My Healing Story, Part II

One of my friends who came to visit me in the hospital asked: “How can you manage to cope with all the tragedy going on in your life?" (Fortunately, most people didn’t say that out loud.) My response was: "What choice do I have?" I was forced to go beyond anything I thought I was capable of dealing with and learned new ways to handle challenges.

I learned to use a strategy from my NLP studies: There was a bigger picture and something to be learned from all our experiences. 

Even though I had a great deal of grief to process, I was always open to wondering what this was all for. I was aware that my life had been very sheltered up to that point and I operated from a place of innocence. As difficult as everything was, I truly experienced that my accident expanded me beyond any other education I could have had.

I ultimately found that it certainly helped me to be a more compassionate and empathetic therapist with my clients. (However, I do not recommend having to go through personally everything that we have to deal with regarding our clients’ issues.) 

When I was released from the hospital, after over two months, I had an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. He told me that I would never walk again without a hip replacement. At the time, I said I would rather die than go back to the hospital. Also, I was told the hip would have to be replaced every 10 years. I shifted my focus and imagined myself dancing, running, and skiing again. I was not that familiar with the concept of visualization at that time but found that it was extremely effective.    

I went out on my search for other healing methods. In 1977 in the Midwest, I had heard a negative comments about chiropractors, many people considering them to be “quacks,” yet I stayed open to possibilities. A few months later, a colleague from graduate school invited me to a mind-body workshop she was presenting. When we got to the body part of healing, a young man who was studying to become a chiropractor, taught principles on Applied Kinesiology. He asked me to be the demonstration subject for displaying his processes. I experienced amazing and significant changes in weak muscles becoming strong from his interventions with me. I found how it was possible to heal and become strong, using methods that helped my body heal itself.

In the late 1970’s there were not many alternative medical treatments available at the time.  I did find Chinese herbs in the Southside of Chicago. I always said, they tasted so horrible, I would do anything to get well and be able to stop taking them. Fortunately, I continued to find amazing healers who helped me with strengthening my body and decreasing pain. I will share more on that in future articles.

It has been 42 years of healing with many alternative interventions. Throughout my healing journey, I have been guided from one amazing healing experience to another. I have recently had a hip replacement, hopefully to last my lifetime.