I know that everyone faces difficult times at some point in their
lives. I’ve learned that it is how we view these events and
the choices that we make which can dramatically alter our experiences
and the outcome of these events. For me these difficult times have
been my greatest teacher and my greatest gift. So I felt it was
important to share a little of my story so that you could understand
how I came to do the work I do today.
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Alcoholism
When I was sixteen I began to drink. From the very first drink,
I drank to get drunk and escape from life. This was the beginning
of fifteen years of alcoholic drinking and drug use. I could tell
you many stories about my drinking, some funny and others tragic.
There were several drunk driving arrests and car accidents. I
am grateful that no one was ever killed and that the most serious
injury I caused was a broken jaw to one of my passengers.
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Back Trouble
Also, at the age of sixteen I had my first serious back injury.
I was working at a cement block plant after school, stacking blocks
and cleaning up. One day I was stacking decorative patio blocks
that weighed ninety-two pounds each. We were working in teams
of three. Two people picked up a block and one person stacked
the plywood board underneath it. The process was slow so we began
to pick blocks up by ourselves. This sped up the stacking but
the next day I could not get out of bed because of back pain.
I was diagnosed with a sprained back. I was put on bed rest and
given muscle relaxants. It was extremely painful and I remember
needing help just to walk to the bathroom. The pain dissipated
in a few weeks and I thought I was healed. When I visited the
plant years later, the owner told me that I still had the record
for most blocks stacked in a day. This is one record that I would
gladly give up.
Like a lot of back problems, mine did not go away but just lay
dormant. Sometimes days, weeks and even months would go by without
a problem. But eventually it would always come back and each time it would be more painful and last a little longer.
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Diagnosis
After years of reoccurring problems I finally had such a serious
injury that I ended up in the hospital for nine days. I saw an
orthopedic surgeon, a rheumatologist and several other specialists,
but nothing was found that explained my pain. Eventually a CAT
scan revealed a small protrusion on one of my lumbar disks, but
this did not explain all the pain I was experiencing. The doctors
tried different arthritic medications, cortisone shots and epidural
injections on me. Finally, I was released from the hospital with
no clear explanation for my pain. By this time, it had impacted
my entire body. I could hardly move my head from side to side.
My flexibility was very limited and my body had become hard and
stiff all over. I spent a great deal of time just lying on the
floor with my feet up. This meant that I could not work and had
to live on disability during that time.
After a few more years of pain, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
became available. The MRI showed that I had protrusions on four
of my five lumbar disks. The multiple protrusions explained my
pain and discomfort, however I was told that NOTHING COULD BE
DONE. As I look back on the experience, I can honestly say that
I am truly grateful to those doctors. If just one doctor had suggested
surgery, I would have jumped at the chance. I would have done
anything to be free of the pain. Little did I know that this attitude
would be my savior. I had a choice when my doctor told me that
I would live in pain for the rest of my life. I could either believe
it to be true or find a way to heal myself. Fortunately, a little
voice inside me yelled out: “YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING TO
HELP!” I think that for the first time in my life, I listened.
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Discovering Help
Now my journey to heal really began. I was determined not to
let the doctors’ opinion become my reality. Over the next
few years, I started looking for anything that would help. Chiropractic
treatments gave me some relief, but I was going three times a
week for over 18 months and towards the end it was not helping
at all. I started looking into other holistic work like massage,
bodywork, acupuncture and various other modalities. I received
some benefit from this work, but I was still in pain 24 hours
a day. One day my chiropractor suggested that I see a bodyworker
named Mark Lamm. Mark practiced a technique he developed called
BioSync®. BioSync® is a form of bodywork that releases
the holding in connective tissue. From the very first session,
I knew this work would help my body. I just had no idea in how
many other ways it would change me and what a lasting impact it
would have on my life.
With each session, my body changed and I released more and more
pain. Six months after starting this treatment, I quit drinking.
Thirty days later, I quit smoking. I marveled at how other areas
of my life were changing too. Over time this work transformed
the way that I perceived the world and interacted with people.
My body continues to let go every day, and I’ve realized
that the letting go will never stop. The ability and desire of
our body to let go is without end. The body loves to release holding,
negative energy, pain, emotion and anything that keeps us from
reaching our fullest potential.
So here I am today, at a place in my life that I never dreamed
I would be, where everything continues to change for the better
in each moment.
Are you looking for change in your life? Did your inner voice
tell you that you could get better? Do you know deep inside that
healing is possible? Then what’s stopping you? Don’t
let someone else’s beliefs stop you. Follow your heart.
You can heal. You will heal with your unwavering desire and intention
to do so.
