Today I am posting an article written by my friend Elaine O’Keefe. She has a powerful story about the healing power of gratitude. She survived a medical nightmare and is now teaching others how to use the power of gratitude to heal their lives too.

Here’s her story:

Having diabetes is hard. I know because I’ve been there.

Yes, there.

Past tense.

Let me tell you my story.

After suffering from extremely painful chronic pancreatitis for several years, I developed enzyme insufficiency and the combination was a nightmare.

I was malnourished, taking opioids 24/7 for pain management, and staying in a hospital more than 70 nights in 36 months. I had more than a dozen surgical procedures and what felt like a gazillion tests. On top of all that, I was tube fed and unable to eat by mouth for months.

I lost my dream job as a director at a YMCA and basically lived on the couch.

Eventually, I was told it would take extreme measures to save my life or I could continue the rapid decline and consider hospice.

I wasn’t ready for death.

So, I elected to have my pancreas removed through a rare procedure at the University of Minnesota called TP/IAT on December 28, 2016. I was the 677th person to have the TP/IAT at the U of M where it was pioneered in 1977. After they removed my pancreas it was whisked to a specialty lab where technicians removed cells called the Islets of Langerhans – they produce insulin – and infused into a special liquid that would then be injected into my portal vein with the hope that they would build a new home in my liver. With the hope that they build a nice home and start working. Which they do about 1/3 of the time. Removing the pancreas instantly leaves the patient a type 3C or pathogenic diabetic (meaning the pancreas is dead or missing).

On December 28, 2016, I became a full-fledged type 3C Diabetic. Essentially swapping chronic pancreatitis for diabetes.

Yes, I chose this.

Fortunately for me, it was for just one year because my islets woke up and were strong enough to make insulin. My last injection was on January 6, 2018. But, because I too have insulin sensitivity issues just like a Type II patient, I must manage my condition with diet, mindset work, and daily exercise.

So, I check my blood sugar daily and live life as if I were a person living with Type II Diabetes.

With one major difference.

Unlike someone who can actually reverse their Diabetes Type II, my body does not have the ability to regenerate more Islets of Langerhans. My supply is limited. The risk of killing them off by the choices I make is very real. But, truly, for all of us, what we choose to put into our bodies really matters!

A new twist on an old career

During my illness and recovery, I was grateful for family and friends who continued to visit and help me practice gratitude. Being grateful for the little things while trying to get my body and mind working again.

Also, during that time, I was learning so much about the part mindset plays on your health. My caregivers noticed that and saw my potential to be a health coach for others.

They noticed that I am good at incorporating change into my system. That’s partly because I’ve worked as a change agent for most of my life.

With their suggestion and the support of my family who had also been suggesting this as a career path, I’ve since become a Nationally Certified Health and Wellness Coach. I love helping other people living with chronic illness reach their goals of becoming as healthy as possible so they too can enjoy life.

Here is what I’ve learned over the course of my 30+ years in personal change management.

You…

1. are SMART.
2. know WHAT to do to stay healthy.
3. have all you need in order to make a transformation inside of you already.

My gift is in helping people figure out the HOW.

As in:

How do I…

• stop the continual stopping and starting BS?
• stop the guilt?
• get a habit to “stick”?
• make healthy choices more appealing?

I get it. It’s tough to know that no one else can do it for you.

Living in a society obsessed with fast food, sugary drinks, diet drinks, alcohol, and “relaxing”, of course it’s overwhelming! And, marketers have us believing that everyone but us is FINE doing those things. So, I guess there is one more how to add to the list…HOW do I resist all of this marketing?

How I do it…

First, I was blessed with curiosity that my family nurtured. As a child, I had an imaginary husband, Marhrerah, and dreamed up a magical life. As a hospital patient, this skill served me well as I used visualization to see myself living in a pain-free body, eating food, celebrating holidays and enjoying family fun, traveling, and working in a career I adored.

With much effort extended, and a lot of therapy, I was able to endure the 11.5-hour surgery to evict the offending pancreas and the other organs that needed to go to prevent complications. It was a long slow recovery and even now, 3.5 years post-transplant, I get tired, have moderate gut issues, and experience some minor discomfort. It was worth it.

The main thing that helps me get through tough times is having a robust and well-rounded resiliency toolbox. The foundation of my toolbox is a daily meditation & gratitude practice. Add teaching the Everyday Gratitude Course and coaching people who earnestly want to change – to improve their lives – to be there for their loved ones, heck, to be there for THEMSELVES – that keeps me ALIVE and THRIVING.

DISCOVERING THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

One discovery I made researching for the Everyday Gratitude Course was in a study done by Dr. Robert Emmons. He found that a deliberate gratitude practice can actually boost the immune system. In fact, there are multiple aspects of whole life wellness that are improved by practicing gratitude.

Feeling depressed? Write a letter of appreciation to someone who you don’t believe you’ve thanked adequately, and hand deliver it to them.

This experiment, which has been replicated multiple times, found that those completing the task were happier and had fewer symptoms of depression than the placebo group for up to a month!

There are many ways to express gratitude. Find some that work for you and know that having a regular practice can truly change your life!

We all have decisions we need to make every single day.

Some are hard, like consciously deciding to remove your pancreas and accept that you may be a brittle diabetic for all, some or none of my life.

Some are easy, like making a decision to practice the power of gratitude in your own unique way.

And some create a beautiful space where they converge, and mental and physical wellness collide creating a life that is more amazing than you ever imagined.

For today, I choose to take care of my body, mind, and spirit so I have a shot at another day living in control. I joyfully accept the fact that I’m still here, and just like you, I’m doing the best that I can with what I know now.

About Elaine:

Elaine O’Keefe is a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach and National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach with over 30 years of experience as a change agent. When a health crisis hit her in 2014, it changed her life for good. Recently celebrating 3 years post-transplant, Elaine recognizes that mindset, and specifically the power of gratitude, played a huge role in her miraculous recovery. Feeling called to share the gifts of gratitude, she developed a course called “Everyday Gratitude” which has caught like wildfire and she has shared the content internationally.

Elaine O’Keefe is a Licensed Social Worker and Health & Wellness Coach and is the founder and President of Transitions In Nature. She enjoys connecting small businesses with coaching expertise to make them grow!