body language

Some time ago Louise Hay wrote a brilliant book explaining that disorders in certain parts of our bodies correlate to disorders in our life, and that Mary's disorder affected her ear clearly indicated that she didn't like what she was hearing (what her body was telling her) and she made matters worse by refusing to listen to her husband's advice to ease off work and enjoy life more.

“I needed more than a pain in my ear to wake me up,” sighs Mary. “I was a workaholic. I lived to work. Typical of workaholics is that they more or less think they are immortal - that as long as they work they will live. They tend not to think of themselves as a human being but as a machine that takes care of itself.”

“So, at the first sign of a pain in my left ear I ignored it,” explains Mary. “I expected that it would sort itself out.”

“After a few days, the pain got worse and I mentioned it to my husband, but I refused to take his advice and go see a doctor,” says Mary. “I was in the middle of a big project at work and saw this pain as a hindrance rather than something I should pay attention to.”

“When it dawned on that my body wasn’t going to take care of itself and I was going to be permanently disabled, I went through the classic symptoms of loss,” explains Mary. “I cannot remember in what sequence the feelings are supposed to occur, and it does not really matter because I bounced from one to the other a million times a day.”

“Disbelief was a big one for me, a very big one,” sighs Mary. “I had always considered myself to be immortal.”

“Anger was the next one,” laughs Mary. “I was going to sue the pants off that doctor for not thoroughly examining me. I was going to get that doctor struck off the medical register. I was going to drag his name through the gutters. Get the picture?”

“As far as bargaining is concerned, I really didn’t have a leg to stand on so I skipped that.one,” says Mary, “and finally there’s acceptance.”

“I guess I will never fully accept what happened to me, and why,” says Mary. “Acceptance means a gradual incorporation of 'disability' into my life, and this is something that will take me years to get used to, but I am ‘listening” to my body and trying to become more insightful.”

Read more of Mary’s story:

listen to your body

get a regular doctor!

deaf and dizzy invalid

listen to your husband!