low back pain – We Only Get One Chance

SPRING is HERE!!!

SPRING is HERE!!! How Are You Really Doing With Your Health?

Let’s not sugarcoat this…

We’re a few months into the year now. January had a version of you that was clear, motivated, and ready to do things differently. You had goals, intentions, and a picture of what taking better care of yourself would look like. And now it’s April.

So let me ask you—honestly… how are you actually doing with that? Not the “I’ve been meaning to” answer or the “work’s been crazy” version. The real answer. Because your health always reflects what you’ve been prioritizing—not what you want to prioritize, but what you actually have been. That’s not judgment, that’s awareness and the small, boring, plain, not showy, disciplined habits are where the real magic happens.

There’s something about this time of year that feels like a natural reset. The sun sticks around a little longer, the air feels different, and everything starts waking back up again. And whether you’ve been dialed in or completely off track, spring has this quiet way of asking, “Are you ready to start again—but for real this time?” Not from guilt or pressure, but from ownership. Your body has been with you through all of it—the long days, the stress, the skipped routines, the moments you pushed through instead of slowing down—and it’s been keeping score in ways you can feel, even if you haven’t stopped to acknowledge it yet.

Maybe your energy isn’t where you want it to be. Maybe your body feels tighter, more tense, or just off. Maybe you keep telling yourself you’ll get back into a routine, but it hasn’t quite happened. That’s not failure, but it is a pattern. And patterns don’t shift because we think about changing. They shift when we decide to move differently, make a different plan and begin to show up differently for yourself.

So pause for a second. If you zoom forward a few months, what do you actually want your health to feel like? Not what sounds nice or what you think you should want—but what you truly want your day-to-day to feel like in your body. More energy when you wake up? Less tension at the end of the day? Better sleep? More freedom to move and live without discomfort? If that version of you already existed, how would they be showing up right now? Because that’s the shift. Not someday—now.

And here’s the part most people overlook. Taking care of your health isn’t just about trying harder or doing more. It’s not just workouts or eating better or being more disciplined. Your body actually has to be able to function well. Your nervous system, your movement, how your body handles stress—IT ALL MATTERS!!! You can’t outwork a body that’s not supported.

That’s where we come in. Chiropractic care isn’t just about fixing pain when it shows up. It’s about helping your body move better, adapt better, and function the way it’s designed to so you can actually feel good doing your life. And if you’ve been trying to manage everything on your own, this might be the moment you stop doing that.

So here’s your invitation. You can keep putting your health on the back burner and hope it sorts itself out, or you can decide that this is the season you do things differently. That you check in, take action, and actually support your body instead of pushing through it. If you’re ready for that, we’re here to help. Let’s get you moving, feeling, and functioning better—starting now. Because April isn’t just another month. It’s your reset. I am going to leave our phone number here so that you can CALL US and take action now!! (810)629-6023 www.cafeoflifefenton.com

SPRING is HERE!!! It is time…we only get one chance

FENTON ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Dr Erica Peabody

FENTON ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Erica Peabody

This week, we are catching up with a Tiger who took a journey across the country—only to bring her talents right back to the heart of our community! Meet Dr. Erica Peabody, Class of 1995.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Dr Erica Peabody - Fenton High School Alumni

From FHS to Dr. Peabody

Erica’s path to becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic was a true adventure, taking her from Michigan State to Boise State and the University of Alaska, before she earned her Doctorate in South Carolina.

Today, Erica is a local business owner, running her chiropractic office out of an iconic historical building right in the center of downtown Fenton!

Breadsticks & Small-Town Vibes

Growing up in Fenton left a lasting impression on Erica. She fondly remembers the “small-town feel” that remains today. One of her most relatable memories? Grabbing a bag of Fenton House breadsticks as a perfectly acceptable dinner before heading off to sports practice!

A Multi-Sport Tiger

If there was a season, Erica was likely on the field (or the slopes, or the trails!). Her time at FHS was packed with:

Varsity Soccer (all 4 years!)

Equestrian Team

Volleyball

Ski Team

She also admits that while “Typing Class” seemed silly at the time, she realized later just how much FHS prepped her to be a great student and a connected member of the community.

