Not holding my breath - just trying to breathe

Over the years, many many many different people have come up to me and said "I just read somewhere that ______________ may help with headaches".

I've always smiled and taken the article, read it and discover that it is something that I have tried, and if not, I will try. I'm often asked if I get bothered by this, but I really don't because you just never know when something might work.

So a few weeks ago, dear Grace, referred my to her physiotherapist. Grace also suffers from migraine and we have often talked about different things that work or don't for either of us.

Now, this is something that I did do many moons ago when my headaches first started - and had no relief. So I go in holding my breath that it will help.

This afternoon I had my first session. I was a bit nervous because I already have a 'lovely' headache today and usually chiro or massage make it worse (before it feels better). I was prepared for the worst. After filling out all the necessary forms, Helania came in. I answered the same old questions (where is the pain, how often - really?!?). Then she did the exam.

As she touched my neck and shoulders she sucked in her breath quickly, rested her hands on my shoulders and said 'Oh you poor dear! I have only seen one other person before that was so tight! It took a while but she is now virtually headache free". (Usually the doubting flag goes up now - it worked for so and so so it won't work for you).

Then she started the treatment - just stretching and pulling muscles in my neck, compressing my head (which feels REALLY good) and all the other sorts of things that a physiotherapist does.
As the treatment went on, I did feel a bit of relief (not gone by any means - but much more tolerable than it has been the last few days), but I still am holding my breath.

There have been a lot of treatments that "worked really well for so and so" that have failed miserably for me. I have done weeks and weeks of treatments and months of medications only to have them not work - or make things worse.

I don't want to be pessemistic about this - it very well might work - but I have to be cautious because I know my own heart and the struggle with disappointment when things done work.

So, I'm holding my breath but trying not to. I'm just trying to remember that God has a plan in this (though what it is I may never know here) and that even if it doesn't work, that is still part of God's plan.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.