Over the weekend I was reminded of the importance of listening to your body. Often times, we do such a great job of taking care of everyone else but neglect ourselves in the process. I remember a couple of years ago, I was feeling pain on my side for almost a week. I shrugged it off thinking that it was just gas. One night I was awakened by a sharp pain on my side, the next morning I was sure to make an appointment with my doctor (it wasn’t just gas). After going to the doctor, she made an appointment for me to get a CT scan the next day, she was afraid it was my appendix. After having my CT scan completed, I learned that it was not my appendix, however, they found a mass. Hearing that word “mass,” took me to another level. I remember being out getting something to eat, I left out of the restaurant and sat in my car crying. I was scared. Later, after a couple of appointments with other doctors, I was scheduled to have surgery to remove one of my ovaries. After surgery, I found out that my ovary was the size of a cantaloupe, I saw the images of what was taken out of me and it was gruesome. Also, I found out the pain I felt that night when I woke up in the middle of the night, was probably my ovary twisting, which could have caused even more damage. God covered me!
Looking back on that time a few things come to mind:
- How much God loves me and cares for me (he loves and cares for you too)
- Listening to your body is important and time sensitive
- Talking to a health care professional is necessary
I’m sure that you have your own story of the importance of listening to your body or perhaps you know of someone else’s story. We only get one body, we have to be sure to take good care of it and that includes listening when it speaks. A pain here or there matters, so listen and don’t be afraid to ask for help, go to the doctor, pharmacy, etc. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying to go to the doctor for any and everything, however, what I am saying is listen to your body, know what’s going on, know when things seem off. Include your family and friends in the process, allow them to be a sounding board. I go to friends often for their opinion, “do you think I should go to the doctor for…” Use wisdom because you only get 1 life!
