The past couple of days have been a mix of physical challenges and insightful moments that have pushed me to adapt and reflect. Here’s a detailed look at my journey:
10/29/24 – Tuesday
I woke up at 8:30 after falling asleep in the dining room recliner just after midnight. The morning started with a 9:15 physical therapy appointment, which lasted about 45 minutes. It was effective, but I noticed my hip was feeling fatigued. After PT, I treated myself to a visit at my favorite coffee shop Small Town Coffee Roasters! It had been two weeks since my last visit. Sipping a cappuccino, catching up with Karl, and responding to some messages on my iPad felt both grounding, invigorating and stimulating!
From 2:00 to 6:00 PM, I managed to put in some time at my business, Cell Repair 4 Less. Although productive, my hip felt increasingly sore by evening, and I realized I may need to start using both crutches for support. Once home, I enjoyed a few pages in my newest book No Bad Parts. By 9:00 PM, I was resting in my hammock, trying to meditate despite the fatigue. The urge to be more productive lingered, but I reminded myself of the importance of rest. It’s a lesson I’m continually learning: surrendering to the moment rather than fighting against it. Hustle culture can be intoxicating but is ultimately unsustainable and can be damaging, especially during recovery.
Evening Self-Care Before Bedtime:
Sometimes, I forget how a simple act like taking a shower can feel revitalizing. I lit a candle, played some calming music, and was surprised by a momentary urge to dance. The 20+ minutes in the shower brought a touch of joy and spontaneity to the evening.
10/30/24 – Wednesday
Morning came with a sharper awareness of discomfort. Even the hammock, my usual comfort zone, felt different as my hip signaled pain with almost any movement. I recognized that my body was calling for a shift in my approach. With this in mind, I decided to utilize both crutches for additional support throughout the day. I prepared for a 9:00 AM massage, feeling cautious and mindful of my body’s needs. The massage helped, but the pain still made dressing a slow task, a stark contrast to how I felt just days prior.
After the massage, I retreated home, as I felt drawn to solitude. I made a cappuccino and read No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz in the backyard while sunbathing. This book has been a guiding light on my healing path, offering insights into the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model. IFS explores how our minds are naturally composed of parts, likened to inner children, each with unique roles, desires, and emotions.
It’s the natural state of the mind to have parts—they are not the product of trauma or of internalizing external voices or energies. It’s just the way we’re built, and that’s good because all of our parts have valuable qualities and resources to give to us. Thus, the angry part isn’t a bundle of anger. If you listen to it with an open mind, you’ll hear it has a lot to be angry about, but it also has fear and sadness and is just trying its best to keep you safe by being angry.
This perspective has taught me that even the parts of me that carry pain or anger are, at their core, protective and valuable. It’s a shift from seeing these parts as obstacles to recognizing them as allies with unique wisdom to share.
Chiropractor Visit:
Around 12:30 PM, I rode my scooter to a chiropractor appointment, aware that my hip was feeling more vulnerable than it had in weeks. The adjustment combined with the massage has brought some relief to my neck and shoulders. Post-adjustment, I showered and, for the first time in two weeks, used my shower bench to aid stability. This felt like a subtle regression but was essential to ease the burden on my leg.
Work:
From 1:30 to 5:30, I worked at my business, pushing through with crutches by my side. By 4:45, I made a public update on Facebook, officially announcing my gradual return to work and expressing gratitude for small progress. Despite the outward step forward, internally, I recognized the sharp edge of pain making its presence known.
Voice Memo Reflection:
Lately, I’ve been incorporating voice memos into my self-care routine as a form of Journal Speak, a practice I discovered earlier this year. Journal Speak bridges the mind-body connection by addressing how repressed emotions can manifest physically, potentially leading to chronic pain or tension. The method encourages processing and releasing these emotions to support overall mental and physical well-being. While traditional journaling has been a powerful tool for me, recording voice memos brings an added immediacy. Speaking my thoughts aloud feels raw and unfiltered, providing clarity in real-time as realizations surface. This practice leaves me feeling more grounded and helps me navigate my day with a greater sense of ease and relief. For anyone who finds traditional journaling challenging, voice reflections can be a transformative alternative.
In my recent voice memo recorded at 5:30 p.m., I reflected on my recovery journey following my hip replacement on July 24th and the subsequent surgery on August 30th to address an infection. Today marks Day 99, and I took a moment to review the past week to better understand the sharp nerve pain I’m currently experiencing.
Last Tuesday, I rode my motorcycle for the first time since the surgeries, which felt both manageable and invigorating. By Thursday, however, a longer ride introduced significant tension in my upper back, shoulders, and neck—areas that had already been tight for a couple weeks. Despite that, my hip seemed to hold up well. On Saturday, I pushed myself with an extended bicycle ride, yet surprisingly, none of these activities caused immediate muscle soreness in the following days. This has left me wondering: Have I overused my body, or is this pain stemming from something more internal?
The discomfort continued to gradually increase after an early physical therapy session yesterday, forcing me to rely on crutches for support once more. Although this morning’s massage alleviated some tension in my upper body, the persistent hip pain reminded me of the intense, level-9, knife-like nerve pain flare-ups I faced six weeks ago. I’m interpreting this as a signal to carefully listen to my body, scale back on activity, and prioritize self-care as I navigate this setback. The journey remains unpredictable, but recording my reflections has been a valuable practice in helping me process these shifts with acceptance and patience.
Evening Unwind:
Back home, I nestled into my hammock in the breezeway. I followed a guided meditation and breathwork practice, which added a sense of peace to my evening. Music has always been a food for my soul, so I’d like to share a playlist on Spotify that I often use for meditation—it’s a collection that sets the perfect tone for finding stillness.
These days reaffirmed a lesson I’m continually learning: healing is not linear. While progress may waver, each step teaches me to listen more attentively and act with compassion for myself.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you made it to the end, I would love to hear from you! 
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu – May All Beings Be Happy and Free 
I’m sorry you are still dealing with pain. I hope relief is just around the corner .