At age 29, I was diagnosed with severe arthritis in my right hip. Over a period of 5 years I became increasing disabled until I was finally limping badly with a cane. What I loved was no longer part of my life ~ hiking and walking with my husband and dog. Even my own corporate training business was suffering because it was so difficult to stand for long periods of time.
My husband and I had always wanted children but that was impossible with my level of pain. Doctors told me that I was too young for a hip replacement and to learn to “manage the pain.” Taking painkillers every day wasn’t my vision of a fulfilling life. So I tried every holistic remedy I could find but with bone rubbing against bone every step was excruciatingly painful.
After 5 years of chronic pain I experienced a breakdown. Lying on the floor of my home office, I couldn’t get up and I couldn’t stop sobbing. I was sure that the life I envisioned for myself was never going to happen and believed that I would be in horrible pain forever. I was 34 years old.
My concerned husband called in for “backup”. Later that night surrounded by several girlfriends, I decided that I would move ahead with a hip replacement regardless of the crappy long-term prognosis. Done deal. I stopped fighting.
The very next day my mom found an article in her AARP magazine about a procedure called hip resurfacing. Very few doctors did it in the US but it was very popular in Europe as an alternative to hip replacement. I did my research, found the best doctor in the county and flew to South Carolina for my surgery.
Before surgery, I set a goal that in one year I was going to hike my first 14,000 ft peak in Colorado. My doctor smiled and told me “that will happen for you I promise.”
One year later, in August 2006 I met my goal by climbing my first fourteener. As I climbed the last few hundred feet I emotionally released all the fears and sadness that I carried in my heart for so long realizing that now anything and everything I wanted was possible. Exactly 1 week later I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I now have 2 healthy beautiful little girls ages 4 and 2.
Each day I live in gratitude for the second chance I was given. This drives me forward both in business and life and I continue to create work for myself that is in alignment with my deepest values and life goals.
My lesson to share is that you can fight something with everything you have and in the process forget to leave room for other options to find you. As soon as I let go, another door opened. I try to remember this in my business and my life and hope you will too.
Guest Writer – Tara Powers, MS
www.MamaMeansBusiness.com
www.PowersResourceCenter.com