Blog

by Chia Chia Cheng, Dip. NCCAOM, CFNM, L.Ac.

After the “I, Too, Struggle” post, I had 3 friends each out to me by phone the next day.  They called to check in with me.  They adopted my call to action (to connect with at least two people) and came through in a big way.

These 3 of my circle had taken the time to call me.  They sat with me in the time space continuum .  There was no rush to fix my situation.  No agenda to push.  No analogies made.  We simply stayed and shared whatever came to mind in that moment.

I felt seen by them.  I felt loved and cared for.  Quality time is one of my primary love languages.

I experienced the rest of my day differently because of how friends had shown up for me. I felt positive.  I was flooded with creativity.

Community is so important when dealing with your health.  Not only do friends help you feel connected, their empathy and compassion for your struggle(s) are important ingredients toward your path to healing.  When you feel validated, you can more easily deal with the situation as opposed to dealing with your resistance to the situation.

This past weekend I walked on what seemed like 1 1/2 legs.  Hobbled is more accurate a description. To my surprise I didn’t despair.  When I’m honest with myself about where I’m at, I am moving towards the realm of acceptance.  There is a deep knowing that occurs after arriving here.

My body knows the way.  I have been here before.

Two years ago exactly.  It took me nearly a year to finally accept that I had an injury and physical limitations.  I spent the entirety of 2019 working on healing the same knee.

During the first quarter of 2020, I began to practice movements I hadn’t been able to do for two years.  Running, squatting, hip rotation with knee bent, jogging up a hill, wrestling with my giant 7th Grader, etc.  Those were all doable with no consequences.

Two weeks ago I wrote to a friend how I was feeling the strongest I’ve felt in the last 5 years, both physically and emotionally.  Then BOOM!  Capoeira while SIP happened.

I did have a premonition a few days prior that learning capoeira via Zoom was not an ideal format.  Mirroring Profesor via Zoom is not the same as standing behind him in the studio.  Despite my misgivings I participated in the first online class.  I have been humbled once again by my inner voice.

Here is a short list of what I did on each day:

• Day 1–I attempted a Level II move during a Zoom capoeira class, strained right knee
• Day 2–I took Artemis for the usual 5 minute walk to drop off mail, which actually took me 15 minutes; I walked less than 500 steps this day
• Day 3–I felt strong enough to stand for a shower, iced knee afterwards; I didn’t leave the house. The shower did me in.
• Day 4–I got out of bed without grimacing!  I picked up a pile of Artemis barf off the floor with ease.
• Day 5–I was able to bear weight on my leg with no pain.  I walked with  Artemis for 15 minutes.

I did the following self-care every day:

• ice pack
• heat (either LED light therapy with Celluma or hot tub)
• acupuncture
• massage
• affirmations

The affirmations ran the gamut of “I’ve got this!” to “I am NOT old!!”  Many times I told myself, “Right foot first!” when I was getting dressed.

The first two days I couldn’t reach my knee to set needles.  The pain of movement was too intense.  So, I needled my left elbow.  My right index finger was less swollen on Day 3.  (one of my rotating ailments) I massaged my right thigh for an hour while watching “The Foreigner.”  (Go Jackie!)

Here are some comedic moments during the first 5 days of my recovery:

1. My 13 year old asked me to make him a breakfast sandwich at 10 pm.  I told him no.  Two nights in a row.
2. One morning I sat in bed ready to set needles for my knee.  When I opened the packet of needles, the entire content emptied onto my legs and into the bed.  Digging them out was an acrobatic feat.
3. I used tongs to save myself three steps when I’m in the kitchen.
4. When Artemis barfed in the middle of the night, I mumbled, “I’ll get that in the morning.  Go back to bed.”
5. My daughter sat on my bed while eating cauliflower cooked with turmeric.  A piece dropped onto my white duvet.  I had needles in my leg so I didn’t get up to spot clean the yellow stain.  When Bria did the bright yellow spot turned brown.  The panic that ensued on her face was priceless.  I just laughed my head off.

My body knows the way.  I have been here before.  I am safe.

I am feeling 50% better.

Thank you for being.

Be well. Stay connected.  Your community will carry you through times of uncertainty.