The Never-Ending Battle of Feeling Better

 

You ever notice how your body has a sick sense of humor?

You finally start feeling better. You think, “Hey, maybe I’m getting back to normal!” You start moving around like a human being again, only to have your body suddenly announce:

“HAHA! You thought we were done?”

Apparently, my body has decided that feeling good is merely a temporary promotional offer.

First, it was my feet and back. After years of construction, manual labor, standing, walking, lifting, bending, twisting, climbing, and doing things that probably weren't listed under “recommended activities for maintaining a pain-free skeleton,” my feet and back decided they had officially had enough.

So I dealt with that.

Then came the neck.

Because apparently my body looked at the situation and said:

“We haven't messed with his neck yet. Send in the pain!”

Now my neck seems to be sore all the time. I can wake up feeling okay, turn my head the wrong direction, and suddenly I'm walking around like I just got challenged to a staring contest with a brick wall.

And just when I think, “Well, at least I don't feel sick,” here comes the sniffles.

Again.

They disappear.

I celebrate.

Then they come back.

SURPRISE! THE NOSE HAS RETURNED!

It's like my immune system has a subscription service I never signed up for.

I'll go several days thinking everything is finally clearing up. My nose is behaving. I'm breathing normally. I'm feeling decent.

Then suddenly...

SNIFF.

Here we go again.

At this point, I'm beginning to think my body is running some kind of construction project of its own.

Unfortunately, nobody gave me the blueprints.

Every time I get one problem under control, another one shows up and says, “Hey, I heard this place was hiring.”

Feet: sore.

Back: sore.

Neck: sore.

Nose: apparently has its own weather system.

Motivation: occasionally missing in action.

And my body is standing there like a contractor who keeps finding change orders.

“Oh, you wanted to feel normal? That's going to cost extra.”

The frustrating part is that sometimes you just want to get back to feeling like yourself. You don't need to feel twenty years younger. You don't need to run a marathon or climb Mount Everest.

You'd just like to wake up without needing a full diagnostic report before getting out of bed.

“Good morning, body. What's broken today?”

Neck?

Check.

Feet?

Check.

Back?

Check.

Sinuses?

Absolutely.

At times, it really does feel like a battle you aren't winning.

But I guess that's where you keep going.

You deal with what you can, rest when you need to, try to take care of yourself, and hope your body eventually gets tired of filing complaints.

Because apparently getting older isn't about becoming wiser.

It's about learning which body part is going to complain next.

And if everything feels good tomorrow?

I'm not celebrating.

I'm suspicious.

Because I've learned the hard way that whenever my body gets quiet...

it's probably planning something.

Here's hoping the next surprise isn't my knees filing for divorce.

Because at this point, I'm running out of replacement parts.

Shop With Chuckle