Mentors & Science

Erica shares a wonderful memory of Mr. Jackson, her Chemistry and Physics teacher. She can still hear him saying, “Miss Peabody, Dow Chemical needs people like you.” His big-hearted and entertaining teaching style made learning fun and impactful!

Erica’s Advice for the Road Ahead:

“It’s impossible to know exactly what the road ahead looks like—keep moving forward, keep taking steps and the road will unfold beautifully along the way.”

Let’s show Dr. Peabody some Fenton love!

Do you remember seeing her on the soccer field or the equestrian trails? Or maybe you’ve visited her beautiful downtown office? Share your memories in the comments!

Twenty-One Years – Still Loving It!

Twenty-one years.

If you had told me when I first started that I would still feel excited to walk into the office two decades later, I’m not sure I would have believed you. Not because I didn’t love the profession—but because I didn’t yet understand what a long relationship with your work actually looks like. I remember calling my Mom one day after my second year in to talk about “adulting” and “is this what you do as an adult? You get up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner to go to sleep and start all over again?”

Now I do understand. And the truth is: I still enjoy it. Deeply.

That surprises some people. In a world where burnout gets talked about more than purpose, staying passionate about something for 21 years can sound unusual. But the longer I do this work, the more I realize the joy doesn’t come from the novelty of it.

It comes from the meaning of it and my response to my Mom was “At least I get to spend that time helping people.”

The Early Years

When I first started in practice, everything was new.
Every patient felt like a big moment. Every success felt huge. Every challenge felt personal.

Just constantly learning; about my craft, about people, about myself.

Those early years are fueled by adrenaline and determination; figuring out systems, finding a rhythm, learning what works and what doesn’t. There are long days and more than a few moments where I wondered if you’re doing it right and doing it well.

But those years build the foundation for everything and teach resilience. They teach patience, steadfastness, tenacity and endurance. And most importantly—they teach you that this work is about helping the people.

Somewhere Along the Way

At some point, something shifts. The work becomes less about performance and more about service and impact. You understand your process. You trust your experience. You know how to help people in ways that only come from years of doing it.

There’s a quiet confidence that replaces the feelings of the early years. And that’s when the work becomes even more fulfilling. Because you’re not just practicing anymore—you’re guiding, supporting, and witnessing people’s progress in ways that younger versions of myself as a doctor couldn’t fully appreciate yet.

The Real Reward

After 21 years, the greatest reward isn’t the longevity, it’s the relationships. It’s the patient who has been coming in for years and now brings their kids.
It’s seeing someone who came in struggling walk out stronger and healthier.
It’s the conversations, the trust, the small wins that add up to real change in someone’s life. It is the moments of joy and also sitting in deep grief as life moves around all of us.

Those moments never get old and they remind me why I chose this path in the first place.

What Keeps It Fresh

People sometimes ask how I stay motivated after so many years. The answer is simple: no two days are the same and it is the very best part! Every person who walks through the door brings a different story, a different challenge, a different opportunity to help. That variety keeps the work alive and I am always learning.

And honestly, after 21 years, I’m still learning; about the body, about people and about how to do this work better every year. The moment I think I’ve mastered everything is the moment I stop growing and if you know anything about me by this point, you know I never want that.

Perspective Changes Everything

Experience also brings perspective. I’ve learned not to stress over the small things the way you used to. I’ve learned that tough days happen and that they pass and that consistency matters more than perfection.

Over and above all of that, I have learned to appreciate the privilege of doing work that matters. This is not just a job and not just a career. It’s a chance, every single day, to improve someone’s quality of life in a meaningful way. Not everyone gets to say that about their career and it is something that makes me look ahead with excitement and optimism.

21 Years Later

So here I am, 21 years in. Still grateful. Still curious. Still enjoying the work. That doesn’t mean every day is perfect. No career works like that. But the bigger picture which is the impact, the relationships and the purpose, makes it worth showing up every morning.

And if the last 21 years have taught me anything, it’s this: When you build a career around helping people, the work never really gets old. It just gets more meaningful.

And honestly… I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings.

COFFEE TALK – JANUARY 2026

Your Healthiest Year Yet: A Coffee Talk Recap…and an Invitation

There’s something special that happens when good people, great coffee, and real conversations about health come together—an not to mention FUN!!!

