Chew ... Or I Should Say "Gum" ... On This

So I was a little discouraged a few posts ago. Since then I've had a physical therapy appointment for my jaw and an occupational therapy appointment for my wrist. Today I have an orthodontic appointment. Tomorrow I have a dental appointment. Thursday I have a phone consult with my surgeon. And Friday, I have another physical therapy appointment as well as an appointment with my chiropractor. Follow up with occupational therapist in a couple weeks. Whew. Thank God I've gotten my energy back!

I've really been chewing (or since my lack of teeth, I should say "gumming") on something a friend said to me the other day ...

At my PT appointment, I was instructed to start some jaw exercises to increase the left, right, and forward mobility in my jaw. I commented that I wish my surgeon would have told me this earlier, as I've only been working on opening and closing my mouth, and I could have been working on those other exercises as well.

He then said, "Do you think maybe he didn't tell you for a reason?" And this is the part I've been chewing on, "You seem to be the type of person who has a hard time pacing themselves."

I thought, "Wow, he hasn't known me long, but he does know me." Because that is me ... I don't like doing things half-heartedly. I'm either all in, or not in at all. And once I've set my mind on a goal, I usually have an action plan to attack. But I never thought about pacing myself. Perhaps that's what got me in trouble on the day of the accident. And I think that's what got me discouraged a few posts ago ~ thinking about how much time would pass before I'd be able to complete what I set out to complete.

Well, it's been almost a week since the "pacing" statement, and it's done my heart and mind good to think on it and how it applies to my physical recovery and to my life in general.

It's been better. I'm no longer pushing myself towards something without regard to how it'll affect me physically. (I may have to postpone Tucson and do Tahoe instead. We'll see.) I'm learning to be more patient with myself. And I'm not as frustrated with the snail's pace of my healing.

What keeps me going, and what keeps my complaining to a minimum (yes, I do still complain to Andrew every now and then) are all the people on my honoree list, and all the individuals they represent who are enduring cancer. I most recently became aware of a friend's mother who could only complete 13 of 15 chemotherapy treatments because the inside of her mouth got so badly burned. MY doctors' appointments have served as reminders to pray for her, and those like her, going to their own, more serious, doctors' appointments.

There's an old, over-used quote I remember, "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."