My Healing Journey

"Your daughter will never walk again". When my mother heard those words from the neurologist at Maine Medical Center, she fainted. She was still mou
ing the death of her beloved husband, Bob, who had died just two months earlier after a long battle with colon cancer.

When she received the call from my friend Tiffany, informing her that I had an accident, she immediately assumed that it was something minor. She was used to me getting injured from playing soccer throughout high school. Nothing could have prepared her for something like this.

I went through the typical stages of grief after such a dramatic, life-changing event. At first I was in denial; then I was angry (mostly with myself), and finally I was depressed but resigned to my new life.

After coming to terms with my accident, I had a few years of relatively good health, with no complications typical of people in my condition. This all changed in late 1999. I developed serious health problems (including recurrent bladder infections and severe lower-back pain.)

Tired of my constant visits to the emergency room, and following my doctor's advice, I had bladder surgery. I would love to say that that put an end to my health problems, but nothing could be further from the truth. The pain persisted to the point where I was no longer able to get up in my wheelchair. I was completely bedridden and deeply depressed.
Throughout the following years I was prescribed many different pain medications and anti-depressants. The side effects were horrible beyond words. I was barely able to function, and I was constantly dizzy, tired, and nauseous.

During this period of time I kept putting my faith in the next magic pill, and the next one, and the next one. Only to be disappointed time and time again. The spinal cord specialist in charge of my case finally told me that there was absolutely nothing else that could be done for me and that I should learn to live with pain. That was the final blow for me; it meant that all I had to look forward to was more pain. I gave up all hope. I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

In early 2007 I read an amazingly informative book called "The Biology of Belief" by Dr. Bruce H. Lipton (a world-renowned cellular biologist), which helped me understand--from a scientific point of view--that our thoughts create our feelings and our feelings create our health. Despite all of the scientific evidence presented in Dr. Lipton's book, I was still somewhat skeptical; but I decided to ignore my skepticism and hang on to my new found hope. I was then introduced to energy medicine. I put some of the techniques to the test with the help of a friend, and I was astonished... how could something so simple be that effective?

I am not going to tell you that you can get rid of physical and/or emotional pain ove
ight with energy medicine and/or energy psychology, it is a process; but I can share with you how it is helping me. Before energy medicine and energy psychology, I was taking a powerful prescription pain medication three times a day--which provided only partial and temporary relief. After a few months of applying EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and other forms of energy medicine--such as Reiki--on a regular basis, I gradually stopped taking pain medications and anti-depressants altogether. And I am happy to report that, as I write this article, I am no longer in constant pain, and I am neither bedridden nor depressed. In fact, I am actually taking adult education classes in order to prepare myself to join the work-force once again. My plans for next year also include mentoring children.

In no way am I suggesting that you should replace your medications and/or medical treatments with energy medicine or energy psychology. I actually owe my life to modern medicine. I would not have survived breaking my neck in a country without cutting-edge treatment for spinal cord related injuries. What I am suggesting is that you don't have to give up when traditional medicine doesn't seem to be helping. There is a place for every form of healing.

While I still have break-through pain every once in a while, I no longer feel like a victim. I now know that virtually every physical ailment is the result of unresolved emotional trauma. I am currently working on my own list of unresolved emotional issues, one at a time. The more closure I bring to an old issue, the better I feel. I strongly believe that forgiveness played a crucial role in my recovery.

It is now my mission to reach out to people that are experiencing despair due to health problems, especially chronic pain and depression. I was once there myself, and I can completely identify. Whether you are suffering from physical or emotional pain, or you know someone that is going through a similar situation, I would like to invite you to join me in this journey. I truly hope that through www.hotchocolateforthespirit.com I will create a community of people willing to share their experiences to help others, and also to find desperately needed help, information, inspiration and support.

Now that I found meaning to my years of suffering, I understand that everything happens for a reason.