It's not what you say, but what you do.

I'm sure you've all heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words". What I didn't realise was, as much as I loved this saying, and expected my children to live by these rules, the one person that wasn't living it was me. I thought I was, but taking a good hard look at myself I had to admit that I sadly fell short of the mark.

Twenty years ago, while suffering from different illnesses, I unknowingly handed over my power to the many Doctors and Nurses who would end up treating and caring for my wellbeing. They did care for my wellbeing; some better than others, some with more success than others. Don't get me wrong, I’m not saying that at the time I didn't need all the different treatments, surgeries, and medications. I'm saying that if I had of kept at least some of that power, I would have been able to actively participate in my health and wellbeing, rather than take each new crisis as the blow to the body that it was. If I was going to be sick anyway, I didn't have to particularly care about what I ate and how I abused my body. My body had seemingly let me down.

The proverbial saying "Straw That Broke The Camels Back" for me, happened last year, when after a feinting spell, I ended up with a fractured skull from the fall. It was a huge eye opener for me. The great thing to come out of this event is that I have now been able to bring about one of the biggest changes of my life. Through understanding that an illness or injury cannot be healed with just surgery or medicine alone, I have been able to improve my approach to my health, both physically and mentally. I'm no longer just waiting for someone else to fix me.
Now, I don't just talk about getting better. I now do better.

Lynda Alderton
For www.unity-qld.com.au