A short reflection on my surgery and the importance of listening to the body.

"In one week, I might, after two years, finally know what is wrong with my knee and be on the way to a surgical solution" - Facebook post from 2012

The above post about my knee surgery was regurgitated back into my Facebook feed today. The post is 12 years old and had me thinking and reflecitng on what it means to understand the mind-body conection.

If only I had understood TMS/PPD and the mind-body connection back when I wrote that post. If I had then I would never have gone for surgery, which only caused further physical trauma. Surgery should only ever be a last resort in times of absolute need. But at the time I had zero understanding as to how our feelings and emotions impacted our physiology. Even if I did I'd most likely have been in denial, believing that I was not chronically stressed and emotionally exhausted.

2013, seven weeks post surgery and I ran into more problems that were much more painful, and seemingly more complicated than prior to going under the knife. I'd spend the next year on crutches, almost house bound at times, and desperately searching for solutions. It wasn't until 2016/17 that I began to consider the mind-body connection before finally coming across Dr. John Sarno and Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). It was then that I was consciously able to take control of my symptoms.

I was so lucky to begin my discovery of the mind-body connection some four years after surgery. It was only then that I gained a sense of personal control over my physical health, ending the feelings of dependency on others to find a solution to my physical pain. It was a long road, yet every day, I learn new things about the mind, the body, and the subtle nuances that create physical and emotional shifts every moment of every day.

Nowadays, for me, every day is an opportunity to gain greater emotional awareness. As we develop higher levels of mindfulness towards the sometimes very subtle physical sensations in our bodies we can continue to create a much deeper understanding of our physical and emotional needs and requirements in any given situation or moment.

If, as often as possible, we listen and take appropriate actions on these physical cues we can learn to maintain a much healthier and better-regulated nervous system and emotional spirit.

Some days might be better, and some might be worse, but every day is a learning day and an opportunity for continued healing.

Best wishes to all of you,

Duncan.