I was ill in February/March, properly sick (or poorly as they say in England) involving blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, multiple GP and specialist visits. And I’m all fine now!
Here’s what I noticed/learned:
- I’m grateful for good health, inquisitive healthcare professionals and private health insurance.
- Live fully – peoples’ lives can change on a dime and you never know when/if that will happen.
- How you do something makes a difference – the specialist was warm, re-assuring, open, made me feel like he had all the time in the world, informative, knowledgeable, encouraging, funny, patient, just really human and made me feel like someone, not a patient or number.
- Self-care is important. Normally I push through feeling coldy as I’m self-employed and a doer and when this felt like something more I stopped, prioritized rest, re-arranged the work I could, became very acquainted with my sofa/couch/settee and got better relatively quickly.
- Listen to my body – I felt awful and didn’t care what didn’t get done, that’s when I knew I was really sick and I got into the doctor’s quickly. I diagnosed myself correctly at the onset; it took them 3 weeks to confirm (they were treating me for my diagnosis despite not having the underlying data yet).
- Ask for help, let others help, accept help and listen knowing they have your best interests at heart.
- I accepted that ‘doing my best’ for those 4 weeks was being the best recover-er I could be, I wasn’t the best at much else and that was ok.
- Who I am is sometimes good enough; I can add value by just BEING me rather than just by what I do! I was told I added value at some virtual meetings I attended despite not doing anything (in my mind).
- Attitude or mindset can make a situation so much better – how you choose to look at something strongly impacts how you feel. I choose to embrace being ill, this was my body saying I needed rest and I accepted that so didn’t beat myself up nor was I unbearable to be around (so I was told!)
- Technology, used well, enhances life – I was able to do some research for a project while lying on my couch, I was able to order in meals and food from my couch, I watched so many Jamie Oliver 30 minute meal shows, I ordered the cookbook from my couch and the whole diagnosis was aided by tech too. Let technology serve me, not enslave me (as I head to a 1 week retreat with no technology).
What might you embrace in your life right now?
