This year, I learned how different things can play out from what you expect. My heartfelt New Year’s resolution 2019 was to truly get back in shape and especially heal. This, I swore myself on Christmas 2018, while I had searing neuralgic pain in my leg while visiting my family.

Little did I know that this pain was caused by a massive slipped disc, which no physician identified for three months – regardless of already having had disc protrusions in the same spot! (Read about the protrusions here.) The injury was followed by long weeks during which I could barley walk and at some point I wasn’t even able to crawl anymore. Physiotherapy, injections, thermal therapy, pain therapy, therapeutic sports and many other options were tried and failed to relieve the pain and foot drop which ultimately lead to my deciding for surgery, though with a heavy heart.

Surgery was followed by a long time of regeneration and as soon as I was allowed to do at least some sort of sports I injured my knee. The frustration and anger against the whole world and his wife are sometimes overwhelming.

It is hard to stay positive after one and a half years of receiving negative diagnoses again and again. When friends go on trips, have adventures or simply go jogging I am sitting at home and feel some envy. Time and again I catch myself letting go of dreams and plans thinking “you can’t do that anyway”.

One of the hardest parts in these bodily issues is to stay mentally okay. Sadly, physicians tend to forget about mental health while treating physical problems. But the one cannot work sufficiently without the other. Which leads to my new resolution – not just for the next year but in the long run: to think more positive. Of myself. Of the future. Just because.

Have a happy new year!
XOXO

Sarah