Challenges can be our friends...
I caught Covid in March 2020 and felt so poorly but this actually woke me up to my age and fitness levels (that’s interesting in itself as I remember when I was younger people of the age I am now, saying ‘I feel 21 but my body doesn’t.’ I never really understood that until now haha) so I made a decision that my fitness and health had to become a priority .
In the summer of 2020, I made a huge effort to get fit. Joe Wicks inspired me to start working out and I started doing the ‘Couch to 5k’. I had never run before and, even though it was really hard, I loved it!
I was motivated and went for it.
However, even though I started to feel so much better energy-levels-wise and just better in myself, which was fantastic, my tummy wouldn’t flatten (was I hoping for miracles?). I had a pain on my right side which the doctor said could be muscular. We left it for a few weeks but the pain didnt go away so after a couple of phone calls my doctor referred me for a scan and it turned out I had a 6cmx6cm benign cyst on my left ovary. They couldn’t explain why I was feeling the pain on my right side but said it could be referral pain as nothing showed up on the scan. To cut a long story short the consultant advised thtat I should have my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, so, in January 2021 I went down for a seemingly routine procedure. It turned out, however, that I also had a 15cmx15cm benign cyst on my right ovary too which had gone undetected...
I thought I would recover quickly but it took 11 months to feel on top of my game (luckily the shop was closed for some of it and, even though I was working I had time to take it easy too). It was an emotionally challenging time though as I’d lost my dad at the end of 2020, two of our Quest family were going through bereavements and I had to deal with the uncertainty of when or even if the shop was going to reopen. Looking back though I kept remarkably calm, I think I knew whatever happened it was going to be ok.
A few days after my op I started physio, which was walking a few meters at a time, I gradually built this up and it was on one of these very slow walks I met Carly @Mumzfit_epsom, who was doing a workout in the cold with a client and I thought to myself; I am going to get fit with Carly's help.
In late spring I was ready and made a start with Carly, she cajoled me, inspired me, made me move and do more than I wanted to, I loved it and hated it all at the same time, she took NO notice of my moans, groans and complaints.
I ran my first 5k and have run a second one since and run at least 2.5km now almost every day, it is hard, really hard but because I am making my physical health a priority I keep going.
I'm now seeing a body dynamics expert called Albert because of scarring adhesions from my operation and from a previous operation when I was 18. Albert has helped me enormously and being an ex-dancer he has drilled into me the importance of stretching. I have been having regular acupuncture with Sam over the years which has helped enormously inparticular I have found it immensly helpful for the menopause, which I am gratefuly through now. Being surrounded by Reiki and positive, loving people has helped too. I’m slowly seeing the results. I feel more energised, fitter, I can do exercises that I haven’t been able to do since my 20s, I can even touch the floor now without bending my legs and I’m running and stood up on a paddle board!
Life is busier than ever but, having taken the time to reflect I could have done all this years ago if I had only prioritised my health.
We can achieve anything in life if we prioritise, commit and make it a must, life brings us all we need when we do this, the universe conspires to help.
Have you noticed how we spend too much time worrying in case ‘this or that’ happens, so much so that we miss the moments then the days, weeks, months and years go by. The worry and anxiety gets in the way of us being in the now. I have learnt that when challenges come, and they will, we have everything we need at that moment to overcome them and we always get through them.
Looking back I see that the challenges I have found in my life have helped me to have a better life now, and what seems like a challenge in your life today, can simply be the catalyst to help you focus on how to have a better life tomorrow.
