My Personal Story of Inspiration
At 31, I started to experience some weird happenings with my body. My first thought was that I was now over 30; therefore, having a certain amount of aging signs would be expected. When I started to fall more regularly and was experiencing numbness and tingling in my right leg, I decided it was time to see the doctor. I had signs of balance issues, neuropathy in my right leg, memory issues, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, incontinence, and, of course, depression due to all the health problems I was experiencing. It took the doctors nine months to find the first significant culprit… a large benign fatty tumor inside my lower spine, choking the life out of my spinal cord. This is far from what I was expecting as, at that time, a 32-year-old woman.
Once they found the tumor, I was sent to the emergency room to meet with a spinal surgeon. The surgeon notified me of the risks of having the surgery, which consisted of more pain, numbness, and tingling, worsening of all my problems in my lower body, the risk of waking up paralyzed from the waist down, or death. On the other hand, I could opt not to have the surgery and end up with worsening pain, numbness and tingling, incontinence issues, and eventually being paralyzed from the waist down. Walking had been an issue for over a year, with lots of falling because of my right leg’s lack of sensation and control. The next day, after finding the tumor, the doctors took me to emergency surgery to remove the benign tumor.
Waking up after surgery was the start of a long road of LOTS of pain, numbness and tingling, complete lack of bladder control, and the inability to walk. The doctors and therapists told me that the chance of me walking without assistance again would not happen. “Don’t get my hopes up” and “You’ll never walk normally again” were things that I was told by my doctors, whom I had trusted to help me heal. That was just the first 18 months after the surgery. The road to recovery seemed never-ending and full of challenges I was told would never be overcome.
I got it in my mind that those doctors didn’t know my utter determination to prove them wrong and that I was going to do everything in my power to find a way to make myself better. I dove into research to find ways outside of mainstream medicine to help me improve. I wanted to get my pain under control more than anything, so I started there. In my research, I found that I lacked a few major health areas of my life that I could start with and go from there. I chose to start from my foundation, which was nutrition and exercise for me at that time. “You are what you eat” and “You can’t get movement back without moving” stood out to me and started my journey to recovery.
I knew it was “All in or not at all!” for me. I put myself on a transition diet and started doing what I could do of yoga daily. I knew I needed to detox my body and mind, so I started eliminating everything that could potentially toxify my body. I water and juice fasted on and off that first year quite a bit. I stopped soda pop, store-bought juice, bread, milk, dairy, meats, and pretty much anything with sugar. I only ate fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, seeds, and nuts. Yoga was challenging for me that first year, but I could see the progress that I was making. I started out doing yoga in bed and sitting up in a chair, then worked up to getting down on the floor over time. I also added some cycling time each day, if even for 5 minutes. At the time, I couldn’t walk, so sitting on a cycling machine with back support allowed me to get the movement I needed for my legs.
The first 12 months of my transition to a healthier lifestyle were challenging but worth every minute! I lost 60 lbs, could move around more freely, and all with less pain by the end of that first year. I had graduated to a walker for assistance, rather than staying in bed or using an electric wheelchair. That was HUGE for me! I was so proud to say that I had done all of this on my own, without help from anyone. With the research I continued throughout the year, I found my passion for complementary and alternative health.
I continued to research and learn independently and found I could get a complementary and alternative health degree! I was so excited to start my learning journey. I loved everything I was learning, and I could help others who noticed my significant changes and wanted to know what I was doing to get healthier. I inspired many to start making their health journey to being happier and healthier.
To further my recovery, I started working with a Shaman, which helped in ways that have been life-changing. I knew I needed to find balance in every aspect of my life, especially my spiritual side. It was just the boost I needed to shed old thought patterns that were causing me some mental and emotional issues. The teachings were so valuable to me, and I have taken those lessons and applied them to my daily spiritual practice.
While getting my degree, I continued to work on my health. I obtained certificates in Reiki and Reflexology so that I could start further to help my family and friends with their healing journeys. I continued to work on my own physical strength, balance, and endurance throughout my time in school - using what I was learning to help myself and others became normal for me.
I continued to use yoga daily and, after a couple of years, found that I could more easily get up and down off the floor on my own, could now walk with just a cane, and, more importantly, I started to get off of the medications that my doctor had put me on after the surgery. I also started to work to balance my emotional, mental, and spiritual sides. This is when I began to learn the importance of Holistic Health. I was feeling the momentum of getting better on every level. I was on a roll, and It felt so amazing!
Since achieving the impossible, I have devoted my life to learning, teaching, and helping others to overcome their challenges. I went on to graduate from massage school and got my license as a Massage Therapist, which was the most challenging experience I had encountered on my road to recovery. I have earned certifications in several areas of energy work and bodywork, such as Reiki I, II, and Reiki Master (twice over, with different teachers), Reflexology, and others that I learned while in massage school. I also earned a Life Coach certification.
Taking everything I have learned over this 11-year journey and applying it in my and others’ lives has been the best and most challenging part of my life thus far. I found empowerment, inspiration, strength, guidance, connection, and more. I want nothing more than to help others find self-empowerment to achieve their health goals…. If you have never met me in person, you would never even know that I have had such a challenging mountain to climb to be the person I am today.
~Stephanie Seborg
