After Celebrating My Birthday, I’m Focused on Self-improvement

I accomplished a few things that I’m proud of this past week. I finally finished one of my online nutrition courses, and I finally got my ice cream cake. The biggest and most important accomplishment is that I celebrated my 56th birthday. As the days quickly approached I became increasingly nervous, but I don’t know why.

Last year I looked forward to my birthday, especially since I had some friends and family over to celebrate. In 2018 I spent my birthday in the hospital as a result of my second spontaneous pneumothorax. Although I was a little bummed out about being hospitalized, I was grateful to experience the gift of another year. This year felt different. For whatever reason, I felt more anxious than when I was in the hospital. Sarcoidosis does affect people in that way.

Keep moving forward

My birthday went off without a hitch. I felt refreshed and good. My family took the time to help me celebrate, though it was quiet and low-key. Overall I am very grateful for another year. I decided that now is not the time for me to sit back and just ride out the years. As hard as it was to realize how much time I let slip by in focusing on my health limitations, I wasn’t feeling the fire inside of me that kept me moving ahead. Subconsciously, I had accepted fear as a condition and not a motivator.

Our house needed a few repairs and some cosmetic “love and tenderness” to make it appealing again, so my wife and I decided that we should get the exterior painted. It had been on our to-do list for about a year, but she decided to spearhead this project, NOW! She found a contractor, made the arrangements, and within the next few days, the work was done. It looked great! I also felt a sense of relief that this mission was a success. Making the first move to improve my surroundings made me feel like I accomplished something. Now it’s time to move on to something else.

Time for self-improvement

Last year, I enrolled in three online nutritional/health courses. It was an aggressive move on my part thinking that I would have the time to dedicate myself to each of them. One course includes nine modules, and I’ve completed 32% of that course. The other course is 13 modules, and I’ve completed 10% of it. They are very in-depth courses and, as expected, life got in the way. Although I’ve been tied to these two courses for over a year, I decided to sign up for another. This one focused on how food can heal the body. It was very informative with instructional videos, hands-on exercises, and downloadable material for later review. I found myself spending more time with this course than with the others.

Over the past few months, I’ve had more time than usual to dedicate my full attention to something meaningful, and this course was it. As of my birthday, I had two modules and a final exam to complete before earning my certification. Although I didn’t complete the course before my birthday, I did finish it two days later!

I love cooking for my family and friends. Whenever we’re hosting a social event, we usually get a large crowd because of our menus — food and beverages. Completing this course was only a stepping stone to getting better at what I love to do; moreover, I can learn how to take better care of myself nutritionally.

We’re living in a time when life has become virtual, so why not use this opportunity to be more proactive about taking better care of ourselves? Manners, respect, etiquette, and gratitude all start from within. So does the healing. It starts with you.

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Note: Sarcoidosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sarcoidosis News or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sarcoidosis.