A few weeks ago, Rachel and I flew to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with a doctor who specializes in helping people heal from chronic diseases.
His approach is not to 'treat' any disease, which means he won't be 'treating' me for cancer.
His approach is to look at the person he is serving. Through testing and lots of questions about history and parents and living environment and working environment, he determines what in the person's lifestyle is causing their body to not heal itself properly.
That lack of healing results in a disease.
Currently, we have a call scheduled next week to review the results from the tests to learn what my next steps will be to help my body heal well.
In the course of our conversation a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I am willing to do whatever he lays out as my next steps.
I listed some things I have done before to prove that I am willing and able to do them:
- fasting
- ice baths
- limiting diet
- water intake
When I mentioned the ice baths, he paused and said, 'I read that you have done them. Why don't you stop that?'
It actually surprised me, but his reasoning made sense to me.
Especially right now, my body is still healing from surgery. My tongue is healing well; my neck is healing well; my arm is healing well; my leg is healing well.
When I submerge my body into icy water, it shocks my body's systems. If I spend too much time in the water, my body is going to exert a lot of energy just to keep my body's temperature where it needs to be.
For this season of my life, that's wasted energy. Because of that, ice baths would be a very foolish spending of my time.
The same would be if I were getting into a sauna. My body would be exerting tons of energy in cooling my body's temperate back down.
Now, yes, there are benefits to both ice baths and saunas.
Honestly, Rachel and I were talking about it after our appointment, and we feel I would not be healing as quickly and would not have handled recovery in the hospital after surgery if I had not had the habit of taking ice baths.
That's no exaggeration!
I credit much of my recovery to the training I had been putting my body through when I would take ice baths last winter and early spring.
The mental control and determination it took and formed in me were a huge part of what allowed me to control my thoughts in the hospital, especially when I was tempted to let my thoughts spiral out of control.
Now, that is not the ONLY reason for my healing. There are always multiple factors; there's never just one.
But I want to change what the doctor said just a little bit: No more ice baths...for now.
In this season, it does not make sense to take ice baths. My body needs to heal first and spend its energy in a different way.
But when this season of healing is over, I intend to take ice baths again.
In that next season, it will be time to stretch my mental capacity again.
In that next season, it will be time to savor the cold and listen to what it will teach me once again.
But that season is not this season.
If I sit and wish this season were that season, then I become frustrated and discontent. Part of learning how to live life well is knowing what season you are in, and living into that season.
My book I'm finishing up is all about that topic: finding clarity for your life by asking the question 'What does this season require?'
I plan to release it at the end of the year, and if you'd be interested in reading it, follow this link. I will be sure to let you know when it's available and how you can get your hands on it.
But for now, pay attention to what this season is for you.
If it's time for ice baths, take the ice baths.
If it's time for saunas, get in the sauna.
If it's time to do neither, but instead to rest and heal, then avoid them and rest so your body can heal.
Know your season.
Fulfill your season.
Many prayers and blessings on you as you find the right path to healing.