner, I love to run, so this has been very difficult for me.  I'm still working on healing my toe.  Honestly, I have wondered if I'll ever run like I used to again.  I have accepted that my best running years may be behind me.  Now, if not, that's great.  But I also have an recurring hip issues as well.... so, yeah....

As annoying as the toe injury is, it's tolerable.  I have adjusted to walking with my dogs instead of running.  I can deal with that and live a perfectly happy life, if I have to, without running. 

                                         

But a new health issue has arisen, and frankly, concerns me a little.  I'm a champ with dealing with injuries and pains that are skeletal or muscular in nature.  Like sports injuries.  I've dealt with those plenty.  But when something comes up that's internal, that I can't just rest and make it better, I tend to freak out a little. 

I've debated on going into details about what I'm experiencing, but I know I always hate it when someone says they're "going through something" then leave it at that.  Maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm just nosy, but I always want to know more.  What is it?  Maybe I experienced something similar.  Maybe I can help.  Or maybe I can learn from you and your experience!  So, I decided to share.  (If you don't want to know, skip over this part.)

I won't go into ALL the minute details, but four months ago I experienced symptoms that felt like a urinary tract infection.  I've had UTIs before and don't consider them a reason to worry.  I'm also not quick to run to a doctor.  So I drank cranberry juice and decided to give it a few days to see if my body would naturally work it out and heal itself. 

Lo and behold, it did!  Or seemed to anyway.  The pain and symptoms went away.  Great!  Flash ahead two months and it came back.  Same symptoms.  And again, after about five days or so, the symptoms disappeared and again I felt normal. 

A little weird, but I was noticing a pattern.  The UTI symptoms ONLY appeared the week before my menstrual cycle was to start (if there are any guys reading this, I apologize if that makes you uncomfortable).  And it alternated months.  True to form, this past month, nothing.  No symptoms.  Felt great actually!  *Now, if there is another pattern, I don't know what it is yet.  Maybe it has nothing to do with my cycle, and everything to do with what I'm eating.... I strongly believe in the effects of what we eat over our bodies and our health, and I may have eaten differently during the times my symptoms appeared... something I'll keep an eye on.   

Anyway, I had an annual pre-scheduled check-up with my doctor this past Monday and told her about all this.  She seemed a little concerned.  Feeling around in my abdomen she said I felt "full."  Her word.  She wanted me to come back in a week for a follow-up and an ultrasound.  That appointment is next Monday.  I'm anxiously awaiting it. 

In the meantime, I noticed a new symptom.  Oddly enough, it occurred the day after my check-up.  The reason my doctor wasn't more concerned was because I wasn't showing any other symptoms and told her I currently felt fine.  But then the next day I noticed blood in my urine.  (I know, gross...sorry.)  I've NEVER seen this before, in my life, and it freaked me out.  Well, that's not good, I thought. 

I still feel fine.  For the most part.  Physically, if I didn't see the blood in my urine, I wouldn't suspect there was anything wrong.  I decided last night to go to one of those Minute Clinics to see if I test positive for a UTI or bladder infection and get on some antibiotics. 

Luckily, they were open until seven p.m., and I had over forty-five minutes until they closed.  So I went.  But there were already two people waiting, and they don't accept new patients when they don't know they'll get through everyone by closing time.  So I went home. 

It was as I was walking out of the store that it hit me... even THIS is a gift from the Universe.  I am not meant to see a doctor right now.  I can wait until tomorrow.  I am needing to experience this, right now, for some reason. 

                           

I'm not sure yet what that reason is.  Maybe just a wake-up call to appreciate my health and realize my mortality.

But it's true.  Whatever you are going through, even THAT is a gift.  An experience custom-designed for you, at this point in your life, from the Universe.  There's something you need to learn, see, or realize, and this experience is here to show you, if you let it.

                                        

I admit, in the trying times, it's most difficult to appreciate what's going on.  It's hard to be thankful for something that's painful or unpleasant (either physically, mentally, or emotionally). 

I'm right there with you.  I just want whatever it is to be "fixed."  To be over, dealt with, and done.  Never to show up again. 

But to speed through experiences that come up in our lives is to do them a disservice.  To rush through something, just "fixing" it and moving on... you're not getting what you're supposed to get out of it. 

                                         

So take a deep breath, settle into whatever it is, and let go.  Surrender. 

I can tell you when I did that yesterday, I instantly felt lighter.  More at peace.  Yes, even this is happening for a reason and I need to be grateful.             

                                   
quote above:  "Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" 


*All quotes below are from www.wonderful-quotes.com

Quotes of the Day:


"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice."  (Meister Eckhart)


"Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture."  (Kak Sri)


"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."  (Frank A. Clark)



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