Having 2 operations (one of which my Harvard trained GI Doc pal had literally never heard of) means limping into your late 40s. Just because I’m collecting scars like they’re new personality traits doesn’t mean I can’t feel amazing. It just takes work and persistence.
I have navigated the medical and mindfulness platforms to feel well.
I’ve got you.
I’ve spent years and many, many pennies on my Health. I am not a doctor. I am a woman approaching 50 who has learned to combine intuition, supplements, and a strong sense of “this doesn’t feel right” into an art form.
How you relate to meds, pain, healing and your body might be completely different than me — so please consult your doctor, your functional doctor, and most importantly your own body.
What I can offer is the list I desperately wanted but never received. The practical, cozy, emotional, “why does everything hurt?” guide to recovering like a grown woman who has things to do… but is also temporarily horizontal.
Most people I know live at a frequency just below a beehive — work, kid pickup, a workout you didn’t want to do, grocery store, repeat.
Post-surgery requires the opposite. You are benched. Pajamas, remote control, and stillness are part of healing. I wanted to feel cute if someone came by with dinner.
The (not sponsored) PJs that saved me: Eberjey or Mason Grey Soft fabrics, buttons, and drawstrings matter more than you think when your body feels like a construction site.
Surgery is a life-changing event for your body. You go from Stress to stillness. Your hormones respond accordingly and it can get… interesting.
Quarterly bloodwork and targeted supplements made a noticeable difference- Joi Wellness has virtual RNs, so much bloodwork the data makes my econ major heart sing. I can email and get replies, ask questions about symptoms and edit as needed.
Also worth searching: Functional gyno by zip code, Menopause centers or functional Docs.
THE game changer.
My recovery essentials, gifted to me that I now gift. PRACTICAL af. Massages, sauna, and acupuncture are wonderful, but what you do at home between appointments moves the needle even more.
Best ice pack – flexible, flat in fridge, can’t say enough (thank you Elise!)
Best hot pad – for bed, couch, etc.
Best heated blanket (necessary in colder months and perfect for outdoor Vitamin D time) – when Depression hits, staying cozy can help.
Arnica tablets – anti inflation, anti bruising. I Love when someone said “I’m not bruised, meanwhile they just had spine surgery, too. Ummmm you insides are jacked.
Walking is medicine. It helps swelling, circulation, digestion, mood, everything. Walking was all I could do. For real.
This very dorky, bright kinda-vest kept me visible in the pitch-dark winter evenings.
There is emotional whiplash in healing. You might cry at commercials, feel overstimulated by kindness, and have moments where you’re exhausted and powerful all at once.
Your body is re-routing energy.
Your identity shifts a little.
Your tolerance for nonsense shifts a lot.
Make space for the feelings.
Let people help you.
You are doing something brave. You might lose all of your friends, I did.
I am supposed by an IFS trained coach, western, eastern docs and a talkspace therapist every so often.
Healing at this age isn’t linear or glamorous. But it is clarifying.
It’s buttons and blankets.
It’s ice packs and hormone labs.
It’s the quiet realization that your body is wiser than you’ve given it credit for.
If you’re recovering right now, I’m sending you warmth, softness, and the reminder that you don’t “bounce back” in midlife — you rise differently.
KEEP GOING.
And honestly, that’s strength.
Join me on January 4th for a mini retreat. It’s going to cover health and wealth, mat pilates and an activity to pull it all into YOUR definition of abundance.
