Glad to be celebrating a birthday

Each year when my birthday comes around, I’m typically quiet about it. I don’t like celebrating my birthday in the office, I want my focus to be on my patients and not things going on in my life, so I like to avoid it & not let people know what’s going on. Plus it’s just a reminder to me that I am getting older! My running speed has slowed down, my metabolism has slowed down, and there are more grey hairs appearing. At the same time, I reminded of how that’s okay and that it’s better than not having a birthday. I see so many other people around my age, who aren’t in as good of health or shape, or who are on a bunch of medications for various illnesses, or who can’t run a mile. So I shouldn’t complain. So this year, I tried something different …. and didn’t hide it.

My birthday was on a Saturday in February, so luckily I was only at the office a few hours. Instead of being ashamed of getting older, I actually posted about it on Facebook and Instagram, and tried to welcome in a new year. I appreciate the fact that I don’t look my age and hope that I have decades of health ahead of me. We all aren’t so fortunate.

Earlier this week I leaned that a classmate of mine from Life University suddenly died, leaving behind his wife & six children. He has an office in Orlando that is now without a doctor. He was only 45 years old, taken from us far too early. It was shocking to say the least, and really hit me when I heard the news. I just broke down and cried. That could have been my husband. It could have been a family member. Gone, just like that.

I like to think that my healthy lifestyle will go a long way towards living a long life. I try to eat well, exercise, get good sleep, pray and get adjusted. I take high quality supplements. I have a lot of love in my life. But that isn’t always a guarantee. We can do all the healthy things that we are supposed to do, and hope that it lets us live a long life. Yet I’ve also known very healthy people who get cancer, despite all the good things they do. That is the story of a very close friend of mine, recently diagnosed. Another time I broke down and cried. Why did she get cancer? It doesn’t make any sense, she did everything right. Yet sometimes life is just not fair and we have to deal with what we are given. And if anyone can put up a good fight, she can.

The best we can do is simply do our best, make the best choices and pray that it turns out how we want. Sometimes people heal themselves through nutrition, through prayer, though chiropractic care. To me, those are key in being healthy. So if you are reading this, please make sure you do those things. While a healthy life is never a guarantee, a healthy nervous system, a healthy diet, sleep and prayer can all help.

Here are to my next year of life (and many more), to my family, friends, patients. I love & appreciate you.

Dr. Pam