It Takes a Village

Or In My Case.... A Team

This morning I finally woke up at a decent hour of the morning, 5:30-ish. Thank you, God! However, one of the things that was on my mind as I was walking my older labrador down the spiral stair case was just how much of a team I have that surrounds me with love, support, connection and continuity.

I thought I was going to get the same thing at a clinic called Maps. It is founded by one of my childhood buddies, on its staff is a doctor I was in 5th grade with, and I truly thought that this was going to help me have a better connection than the one I had already created with OSI Physical Therapy, Dr. Wilkens, and Julia Crowley. But could I EVER be more wrong! At Maps everything is under one roof, meaning, I thought I would be able to stop running all over the place for medications, PT, injections, etc. But the same thing happened, I was still going to have to drive to various locations to do everything that needed doing, so I was back running around but doing so with people I didn't know as well as I already did with the team I didn't realize was a team. So, I was back to square one. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Maps, but it just didn't fit the need I was requiring of it. And much to my amazement, Mike at OSI told me yesterday that I am getting stronger every day. My body is changing. I am soo incredibly grateful. Let me tell you why this is so important to me.

Yesterday, for my appointment, I walked into OSI Physical Therapy's Stillwater office (that's where I always go) and was met by the wonderful and beautiful Shirley at the front desk. Shirley has an amazing story herself. She has just recovered from breast cancer and right behind her, supporting her every step of the way, was the entire staff of OSI. One day when I was there for an appointment, every one of the staff members were wearing a perfect shade of pink t-shirt with Shirley's gorgeous face on the front of it. Apparently they were all on their way to a breast cancer walk-a-thon in Shirley's honor. That is the kind of company OSI is and if that is how they treat their employees, just think how they treat us, their patients. Anyway, Shirley has now become my mentor of how to go through physical crisis and do it with dignity and grace because that's what she did. Shirley is my inspiration.

So, my team consists of OSI and the wonderful Mike Ripley and staff (I have yet to run into a bad OSI person and I have been going there off and on since 2005), my pain management and primary care physician, the wonderful Dr. Jane Wilkens, and now my emotional supporter, Julia Crowley, MS.

Julia is a new member of my team. One of the things Dr. W has been teaching me about is the correlation between anxiety and pain...they go hand-in-hand. So I must be able to control my anxiety levels so that my pain stays under control and vice versa. I also refuse to take any anti-anxiety or anti-depressive medications, period. I will go through this with the help of people and God, period. Anyway, Mike has been helping me learn this as well. So, Dr. Wilkens suggested that I see a therapist who can help me deal with some emotional issues and help me resolve those so that my anxiety, depression, self-pity, and all the other issues that goes along with having a chronic illness and chronic pain may be better resolved and better under my control. The TM I am learning will be another great device to use as a way to help me stay emotionally under control and what I call emotionally mature. I have heard it said before that emotional immaturity or insecurity are:: self-pity, worry, anger, and depression. These are the things I wish to change about myself. Julia is the person to assist me with that. Also, Julia has already referred me to a energy healer. I have known for quite some time that my Chi energy or call it what you will, but there's energy jammed up in my body and it's blocked in and around my hip area, which is the area of the body that sustains balance. When the hip area is out of whack life's balance is out of whack. Guess what? Does this sound at all familiar? Hah. i can hardly wait for that appointment. Julia Crowley is a holistic therapist. In other words, she does not believe in treating patients with medications, which is why I liked her in the first place. She is amazing and I have seen her twice and have eight more appointments already in made.

My team is in place. I no longer need to look around for the team for it is firmly in place. I trust my team to care for me and I, in turn, value my team by doing what they ask of me. Yesterday, Mike told me I was getting stronger and stronger. He said I was doing that because I was willing and determined. He shows up for work every day even after losing both his parents in one week. Meaning, his mother died on Thursday, October 1st and his father passed Thursday October 8th. God Bless Mike Ripley. I love that man and what he has taught me. Linda Olsen too. But, my husband and I send Mike our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to a man who has been through his own personal heart ache, but manages to get up every day and keep plugging away.

I guess the moral of this story is that we all have our own heart aches and heart breaks, but it is how we handle them that makes all the difference to our bodies, hearts, and minds. Recently, I have been so personally crushed by some things that have gone on in my life that I didn't know how to get out of bed, and then I didn't know how to get off the couch. Now, at least, I am off the couch and have my team in place to help me stay off the couch, unless of course, it is to ice my butt cheek!! Hah. I also have my best partner to help me, my husband. My best girl friends, Joan and Judy and my parents. And the most powerful supporter and the most important one of my life is, God. Placing my faith and trust in God is the most important thing I can do for myself right now. And with all of this in place I have no where but up to go.

For more information on any of my team members please contact me via email and I will be only too happy to be of service to you.

Have a blessed day,

RC blogging from the RockinR Ranch-well from the imaginary Texas ranch in my mind. Gosh I love the Texas Hill Country! Cheers.