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There were moments in life when I felt like I possessed superpowers that could change circumstances!
Continuing from my last blog, why did I start living like someone else? – wherein I spoke about the ways my life changed in 2016 after I was diagnosed with a rare disease, Isaacs’ Syndrome (also called Neuromyotonia, Isaacs-Mertens syndrome, continuous muscle fiber activity syndrome, and Quantal squander syndrome) – I now wish to talk about the physical changes that helped me in my recovery.
For some people change is merely another word, but it came into my life with a bang and turned everything upside down, without letting me even know about it. My experience felt so unique as if the cosmos were made up of different scenarios instead of atoms.
I had to let go, yes, of a lot of things!
I found a champion for myself in the protagonist of the 2006 film, The Pursuit of Happyness, Christopher Gardner, who goes from living on the verge of poverty and homelessness to becoming a millionaire and inspiring others. After my diagnosis, many minutes, of physical changes took place which would have taken years to take effect naturally. I inculcated simple yet innovative ways to reinvent myself and live life better.
Comprehending my circumstance
The first step of the process was comprehending the situation I found myself in and coming to an acceptance of what had happened to me. It brought me face-to-face with reality and revealed that I needed much courage to work my way out of my comfort zone. This introspection helped me find timely directions for setting goals and performing as needed, based on expectations.
I had to start somewhere today to finish it by tomorrow.
I found it essential to start with certain physical therapies as my body needed immediate attention. I tried several different therapies at various points in my journey, as discussed below.
Iyengar Yoga:I was hesitant to start with this therapy considering my body’s stiffness, weakness, and pains. However, it was an effective approach for practicing hatha yoga, and interesting with the use of necessary props. Although, for a couple of months, I found it tough due to the flaring up of symptoms, gradually, my body began adapting to the changes, which led to an improvement in my muscle reflexes.
Magnetic Acupressure: Based on the science that stimulates and influences the acupoints in the body to balance the accurate flow of energy integrating with individual organs, this form of therapy came recommended by my Ayurvedic doctor. It promised relief from muscle inflammation and pain, and an increase in my metabolism. Its benefits were easily experienced as I saw an improvement in my blood glucose levels, back pain, and blood pressure. It also capped the excess flow of protein from my urine. I am certain I also received other unrecorded benefits from this therapy.
Seitai: Due to the detrimental effects of a modern lifestyle, diet, and injuries, our body deviates from its optimal healthy state. This therapy helped me restore my body’s natural order. The practitioner addressed my strained muscles and paid attention to the body’s meridians to restore the natural energy flow. My body was responsive to the exercises taught during the session and I showed signs of improvement.
It was time to sacrifice
I am referring here to my sense of taste, as I was asked to take strict care of when and how I consumed what food. At times, my discussions with doctors revolved more around food than around the medicines prescribed. I remember reading many books on Ayurveda and searching for interesting-sounding recipes that could improve my remission rate, and, simultaneously take care of my inflammation, gut health, and weakness. It was a challenging shift in lifestyle as every action I took became extremely calculative. Generally, during mood swings, one craves good food to pep up one’s spirits but, with my condition, that could not be the case.
I tried various permutations and combinations of food that could alleviate my symptoms and enable my medicines to take effect as I undertook systematic reviews with my allopathic, Ayurvedic, and homeopathic doctors. I even tried some simple eating recipes learned from my grandmother.
Stop the disease’s progression is as important as the cure
One suggestion from my Seitai practitioner was to try Sports Medicine as it is a specialized field that helps in treating muscle injuries. I was instantly motivated by Javier Prez, who took to table tennis to stop the progression of his neurological disorder, Parkinson’s disease. This also offered me an opportunity to relive my old days when I played table tennis for my club though, this time, I was taking up the sport as a therapy instead of recreation. My major focus areas were my clotted calf and shoulder muscles.
Wearing Physical Therapy
How can I forget about replacing my entire wardrobe? Yes, you heard that right. Before I knew about physical therapy, I wore body-fitting clothes like most people of my generation. Some changes are tough to go through but bring along many good things. I am thankful for the yogic practices that helped me ease through this change with nerve compression and made me feel much more relaxed.
I found it fascinating to discover how a 35-year-old Australian woman was hospitalized after her skinny jeans affected blood supply to her legs and resulted in nerve and muscle damage.
The restructuring process was a learning experience for me and changed my perception regarding some of the things I considered were fundamental to my way of life. I had to lead from where I was and challenge myself. I often tell my family and friends not to wait until they discover they suffer a physical condition but instead start focusing on their bodies right away. The habits discussed above aided my recovery and, I am confident, may surely benefit others too, irrespective of their physical condition.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
