Health in the city

I had a medical bill for $7100. I laughed when I saw it. That's more than a months rent. Being British, I've never had to pay for my health. If something was wrong, you go to the doctors and say 'yes' to anything he/she suggests. After all, they know best, right? For some reason, I said yes to everything suggested to me. Why not? If the professional in front of me was suggesting it, I should believe them, right? In any case, I had health insurance. Again, insurance is one of my pet hates in life. I'm happy to take responsibility for my actions, but I don't want to live in an 'if' society.
My health insurance, which is supplied by my work, covers a fraction of this. Not even half. This made me think.
Firstly, I suddenly had a value on health. Make healthy decisions now, or pay, literally, the consequences later.

"If you don't make time for your health now, make time to be ill later"

How much do you value your health?

Secondly, this is the undeniable proof that the choices I have been making do have consequences.
I have found a wonderful health practitioner that I trust and believe knows what is right for me. I spent months researching to find one that is suitable for all my needs.

We spent nearly two hours talking about my health, my struggles and how to make positive changes.
I have had some worrying health concerns for almost a year and it had come to the point that I needed to ask a professional, instead of trying to self diagnose (with some input from my mum) After all, I have learned this much, I can't know the answer to everything and there are professionals that understand areas you are not so sure of yourself. It is about trust. Trusting that someone else can help you.

She was brilliant. I instantly felt a weight lift as I left and three weeks on, my health has improved dramatically. Despite the excessively large medical bill, I feel it was worth it. You can't put a price on health and happiness, but I now know the consequences of making bad decisions repeatedly.

Sometimes you have to put your hands up and say 'I don't know'. This isn't always admitting failure, but more about asking for help. 'If you don't ask, you don't get'. We are all told this when we are young. I have been trying to take on the world single handedly for too long, and I now know the advantages of not always trying to 'go it alone'.

I sat with a friend talking about the defences we put up for protection. Maybe we try and protect ourselves too much and miss out the wonder that is vulnerability. Amazing things have happened when I have opened my heart and allowed for the unexpected to have an effect. Hong Kong is living proof of this. I've made some life changing decisions during my most vulnerable hours. This could be why I am learning to accept the harder times in my life more and more. I now understand the important lessons that can be learned during these times.

Trusting others is something that we al struggle with. Believing someone else might know best; more than you know is hard sometimes. But when the moment comes, when you can't find the answers, you might just have to put your hands up in the air, show all vulnerability and let someone else show you the way. I don't feel like I have failed because I've had to turn to someone for help, I feel strength that I was able, and lucky enough to have people that care around me. And in the end, there is always another pay cheque to help you on your way.