I’ve always loved projects. There is a beginning and an end and I get to feel accomplished when I reach it. It’s how I cope. It’s my way of doing what I can knowing the ultimate outcomes are actually seldom in my control but the steps to get there are. So it’s no surprise that I’m taking on these next 30 days before surgery, like a project.
It’s my little FU DMD 30 Day Challenge. We aren’t going to cower in the face of DMD. We are facing it head on. As I always say, DMD may get his body, but it will not get his soul or spirit. We may have to patch his body up from time to time but his spirit runs free in the hearts of everyone who loves him. And it runs way too fast for DMD to ever catch.
For the next 30 days we will focus on doing our best to get us ready: physically, mentally and spiritually. This blog is called “Lessons from the trail” to focus on the lessons, not just the adventures. One of those lessons, whether training for the canyon, 4 peaks or spinal surgery, is to take one day (sometimes one moment) at a time, put one foot in front of the other, and have some faith it will add up to the goal. It’s easy to dream the big dreams, but I have found in my experience the success of getting there is in the work of the little steps. It’s a subtle combination of seeing the big picture and believing you can make it, then filing that away and focusing on the how and the now.
The plan: Stretching, myofascial release, aqua therapy, getting gravity off the spine every two hours, superfoods for immunity for all of us, researching, gathering resources, ordering gear, hiring caregivers, strengthening ABS for safer lifting (uggh), meditating, reaching out telling friends and family what we will need, practicing the cough assist, getting AC’s weight up so there’s room to lose, resting, cleaning, organizing and picturing positive outcomes.
And most importantly of all, as our coach Tina taught us during the canyon, SMILING the whole time. I believe the “work” is great Zen practice for training ourselves to stay in the moment and ride it out. The work is the mediation and in it you get to exchange the self-pity for the joy of the moment.... or in tough moments, the lesson.
We’ll see how it goes. I don’t want to make being positive sound easy. It’s not. But this my way of moving through the worry about what hasn’t happened yet and turning it into useful, memorable, special time that we will remember forever as being a time of beauty and love instead of fear and anxiety. I’ve learned this is a choice I have to make over and over; sometimes each day, sometimes each moment.
And when I feel invaded by doubt, I just take Anthony’s lead. He teaches me the truth: by being blessed enough to have been taught to approach challenges in the past with courage, openness and grace, nothing less going forward will feel acceptable. And if we did spend that time in fear and panic, we would do a disservice to all those who got us here.
