Yesterday…I went for my now annual Chiari checkup…essentially this consists of a MRI and visit with the neurosurgeon…pretty painless…except for the lying perfectly still for twenty minutes while listening to some pretty strange sounds…but…I’ve had so many of them now…that I don’t even get anxious anymore…
Before leaving for the visit…I thought that I was 99% certain everything would be fine…the syrinx would still be gone…my brain would still be where it belonged…
I’m essentially doing at least as well as I was this time last year…and some things have gotten better…so…the MRI should look good…right…
But…I wanted to go with full confidence…I asked…Bertha…how could I be 100%…her answer surprised me a bit…
She said…I should forget about the 1% and focus on the 99%…basking in all the improvements that I have made…some even in the last few weeks…and not worry about the sneaky little doubts that I still had…and that last bit of reassurance would come to me…
Hmmm…interesting concept…she went on to say that it didn’t matter if it were the other way around…that if I were only 1% certain…I should focus on that…that one tiny little shred of evidence…appreciate it…expand upon it…while essentially ignoring the 99% as best I could…and…things would start to shift…before long…it would be at least 50-50…
So…I did my best to focus on the positive during the drive…and while I sat in the waiting room for two and a half hours…seems someone…AKA…me…got the time confused…but that’s a topic for another day…while I was in the machine…and waiting for the doctor…
I had a great report…improvement shown from last year…come back in a year…
And…while all of my symptoms are not resolved…will probably never be resolved…at this moment…I am 99.9% certain that I am getting better instead of worse…
Bertha…is still working on the 0.1%…
Jane
Glad you got a good report! AND that Bertha is right beside you all the way. She’s an encouraging and comforting old girl, isn’t she?
Peggy
Yes…she’s all that…and bossy…LOL! Thanks, Peggy!
Believing in the positive is so important and really can help to change our behaviours that result. Great analysis here Jane!
Thanks, Christy! Absolutely…belief is essential! Have a great day!
Good for you for staying focused on the positive. Glad the results were good.
Thanks, Tasha. I know you truly understand how difficult that can be at times…but how absolutely vital it is.