Hello all! This is the first journal I've written, I want to be more active in this group and share what I believe is vital to taking care of your physical bodies. That is taking care of your emotional and mental health. Those two things do impact your physical health and can impact your immune system. Think about what you need to stay healthy: eating right and enough, sleeping enough, having fun (YES this is crucial), exercise (which can also be a way to have fun). But what about the other parts of you?
It makes sense that the moment someone is diagnosed at any stage with a disease of any kind that they start to take care of the physical side of things (repeat tests, biopsies, etc...) But how often to people remember to take care of themselves emotionally and mentally after learning they have a disease? It is so easy to get yourself in a downward spiral of thinking why this has happened, fearful of the uncertainty, and all the other possible negative thoughts that one could have.
I have discovered that even when I was treating my condition physically, it was not enough. The stress and worry of having hpv and severe dysplasia and fearing the surgery involved to treat it WAS weakening my immune system because I was not sleeping well, not eating well, self-medicating to temporarily numb myself to my fears, guilt, and shame.
I learned that after two years of paps every three months, a LEEP and Cryo surgeries, and a lot of worrying, that I was not taking care of myself mentally and emotionally and that may be why I was not healing. When I left my first doctor who was patronizing and condescending, found a new doctor who was straight forward but in a respectful way, started yoga and walking, eating better, and trying to get more sleep, dancing, seeing a therapist, and reaching out for support my dysplasia cleared and my overall health improved.
It is my wish that every person who is struggling with a physical disease or injury take special notice of the emotional and mental parts of themselves as well. ASK YOURSELF, AM I TAKING CARE OF ALL OF ME?