Can you guess which ankle hurts more.

I specialize in balance as a healer and EFT coach. It can feel like a slap in the face when my body gives me trouble. In less than a month I will face a 3-4 hour surgery to repair my ankle tendons, followed by many days in a cast and on crutches.   After struggling and limping for over a year, I finally admit surgery must done, but making this decision was soon followed by a huge pack of worries.

As someone who works out EVERY DAY, the thought of slowing down and being stuck in a chair for weeks stirs up all sorts of feelings, from anger to sadness.   Wondering how I plan to handle this challenge? At the urging of medical intuitive Mary Maynard, I’ve decided to be forthcoming with my process to demonstrate how I coach myself through life. It is my hope that doing so will be therapeutic for me and also beneficial to anyone who reads this.

One month before surgery, I made the decision to really focus on my feelings and also what I could actively do now to optimize my body for surgery as well as post-surgical healing. I began this process by listing every single thing I was worried about. That may seem like a very negative approach, however I find that getting it out there gives me the basis to face it, feel it, tap on it and eventually reframe my belief about that issue.

Here are a few nasty things that I wrote down:

• My business will suffer
• Our savings will be depleated by medical expenses
• I will get depressed
• I will gain weight
• I will lose clarity due to pain and/or medications
• I will be isolated and not hear from anyone
• I’ll go through all this and still have problems with my foot
• How on earth will I take a shower or wash my hair?
• George can’t cook. What will I eat?
• What kind of clothes will I be limited to with a cast?
• I won’t be able to go to Florida this year to escape winter

Each one of these on the list needed attention. Instead of trying to clear them all at once, I chose to tackle one each day for several what I call “lightning rounds” of EFT. These EFT sessions started with very negative set-up statements and a variety of rewording to clear any psychological reversals possibly involved. My first tapping rounds include only negative/problem statements and variations on the main issue. It’s very interesting what comes up and also how I begin to see the shifts occur while tapping. Soon I am realizing that while the initial might still have truth to it, I can also create an alternative reality to capture a more pleasant and possible scenario I can embrace joyfully. From there, I identify actions and ask the outside world for help in creating the better reality. There are usually a few things I can do, people I can call or resources I can research.

Want an example? My concerns about food and weight gain are a big deal. I cook healthy food, attend Weight Watchers as a lifetime member and shop for health. My husband really likes his processed food, candy and snacks. What’s a health nut to do when he’s in charge of the kitchen? My tapping treatment assured me that I could probably have meals brought in by a professional, that I could prepare things for the freezer and that I could make lists for George to follow. I also learned that if I get a scooter for the kitchen, I can eventually return to cooking with the use of one leg. My energy must have expanded on this after the treatment because I was invited to a party where I will prepare 10 healthy freezer meals, met a dietician who will help me fine-tune my diet for optimal tendon repair and also met a caterer who prepares healthy meals for home delivery. My husband also reminded me that he is really good at going to Panera bread for soup and salad. Suddenly I realize we’ve got this one covered. I joyfully take it off the worry list.

Later in the week after treating many of my worries, I jot down a new list beliefs I am choosing to embrace. Here are a few of them:

• Surgery is easier and shorter than the surgeon expected
• I surprise my surgeon by how quickly I heal
• I actually lose weight and maintain my fitness level during recovery
• My spirits remain high throughout recovery
• Visitors, clients and help arrive at the perfect times
• Recovery time is far shorter than the doctor predicted
• I have surprisingly little pain
• My foot looks and feels beautiful after surgery and throughout the recovery process
• My diet is the healthiest it’s ever been. I can see and feel the benefits
• My business is busy and thriving in spite of this
• I have great medical insurance coverage
• I found the very best therapist to get me back solidly on both feet.

There is been a shift, rooted in reality, yet also open to having an ankle that works so well that I can walk, run, travel, wear normal shoes and jump without flinching.  I love the excuse to stay inside during those blizzards too.  It is fun lining up freezer meals, essential oil therapies, bodywork, T-8 treatments, health insurance coverage, a loaned scooter, new EFT webinar series, EFT Practitioner Certification Program and some exciting news about the May 5-7 retreat at Lakeside.  Yes, the uncertainty remains, but my thoughts and awareness are creating what’s next. Perhaps this is going to be my best year yet.