Well we’ve reached just over the half way point in the Wego Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge! It seems I’ve written more posts over the last fifteen days than I would in the course of a normal month. First I wanted however to give you all an update on how things are going as far as healing are concerned. The adjustments that we’ve made to my drug treatment plan seem to be giving me some relief at times however things aren’t perfect. Its still a very up and down time for me and for every step I make forward I take one backward as well. The flare ups with my CRPS have been coming on more often but I think that is as a result of the surgery pain that I’ve been dealing with in recent months.

I was warned that the recovery process was going to be the hard part, and most certainly I have been finding that out. I continue to move on however and look at things in the most positive way that I can. Today’s topic for the #HAWMC is “What’s one thing that your 10-year-old self thought you would do? Can you still do it? How would you approach it to make it happen?” There are lots of things that my 10 year old self thought I would do. Like every ten year old boy I was big into sports and to this day I still very much enjoy watching them, and following all the different athletes.

I was big into golf when I was 10. As a matter of fact I picked up my first club when I was 9 and would play on the beach at our cottage for hours on end. All the time I would hit the beach and this went on for years, like every little boy I had dreams of being a professional. The odd time here and there my dad would take me to the local course to play a round of golf. Then at age sixteen I got my first membership to that same local course where I was able to put all that practice to good use. Over time I got better and played in a few tournaments however never really pursued my childhood dream of being an amateur/pro golfer. I did however keep playing as often as I could into my years as a young adult.

When I was diagnosed with CRPS however all that changed and I wasn’t able to play. It was a huge blow to my spirit because I loved the game so much and had developed such a passion for the game. It was another one of those things that CRPS just stole away from me like that! A few years ago however I decided when I was able to walk a bit better that I wasn’t going to let yet another thing I love be stolen away from me. I started looking into how I could adapt to play the game again even with a disability. Like with my approach to everything else I wanted to see if it was going to be a possability for me to play again.

Slowly I started working with physio trying to swing a club with one arm. It was a matter of changing the mechanics and suiting them to fit my needs. I was hopeful at one point that I would be able to go out and start playing rounds of golf with the use a cart because of my difficulty walking. A couple of attempts proved that it was going to be one of those things that just wasn’t going to happen however. The flare ups became too severe and just the pain invovled in attempting the physical side of the game itself proved to be too much. Attempting to do it was great though because I wanted to be able to say to myself that there was just no way of playing even after adapting. I’m ok with the fact that I can’t play I’m not left wondering “what if”.

I believe that we can’t just give up when we are diagnosed with a illness or disease. I really we need to go out there and live life as if there were no limitations. Your body will tell you what it can and can’t do but don’t have what I like to call “give up” attitude. Press on and go out and try the things you used to do. You can’t say can’t until you’ve tried!!