In 2022, I had mysterious stomach pain that kept me down more often than I’d like. Eating and drinking made things hurt and my soul hurt from having to flake over and over again. I felt so low and defeated. Like I was trying my best and my best just wasn’t good enough. After we found out my gallbladder was the issue and had that sucker removed, I’ve started to gain back my strength. I’m a cleaner so getting back to full strength has been a slow process because when climbing the stairs makes you huff and puff, imagine toting a vacuum. But about a week ago, I made a client’s shower shiny clean and I smiled with pride and remembered that I’m good at cleaning!
When They Don’t Show Up
I had my gallbladder taken out the day before my birthday this year. After months of pain and two ER visits, the ultrasound tech says “You’re pregnant with a litter of gallstones!” (the irony) and the next morning, my gallbladder was gone. It was my first major surgery, even though it was a minimally invasive laparoscopic one. The morning of my birthday, I woke up in lots of pain but at least in my own bed. Coffee was cancelled. Dinner out with friends was cancelled. Breathing hurt so I couldn’t even lean forward to paint my nails…..
20 Ways To Show Up For The Physically Hurting
This month, I had my gallbladder out. It was the first time I’ve ever been in the hospital and the first time I’ve ever had surgery. While it was minimally invasive and the recovery has been relatively easy, there are lots of things I noticed that were so helpful for me. Even though it wasn’t a fertility related surgery, it gave me some good perspective for helping people who are recovering. If you know someone who has undergone surgery, has lost a baby or is in the middle of IVF, basically someone who is physically hurting, here are a few ways you can SHOW UP for them!
Showing Up For Yourself
I gotta tell you, this past summer was the hardest I’ve ever known. My depression had run on for so long, unchecked, that when anxiety and stomach issues entered the chat, I fell flat. Like I didn’t know you could slide backwards even further but I did. I basically lived on queso and coffee. I didn’t fold laundry once. I couldn’t leave my house without sitting in my car in the driveway for fifteen minutes, feeling the waves of an anxiety attack roll over me. A stomach flare up at the end of fall landed me in the ER and when I got home, I said “Enough”.