Ever have one of those days where you roll out of bed, stretch, and realize, wow, nothing hurts? For a while, I didn’t notice or appreciate how awesome that felt. Then came the shoulder ache that turned moving the mouse into a wince, followed by a pinched nerve in my hip that made bending torture. I’m a programmer, working all day sitting at a desk, and I thought a little stiffness was just part of the deal. But after battling pain from sitting too long and a double whammy of food poisoning, I’ve got a new love and appreciation for being pain-free. Let’s remember to truly appreciate how amazing good health is. It’s a quiet gift we can’t take for granted.
Being in pain started small. My shoulder got cranky after hours of using my mouse, hunched over, coding like a mad scientist. I’d rub it, shrug, and keep going. But eventually, the off and on minor convenience turned into a constant ache that slowly got worse. I went to a doctor and then did some PT and my shoulder finally got back to normal.
Then, in February, I had a bit of bad luck and ended up with two rounds of food poisoning, back-to-back. My body tightened up, toxins piled in, and bam, a pinched nerve in my hip made me grimace with every step and made even a small amount of bending agony. I went from bouncing around to limping like I’d aged 50 years overnight.
Programmers sit a lot and I didn’t realize how much that stillness was costing me. While moving more wouldn’t have affected the food poisoning, maybe my muscles wouldn’t have been so stiff and tight to begin with and I could have avoided the pinched nerve. Pain isn’t loud until it is, and when it hit, I dreamed of going back to the pain-free days.
Being pain-free isn’t just “nice”, it’s everything. When my shoulder ached, I couldn’t as well. When I got the pinched nerve in my hip, I dreaded moving. Simple stuff like grabbing a snack or walking my dog turned into chores.
I started moving more regularly and stretching more often. I stopped taking my health for granted and started being more intentional about eating well, drinking water regularly, and taking breaks to stand up, move, and stretch. It sucks to be reminded that you need to move around by dull or stabbing pain. It’s a lot better and easier, even if it’s difficult at times, to move regularly when you’re not in pain than it is when you absolutely need to move due to pain.
Good health lets you live, not just get by. No pain means you can get more done, think clearer, and more fully enjoy the world around you. I didn’t appreciate that freedom until it slipped away. Now, I’m feeling a lot better and I’m noticing and appreciating every pain-free moment as a blessing. You don’t know how good you’ve got it until it’s gone, so let’s not wait to notice and appreciate our health.
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