What's Your Excuse?

Although it wasn't one of the 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me that I wrote about directly; PREVENTION definitely feels like a topic that needs to be addressed because too many of us are lulled into complacency. I didn't address it in the book because I had missed the proverbial boat and was in full blown crisis. I know I was complacent and thought I was doing ok when really I just didn't realize that pain and fatigue ARE NOT NORMAL. Taking medications IS NOT NORMAL. 50% of adults have a chronic condition. 80% of diseases are preventable. Staggering facts that most adults would rather ignore than face...until they have to. Like I did. 

My book 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmune Diseases was written for those like myself who are in crisis and need to reverse the disease process and heal their bodies. What I am now passionate about is all the rest of you who have the opportunity to PREVENT a crisis but you're too complacent or arrogant to do so. 

My experience is that it is more likely complacency and priorities are just in the wrong order. Now hear me out before you start thinking I have no business in your priorities. I do address why health MUST be #1 priority in my book 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmune Diseases Lesson #4 because I learned early on in my journey back to health that without your health you have nothing. It doesn't matter if you have family responsibilities, they will be taking care of you! It doesn't matter if you have an important, indispensable position at work; they will have to do without you because you are unable to work while you are sick in bed or worse at the hospital (or heaven forbid, dead). It doesn't matter if you have money to live out your dreams, because you are sick and will be spending it on medications, doctors, and hospitals. It doesn't matter if you have all the time in the world because you have no health to live your life with. I've both lived and watched others trapped in this priority lie over the past 25 years in health care. I know that most people, given the opportunity to turn back the clock and start over would make health priority #1. If they just knew how.

To learn more about prevention visit Living WOW Center and check out Supercharge!