17 DAYS LATER ❤️ An Update on My Recovery

It has officially been 17 days since my brain bleed, and I wanted to give everyone an update because so many of you have checked on me, prayed for me, sent messages, and followed along with my recovery.

I am doing really, really well.❤️

I’m still dealing with some headaches, hearing and some balance issues, but overall, I feel wonderful—and considering where I was just 17 days ago, I am incredibly grateful for how far I’ve come.

My doctors have released me to begin doing some light exercise, so right now that means walking my dogs, gentle stretching, getting outside, resting when my body tells me to rest, and slowly allowing myself to return to normal life. I’ve even started doing small amounts of work again—which, if you know me, you know makes me happy. 😂

This past week brought another part of recovery that I wasn't necessarily expecting: ANXIETY.

I started feeling afraid. I even found myself feeling scared to fall asleep at night. After experiencing something frightening with your health, I think it's understandable for your mind to start asking, “What if something happens again?”

I realized I needed to take care of my mind and nervous system just as intentionally as I was taking care of my body.

So I started acupuncture and meditating again. I’ve been slowing down, breathing, getting outside, limiting the things that make me feel overstimulated, and reminding myself to stay in the present instead of living in the "what ifs." I also added a calming herbal formula called Tao in a Bottle from Dragon Herbs to my personal routine.

And little by little, that anxiety has started to quiet down.

If you're going through something that has left you feeling anxious or afraid, a few things that have helped me are:

❤️ Slow, intentional breathing
❤️ Meditation or prayer
❤️ Gentle movement, when medically appropriate
❤️ Getting outside and spending time in nature
❤️ Talking to someone instead of keeping the fear inside
❤️ Reducing unnecessary stimulation and stress
❤️ Prioritizing sleep and a calming nighttime routine
❤️ Reminding yourself to deal with what is happening today, rather than everything that might happen tomorrow
❤️ Asking for professional help when anxiety becomes difficult to manage

This weekend was another big step forward.

I wasn't able to get my car ready for the annual Flashback Car Show, so sadly she had to stay home this year. But I went! I walked the entire show. It was very warm and I wasn't feeling quite strong enough to stay long, so I'm sorry I missed some of my car show family and friends—but just being there felt like a victory.

And yesterday I attended our martial arts tournament. Again, I only stayed for a short time, but seeing our students compete, watching them do such an amazing job, and getting to hug and talk with so many of my martial arts friends meant more to me than I can explain. 🥋❤️

All of this has also reinforced something that I believe will make me an even better health coach.

Your healthy foundation matters.

We don't build our health because we believe nothing bad will ever happen to us.

Things WILL happen.

Accidents happen.
Illness happens.
Life happens.

We build a healthy foundation so that when life does knock us down, our body and mind have something to fight with.

Nutrition matters. Movement matters. Muscle matters. Sleep matters. Hydration matters. Stress management matters. Mental health matters. Relationships and community matter.

And recovery matters.

Health isn't just about looking good, losing weight, or fitting into a certain size. It's about building a body and a life that are resilient.

That message is going to become an even bigger part of my coaching moving forward. Longevity isn't about trying to control everything that could possibly happen to us. It's about doing what we can do today to create the strongest foundation possible for tomorrow.

Right now, my job is still to heal. I'm listening to my doctors, listening to my body, doing a little more when I can and backing off when my body tells me it's had enough.

Seventeen days ago, I couldn't have imagined walking around a car show or standing at one of our tournaments.

Today I can.

That's progress.

Thank you to every single person who has prayed, checked on me, sent me a message, brought me something, covered for me, supported my family and businesses, or simply thought about me.

I am incredibly grateful.

Day 17. Still healing. Still fighting. Still grateful. And getting stronger every day. ❤️