Yes, you read that right.
I received a healing miracle while on a safari in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Africa. But, before we go there, we must take a trip in time to fully understand the miracle that took place.
On April 11, 2006, I injured my lower back on the job. It didn’t hurt much at first, and I tried to get out of filing a claim and going to urgent care. Thankfully, the choice wasn’t mine; it was required.
As the hours, days passed, and weeks passed, I was glad I went to the doctor. Pain started to set in. I experienced tingling sensations running down my legs to my toes that brought me to tears. What should’ve cleared after a couple of weeks turned into pain I lived with for years.
With it being a work-related injury, I went through so much back and forth for months with my employer, doctors, Department of Labor (DOL), physical therapy, you name it. Eventually, it was determined that I had reached maximum medical improvement, which meant I could no longer do my job. There weren’t any permanent light duty positions, so I was sent home with workers’ compensation.
That may sound nice, but it was everything but. I was still in pain. At some points, my back hurt so much even sitting would be too much. Simple tasks like vacuuming the floor, washing dishes, doing laundry, and self-care maintenance like taking a shower, putting on underwear, and sleeping gave me grief. Yes, sleeping. Before the injury, I was a stomach sleeper. I couldn’t do that anymore because the curve in my back deepens on my stomach causing the nerves to pinch right at my tailbone. Some days would be so bad that I could barely walk. I’d roll out of bed on my hands and knees and crawl to the bathroom. And then there was this time where I sneezed and herniated a disk. Ibuprofen became my best friend.
Another issue in hurting my back was the inability to exercise the way I was used to. I couldn’t do movements lying on my back. It would feel like my tailbone was digging into the ground. Even though I still experienced discomfort in doing so, running was the only thing that helped me feel normal. Walking was another story. For whatever reason, walking made my back pinch and sent those tingling sensations down my legs. I did what I could when I could because sitting at home in my feelings put a few pounds on me that I needed to shave off.
The injury made life miserable. For years, not only did I endure physical pain, I had a lot of emotional turbulence as well. I experienced depression. To help lighten my dark days, I developed an unhealthy coping mechanism: shopping and returning. I’d go to every Target, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls in my city just to get out of the house. Whatever found its way into my basket went home, only for me to take those same things back the next day. I had found a purpose—a reason to get up each day. Albeit a bad habit to have, it made me feel lighter. Some things I kept, but most items were returned. And unfortunately, this habit is one I’m still trying to break. I’ve recognized it’s no longer needed, which has lessened the occurrence. It’s still here, nonetheless.
In 2013, things took a turn. Continue reading at Jewells Around the World.
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