Guts to Glory

My Walking Angel

By Kaya Singer

"It’s a waste of energy to focus your energy on things you have little or no control over."

I have always loved walking, especially in the wilderness and untouched places. I have golden memories of strapping on my backpack and hiking into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness in Oregon. My legs gratefully took me away from the sounds of traffic, city noise, and concrete. One of my favorite spots was French Pete, east of Eugene. My feet took me up the trail, straight up the creek where it hits the Pacific Coast trail at the top. I still have a sweet photo of my husband and me, about six miles up that trail when we first met.

I trusted my legs to take me where I wanted to go. I rock hopped through creeks in Oregon and climbed over boulders along the Milford Track in New Zealand.

I took this all for granted, so it was a huge grief when I discovered that the cartilage in my knee was disappearing. The process began when I tripped while hiking out of the Grand Canyon and ended up with torn cartilage. After a year of physical therapy I had surgery and assumed I would be back to normal. At first I didn’t really understand, because to me, I was invincible. In fact, it became harder and harder for me to walk even short distances. I have memories of needing to rest, just walking in the grocery store. For the past 12 years, it has been a constant readjustment and huge anguish for my lost lifestyle. My left knee needs a partial replacement, but I am too young to ha"s operation now and there is the cost associated with it as well.

When I had to give up hiking in the wilderness, the loss was intense. I had not realized how much I had taken for granted the simple ability to walk where I wanted to go. It was not just the loss of walking, but also the loss of a whole way of life.

Then one day I was having a bad knee day, and I was feeling very sorry for myself as I limped along from my car to the pool. Along the path I passed a much older woman who was bent over almost 90 degrees with osteoporosis as she shuffled along. She looked up, smiled at me with deep eyes, and with a big warm smile commented, “Isn’t this a glorious day?”

Something clicked for me that day and I realized it’s all about attitude. Once my attitude shifted, I no longer viewed myself as a sad sack and found empowering solutions to my knee problem. This same positive attitude is helping me to grow my own business. I know that there is no obstacle too big to face.
It’s all mental. It’s all in your mind. If you think you can’t do something then it will always feel that way. There are so many ways to reach the same goal.
It’s a waste of energy to focus your energy on things you have little or no control over. It’s far better to direct your energies on that which you have absolute control over.

I have never seen that lovely woman again, even though I go to the pool regularly, but she changed my life. Maybe she was an angel in disguise that landed just for me. All I know is that I looked in her eyes and was immediately changed.

I developed my three-step program and use my own power to increase my mobility and decrease my knee pain. I now have a slight torn cartilage in my other knee so it has become even more important to take control and find solutions.

For other people who have similar knee challenges, here is what has helped me.

Aqua jogging. This strengthens the muscles in my legs, which help support my knee joint. I aim for 30 minutes, five days a week. This exercise has been a lifesaver for me and has allowed me to “walk” easily with no impact. The Portland, OR city pools are low cost and have deep water, which is essential.

Acupuncture. When my knee pain was at its worse, I had three to four sessions per week. I choose to go to Working Class Acupuncture, as they treat many people at the same time in order to keep the price lower. Acupuncture works the best when you can go often.

Low inflammation diet. I have eliminated nightshade veggies, red meat, most wheat and most dairy. I eat lots of oily fish, walnuts, blueberries, leafy greens, and garlic, and take fish oil daily. Red wine is also very good but I can’t handle alcohol, so I sometimes marinate my food in wine and it tastes great. I am sufficiently motivated to stay on this diet because it works. If I eat just one serving of potatoes, I notice it the next day.

I have discovered that when I stay on track with these three things, plus keep a positive attitude, I am able to get around easier, ride my bike, walk longer distances without pain and of course be grateful for the mobility I still have.

Whatever your obstacle, I encourage you to find your three things that allow you to have more control over your situation. Use your power to take control over your life. Maybe you have an angel too!

Kaya Singer owns Awakening Business Solutions and offers tools, training, and coaching programs to micro businesses. She helps people change their focus and grow their business. She can be contacted at www.awakeningbusiness.com.