On Thursday, we did our first Coffee Talk: Your Healthiest Year Yet and it was exactly that—easy, energizing, and full of curiosity. Sitting around coffee with me and Rachel Peabody, a wellness nurse I adore collaborating with, we spent an hour talking all things REAL-LIFE HEALTH: how the body works, how to support it, and how small, intentional choices add up to big results.

The vibe?
Casual. Fun. Curious. Zero pressure. Great coffee. Actionable steps.
This is not a “let’s-kick-this-New-Year-and-resolutions-into-high-gear” kind of talk. it was the kind of space where no question feels silly and everyone leaves a little more empowered, with 3 steps that they could take and one on their radar for January.

What We Talked About (in plain English)

We dove into some foundational wellness topics that matter to every body:

Immune function – how your body is designed to protect you every single day and the orchestration of the immune system.
Vitamin C – more than just an “I’m sick” supplement, it is a supplement that should be taken daily as proactive protection to the immune function of the body.
Vitamin D – why it’s so critical, especially in modern life, it’s role in the immune system, and no matter where in the country you live, that you should be taking it year-round, not just in this gray Michigan season.
Magnesium – the unsung hero behind 300 reactions in the body, and just how critical that particular supplement is to take for health, healing and longevity.
Vitamin Injections and Infusions – Their role in keeping the body working optimally, how they are administered, how long they take and how long they last.
Chiropractic care – and its role in helping your nervous system support healing, balance, and resilience

No lectures. No overwhelm. Just expert conversation translated into everyday understanding.

The Best Part? The People.

We had a fantastic group—engaged, thoughtful, and full of great questions. These were people we had already known, and also some brand new faces! There was laughter, lightbulb moments, and even a super fun drawing at the beginning just for showing up because learning should be fun!

What I loved most was watching people connect the dots between:

What their body is doing
Why it might be struggling
And how they can start supporting it—right now to make it the HEALTHIEST YEAR YET!

That’s where real wellness begins.

Why We’re Doing This Again

Because health shouldn’t feel intimidating.
Because wellness works better in community.
And because 2026 deserves to be different.

If you’ve been thinking:

“I want more energy.”
“I want to feel stronger and more resilient.”
“I want to understand my body instead of fighting it.”

This is for you.

Join Us for the Next Coffee Talk ☕

📅 Thursday, February 12
⏰ 8:30–9:30 AM
📍 Bring a friend. Grab a coffee. Come curious.

Whether you’re just beginning your wellness journey or looking to level it up, these conversations are designed to meet you where you are—and help you take the next step.

Let’s make 2026 YOUR healthiest year yet—together.

I can’t wait to see you on the adjusting table this month and again for a COFFEE TALK next month! Mark your calendars and reach out to us to save your seat! (810)629-6023

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

I think I speak for everyone when I say that it seems like we just started 2025 and here we are at the end. I wanted to challenge you to make it a December to Remember.

What do I even mean by that?

Many people are in a waiting period to get the New Year started before they focus on their health. I don’t mean that you are all neglecting yourselves completely, but what I do mean is that many are waiting for January 1st to make some big and powerful changes.

Let’s reconsider this idea and here is why…

Once December starts, we realize that by taking a closer look at our calendar for the month, we oftentimes realize that the entire month is filled to the brim with festivities, fun and family…sometime it is willfully aligned with the obligations and sometimes it is just simply out of obligation.

Soooooo….this also often means that our selfcare and our commitment to ourselves ends up on the backburner waiting to refocus once we hit the New Year.

BUT…once January 1st rolls around, we are sometimes so deep into eating tasty, AND INFLAMMATORY, foods. We have had a little too much alcohol, sugar and other processed foods. We haven’t prioritized hitting the gym, taking walks, yoga, meditation and other things that help improve our health.

We become stagnant and, I don’t know about you, but it can be VERY DIFFICULT to get the ship turned around and heading in the right direction.

We can hit January 1st and have to make MAJOR SHIFTS, or we can really make it a December to Remember and make some simple daily moves now that gets is some serious momentum heading into 2026!

Simple moves can be as simple as this: Drink extra water, walk 20 minute minimum per day, do 15 minutes of stairs inside of your own home, take 5 minutes daily for meditation and stillness, get your workouts put right into your weekly schedule, grab some simple hand weights and start doing some reps, jump rope, clean up your plate by adding a lot more greens and good quality protein, split desert with your partner…so many simple small things- I am SURE you could easily name 10 more.

