It's July 2018 and I haven't posted anything for a few weeks. Three weeks ago I was being checked over in hospital.
Since then I've had a whole bunch of tests. Nobody can tell me for certain what's been wrong. The process of elimination has ruled out a lot of things. I'm told it doesn't look like anything life threatening, and day by day I'm starting to feel stronger and more human.
I've thought long and hard about whether to share this. Being ill feels like a private thing. I shared it on social media first, and now I'm writing it here.
Not a highlight reel
The reason is honesty. It's one of the things I value most, and to me it means sharing the rough bits as well as the good bits. I don't want my blog or my social media to be a highlight reel where everything's always going brilliantly. Nobody's life is like that.
We all have bad days. We all get ill sometimes. Life isn't perfect, and pretending it is doesn't help anyone.
How did the juice junkie get sick?
There's an irony here I can't ignore. This blog started as a spin off from Natural Juice Junkie, my site all about healthy living. Attitude, intake and movement. So how does the juice guy end up in hospital?
Because sometimes we all do. You can eat well, move every day and look after your head, and life will still throw you things you didn't plan for. That's not a failure. It's life.
What I was grateful for
Even in the middle of it, there was plenty to be grateful for. The care I got, and the support from so many people. Knowing a few ways to help my body heal itself. Getting back to normal.
And a reminder that I'm not bulletproof. I needed that one. (Gratitude has been a habit of mine for years now. I wrote about how it started in Gratitude is more than an attitude.)
Pressing publish
Reading this again, what strikes me is how hard it was to press publish. I'm glad I did. When you share the real stuff, it makes it a little easier for someone else to share theirs. That's worth a lot more than a perfect feed. It's the same reason I wrote Just give up: sometimes it's the right thing to do.
If you're having a rough patch with your health, give yourself permission to slow down and let people help. And if you've been putting off a check up, book it this week. It's one phone call.
First published July 2018.
