Now What??
Do you ever have those moments when you just sit back and wonder, "What now" or maybe you just think, "what's next?"
I think, no matter what is going on in a persons life, that we all ask those questions. I am trying to learn to couple bad news with good news. We often lose track of one good thing when so many bad things fly at us, but isn't it true that so often that one good thing is so much bigger than all the bad?
For me, this lesson has come in the form of test results over the last week. The MRI and MRA of my brain came back absolutely normal. No sign of the lesions they were fearing they would find. This is amazing news, I can now say my brain is okay and it is not where my problems or struggles are originating from. The MRI of my lumbar spine, however, came back much differently. To my surprise and absolute shock, every single level of my lumbar spine has an issue. The lower levels being extremely bad with large herniations that are, just like the discs in my neck, pushing right into my spinal cord. I have been so stuck fearing what that means and worrying about what's next that I forgot to remember how good it is to find out that my brain is okay.
It is important for all of us to focus on the good things in life. Even the seemingly insignificant good things. If we spend all of our time worrying, stressing and wondering what's next we will never give ourselves the chance to enjoy what is right now. If we dwell in the negative, we will never be able to experience the joy of the positive.
I don't know what's next. I won't know for a couple of weeks. That is okay though because for the next couple of weeks I can choose to enjoy the positive things and experience the now.
The other lesson I am finding it hard to get a hold of is the idea of what now or what else. This applies to so many different parts of life. What else medically? I have no idea and like I've said in previous blogs, when it comes to a persons health, it's all about the waiting. So we wait for the next appointment to see what the next move is. It applies to the way people react when they hear what the test has shown. Maybe they laugh you off or they spend their time comparing you to someone else they know, like this lady has had surgeries on her back and she still works out of the home. The judgement in those words makes you sit back and ask what now or what more do you have to say to me. What is the next piece of judgemental wisdom that will fly my way?
We can sit in the what else moments or we can just brush it off and stop worrying about what's next. Stop focusing on what may happen or what may be said and start remembering what is now. We know our bodies, we have spent enough time in the medical rollercoaster to understand that not all medical issues present the same or affect a person the same. That there are a million reasons someone may need surgery and not all are equal. We understand things better than others, we know there is a major difference between an injury and a chronic condition. We have listened to our doctors and done the research, as an example my case is rare in a few ways but the biggest significance is that all these discs are compressing my spinal cord when in a typical case they bulge or herniate away from the spinal cord. Why, when we hold this knowledge, do we let someone's words hurt us? Why do we sit and anticipate what the next nasty comments may be? It is truly pointless.
The doctors are going to do what they feel is best and there is no way to truly anticipate that, especially since most likely you will only anticipate the worst. People are going to say what they are going to say. You can't control that and again if you think about it too much you will only be expecting the worst.
So stop!!! Stop with the 'what's next?' Stop with the, 'what now?' Stop with all the 'what ifs?' the 'what else?' Just stop. The more questions you ask yourself, the more stress you put on yourself, and the worse everything gets. If you put negative thoughts into the air and speak negativity into the universe, you are bound to get nothing but negativity back. Speak positive, think positive, enjoy the right now and take every bit of news as it comes. Embrace the good, understand the bad and move forward. Always move forward.
I think, no matter what is going on in a persons life, that we all ask those questions. I am trying to learn to couple bad news with good news. We often lose track of one good thing when so many bad things fly at us, but isn't it true that so often that one good thing is so much bigger than all the bad?
For me, this lesson has come in the form of test results over the last week. The MRI and MRA of my brain came back absolutely normal. No sign of the lesions they were fearing they would find. This is amazing news, I can now say my brain is okay and it is not where my problems or struggles are originating from. The MRI of my lumbar spine, however, came back much differently. To my surprise and absolute shock, every single level of my lumbar spine has an issue. The lower levels being extremely bad with large herniations that are, just like the discs in my neck, pushing right into my spinal cord. I have been so stuck fearing what that means and worrying about what's next that I forgot to remember how good it is to find out that my brain is okay.
It is important for all of us to focus on the good things in life. Even the seemingly insignificant good things. If we spend all of our time worrying, stressing and wondering what's next we will never give ourselves the chance to enjoy what is right now. If we dwell in the negative, we will never be able to experience the joy of the positive.
I don't know what's next. I won't know for a couple of weeks. That is okay though because for the next couple of weeks I can choose to enjoy the positive things and experience the now.
The other lesson I am finding it hard to get a hold of is the idea of what now or what else. This applies to so many different parts of life. What else medically? I have no idea and like I've said in previous blogs, when it comes to a persons health, it's all about the waiting. So we wait for the next appointment to see what the next move is. It applies to the way people react when they hear what the test has shown. Maybe they laugh you off or they spend their time comparing you to someone else they know, like this lady has had surgeries on her back and she still works out of the home. The judgement in those words makes you sit back and ask what now or what more do you have to say to me. What is the next piece of judgemental wisdom that will fly my way?
We can sit in the what else moments or we can just brush it off and stop worrying about what's next. Stop focusing on what may happen or what may be said and start remembering what is now. We know our bodies, we have spent enough time in the medical rollercoaster to understand that not all medical issues present the same or affect a person the same. That there are a million reasons someone may need surgery and not all are equal. We understand things better than others, we know there is a major difference between an injury and a chronic condition. We have listened to our doctors and done the research, as an example my case is rare in a few ways but the biggest significance is that all these discs are compressing my spinal cord when in a typical case they bulge or herniate away from the spinal cord. Why, when we hold this knowledge, do we let someone's words hurt us? Why do we sit and anticipate what the next nasty comments may be? It is truly pointless.
The doctors are going to do what they feel is best and there is no way to truly anticipate that, especially since most likely you will only anticipate the worst. People are going to say what they are going to say. You can't control that and again if you think about it too much you will only be expecting the worst.
So stop!!! Stop with the 'what's next?' Stop with the, 'what now?' Stop with all the 'what ifs?' the 'what else?' Just stop. The more questions you ask yourself, the more stress you put on yourself, and the worse everything gets. If you put negative thoughts into the air and speak negativity into the universe, you are bound to get nothing but negativity back. Speak positive, think positive, enjoy the right now and take every bit of news as it comes. Embrace the good, understand the bad and move forward. Always move forward.
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