I urge you to start today or at least by tomorrow. Commit to your health and share some of those healthy activities with your spouse, children, other family members and friends to allow this to be a great MOMENUM-BUILDING December to Remember.

You will be happy once January 1st rolls around and you have already set things in motion. I am simply putting this message out so that awareness is on it and maybe 2026 can get started off on the right foot!

If you have some ideas about what things you can change and want to share below, I encourage you to do so! I want to see and hear your ideas!

We get one chance in this life and what if you considered making this month truly a December to Remember!!!

DOG MOM LIFE

I am not sure I have actually written much in this space about dog mom life.

It is truly the BEST LIFE!

Most of you already know that Louis came to me is a super roundabout way and I didn’t have any intention of having a dog in my life. I grew up with dogs and after having to rehome a dog a few years ago, I didn’t have time and space to have a dog in my life…or so I thought.

Obviously having Louis has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. We are all certain about that!

Just over 2 years ago, I began to follow a group up in Traverse City who breeds teeny tiny dogs. I was in communication with them asking what it is like with the teeny tiny dogs in the same home as big dogs. She graciously answered all of my questions back then though ultimately I decided not to pursue one of their dogs. I did, however, keep following them and their accounts on social media.

Last September, one of their dogs birthed just a single puppy. I don’t know much about dogs but I do know that dogs have litters, not single puppies. I was curious about this little one but more curious how he was born a singleton.

Fast forward to the first week in January and the breeder posted on Facebook that they needed to help a family rehome their little dog and that he just wasn’t fitting into their home well enough. It was on my heart to reach out to talk about this pup and maybe get a chance to meet him.

During that time, I had remembered that i tuned in when this pup was born as it was the singleton from September! Apparently when a mom is done having puppies, they spay them (obviously) but when they went to spay her, she was already and unknowingly pregnant. Her body was done having puppies and so she was unable to support a full litter and only one made it to their birthday.

I met Tater Tot, formally named Maddox and Nico, the first Friday of January, the family brought him to me so that he and Louis could meet.

It wasn’t an instant match, but it was a fun playmate that Louis took to right away. I knew that both Louis and I would need a bit of time to get used to the idea of having this 3 pound pipsqueak around AND I also knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do in that moment.

So this little one came home with us that day.

3AM in the morning, I woke up with so much anxiety…HOW ON EARTH IS THIS TEENY TINY 3 POUND BABY GOING TO SURVIVE THE STAIRS IN OUR HOUSE?1/!?!?!?!!!!!! My house has 4 full flights of wood stairs and there is just no way around it. In my mind, there was just no way that he would be able to manage going up and down that many stairs when he was smaller than the stair itself!

I wrote to the breeder and also the family to let them know that I made a horrible mistake! I am still not sure that either of them appreciated a 3AM email but sharing this concern was the only way I was going to be able to go back to sleep!

I awoke to an email from the breeder assuring me that all their little ones eventually learn to work with all the stairs in all the homes that they live in.

Little did I know that the big guy would also be teaching the little one so many things, including going up the stairs within just a couple days. Louis would go up to the top of the steps and wait for Tate to do the same. He would sit at the landing wagging his tail and of course I was there being his cheerleader too.

He mastered going up the stairs in 2.5 days and another couple days, he mastered going down too.

For those reading this who live in Michigan, you may remember the weather through those winter months. To be honest, it was very difficult to bundle up 7 times each day to take this little one out. I also knew that when I took him home on that Friday that I was signing up for that for the season no matter what was happening. I also had faith that the commitment to that this year would be tough but wouldn’t be every year.

The biggest concern of all was being a single mom to two dogs. What was I even thinking? Would I be able to make that happen? Would I be able to manage two dogs? Would it be overwhelming to have eight little legs and feet running around the house? Will I have enough time and energy for both of them? Will they figure out how to eat next to each other?

YES TO ALL OF IT and SO MUCH MORE!!!

Having the little one has brought new life and fun into Lou’s world, as well as, Lou teaching Tate so much about life and living and listening (well we are still working on that last part).

