My MRI results came back and I have Thoracic spondylosis (without myelopathy) and Carpal Tunnel syndrome of the right wrist. My primary care recommends physical therapy and an orthopedic surgery consult (though surgery was not on the table). While I was relieved to have answers to my pain, I was a bit mad at myself because I finally understood what had caused my pain- failure to properly address issues in the past.
In January 2004, September 2012, and February 2017 I was involved in a rear-end collision that sent me crying to doctors in pain. Each time, physical therapy was recommended and each time I began treatment, but eventually quit for one reason or another. In both 2012 and 2017, I quit due to a combination of cost and loss of employment, as I was terminated from my place of employment shortly after each accident. I distinctly remember the 2017 collision and how I missed time from work- with little to no PTO- and had to come up with a constant $20 copay. Aflac reimbursed me for some visits, but 1. The money did not come immediately and 2. There was a limit to how many visits were reimbursed. Essentially, I could not afford to seek the treatment that I needed so I stopped. Now, here I am four years and three months after my last collision, sitting in a heap of pain.
Naturally, after sending pain memes and texts to my closest friends, I am finally turning to methods of healing. Even with a very full schedule, I have declared that I will have one day free from devices so that my body can rest. Whichever day of the week this may be, I engage in things that bring me joy, while avoiding the things that require too much of me. I have also implemented morning stretches and yoga breathing exercises to help strengthen my back and arm for the day. I spend extra time in my cat/cow and child’s pose positions to ensure that my body functions to its full potential, for as long as possible. Recently, I started incorporating Tiger Balm into my morning routine because my bestie uses it on her back for her sciatica. I love the cooling feeling that it gives initially, but (as I learned on Thursday), it requires multiple applications throughout the day. Lastly, I have scheduled four physical therapy appointments for June (the soonest that I could see someone at this particular practice) and I have made an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon.
Whew! The things we do for our bodies!
You may be wondering what the point is for my medical rant, and here is the moment that you’ve been waiting for:
What we do not address/deal with in the present, will come back to us in the future.
That’s it. I literally do not have anything monumental to say today except that when God tells you to do or take care of something, it’s best (for you) that you handle it in that moment. However, if you are like me and you need some scripture to stand on, say less; I got you!
Remember Queen Esther? I pray that you do because her story is so rich and has so much meat for us to dine on… at another time. But, to summarize, Esther was a young queen who was faced with a dilemma, one of the King’s highest ranking men wanted to kill all of the Jews because, well, he was evil. He was a member of the Amalekite family line and they had a long standing history with the nation of Israel, dating back to Moses in Exodus. However, today I want to call 1 Samuel 15 to your attention. In this chapter, the newly anointed King Saul has been charged by God to completely destroy the Amalekites- every single thing, person, etc.- leaving nothing behind. Despite what he was clearly told by God, King Saul chose to spare some things and people that he deemed beneficial to him. As a result of Saul’s disobedience, the Amalekites survived… and so did their hatred for the Nation of Israel. By the time we get to the book of Esther, the Amalekites (namely, Haman) are ready to see the Israelites suffer and die. You have to read both 1 Samuel 15 and the book of Esther (only four chapters long) to fully understand but, wow!
Again, Beloved, I want to encourage you to address and deal with the things now that God has graced you to handle. As the Queen Procrastinator, I am often so tempted to put things off until later, but today God is saying to us both, “Better Now Than Later.”
Be blessed.
God Happened To ME Ministries, LLC 
WOW! Thank you for sharing your story with us today. Sis you get on the path of healing and recovery. I used to be concern about Carpal Tunnel because I use to do a lot of data entry at work. But thanks be to God I never had an issue, what I did have an issue with was my back and shoulders.
I was taking muscle relaxers and physical therapy. Funny thing was the muscle relaxer ended up making me to relax at work that my speed slowed down. Physical therapy did not work. Finally, I told me doctor to let us try something different.
That is when she sent me to a Chiropractor, I was shocked because I did not have no accident so why go to one? But I did tell her we need to try something new. Turned out that was the best thing I could do for my back.
The doctor immediately noticed that my posture was off. He said because you sit at a desk all day and you lean towards the computer it has messed with your posture. When they had me doing these exercises, it straightens my posture. I no longer had any more problems with my back and shoulders.
He did advise me to get a stand-up desk at work for it will help me. When I went back to work showed HR my doctor note and she ordered me stand up desk.
Months later HR ordered every person in the place stand-up desk. Still to this day I have no issues with my back and shoulders. My posture is still straight. Who would have thought a chiropractor did more for me than physical therapy?
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Thank you so much for sharing! I will try this route, but someone else recommended chiropractic therapy, too, so I will see. I’m trusting God through it all and taking breaks as needed. ❤
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