Powering through... not

I have learned something about myself over the last year. 

It seems I had a habit of powering through things.  If there was a difficulty: I forged ahead.  If it was a physical difficulty, I still forged ahead.  Usually I made it to the other side.  Until a year ago last December. 

Then I had Seizure  Number One, sitting in the passenger seat, next to my husband, while we were waiting for our daughter at a youth event.  Seizure Number One: in full view of the youth contingent from the Diocese, a number of whom came to the emergency room to keep my daughter company.  The EEG later showed some wacky electrical signals in one part of my brain.  I was put on seizure medication.   No more seizures.  Cool.  Still, it was not ok with the State of Illinois for me to drive until June.   So I waited.  I was able to drive all summer.  Then September came.   And Seizure Number Two. 

This time I had the seizure at my internship site, a halfway house.  Hit my head, slight concussion, ambulance, the whole deal.  To be truthful, I had been lax with the medication.   To be more truthful, I did not think it would happen again.  In retrospect, I saw the seizure coming.  The doctor increased the medication, and I stopped driving… again.  Another six months.  I decided to be Very Careful in taking the medication.  I also realized something I did not realize the first time around:  When I don*t feel well or my vision is blurry or I am dizzy or I am stressed… I Sit Down.  I take a break.  I drink a glass of water.  I continue to get regular sleep.  These seem to be the recommendations for any number of conditions.  Sleep.  Water.   De-stress.  Pay attention to your body signals.  Do not Power Through.   This of course is no guarantee I will not have another seizure.   But… there are things I can do to help the situation.

In talking with others, I find I am not alone.  Surprise, surprise… I am not the only one who believes I can power through situations as if there will be no consequences.

Consider this:

Somehow most of us have gotten the impression that we are in charge.  No matter how many times we confess our sins, or are brought up short, we still think we call all the shots.  How have you powered through a situation recently?  Where have you been brought up short?  How did you respond?  What might you have done differently?  What might you do now?  In other words, what can you learn from it?