They aren’t the very best of friends just yet but day by day they are growing and evolving together. I also take them on adventures together, and very different kinds of adventures separately.

So the question that everyone has asked, “WHEN IS TATE COMING INTO THE OFFICE???”

That is NOT our plan. Although you would all love him so much, the office would be more of a dog party than a chiropractic office. And more importantly, he want to be in the mix of it all and he easily become a trip hazard for me…and also for all of YOU!!! There are just too many moving parts inside of our days to make that happen. For a long while anyway. We will see once he is maybe a couple years old to see what kind of temperament he evolves into.

If you are still reading this, THANK YOU!!! It has been wordy however both of their stories deserve to be shared as this DOG MOM LIFE is the VERY BEST LIFE EVER!!!!

NOURISHING

I have not been one that has much time to spend on gardening or flowers or tending to things in the yard. I am learning a lot about nourishing this summer.

I have walked through many greenhouses in my life. I have always been inspired by the beauty of them but I also remember having to plant marigolds growing up and then weeding that garden and it wasn’t something that was enjoyable as a kid. At all. So I brought that concept into adulthood. I love indoor plants and always have, but this season has been about nourishing outdoor plants as well.

One thing I would always notice while walking through greenhouses are those drip hoses that go continuously. I ALWAYS thought a constant drip to every single one of those plants seemed excessive. My thoughts would go to “gosh that is a lot of water and why can’t they just water them a couple times a week and call it good?”

Um…yeah. I am learning this year.

I have beautiful planters at my home and they are filled with petunias and greens. I have a couple hanging baskets and at one point, I bought enough at one of the greenhouses that they offered me a free tomato plant.

So here I am with these BEAUTIFUL planters and now is the time to begin nourishing them. I bought the proper fertilizer and a nice watering can and I am good.

I began to give them a good dousing of water and then put my watering can away for a couple days. I would leave in the morning for work and continue on with my life. By the end of the second day the petunias would shrivel up and threaten to “off” themselves. So I would douse them again and then try to put my watering can away for a couple days and they would do it again…and again and again.

So I started to learn that these things need to be nourished every single day. It took me about 3 weeks to realize this and I would hear people say “I just didn’t want to be a tied to my yard and garden this year and so I didn’t plant anything.”

The indoor house plants are on a weekly watering schedule. The outdoor plants are on a daily watering schedule. When I took a few days away from my home, I was more concerned that my plants get watered every single day than anything else since I had invested so much time into them. Fortunately for me, my Mom lives close and she was able to stop by every single day to do that, but they are THRIVING!!!

I am learning a lot from my moody petunias this summer. The main lesson: If you want something to grow and flourish, it is important to nourish it every single day!

I have had this awareness in a lot of areas in my life through lessons over the years however this beautiful representation in my life right now is so timely…and I am bringing it back to focus on myself.

It is my greatest joy to work with my patients every week, they bring such good energy to my life, my heart and my soul. Doing the work that I do, I have found great purpose in helping people regain their health, uplevel their health and continue to thrive inside of their bodies. And I have learned that ready or not, you will all show up at or office as soon as our doors open.

I spend a good portion of my downtime prepping my body and mind to be ready to serve at my office. I am doing all the things I tell you to do: Eat good food, exercise, keep a sound mind, stress management, connection and rest. But those are the bare minimum. This alone time, quarantine time, has been devoted to finding more nourishing things I can do within the guidelines set by this crazy time. Watering my plants is one of them.

My days begin with letting the dog out to do his business while I fill the watering can for the first time. It takes 3 fills to nourish the plants I have right now and a little time pulling off dead portions and discarding so the plant can send more good juju to the thriving areas.

It brings a lot of joy to my heart and soul to nourish these and experience what the daily nourishing leads to. As I look ahead, I have often wondered if I have to water every single day, will I plant as much next year? The benefit and enjoyment of them WAY outweighs the time it takes to nourish them. It is a 10x payback from this act of nourishing.

Look around in your life. What are you spending your time nourishing? Is it an even exchange or are you being depleted by it? Are you nourishing yourself? Nourishing your body? Nourishing your mind? Nourishing your soul? Nourishing your connections? Nourishing your family? Nourishing your relationships? Nourishing your community? What a beautiful thing!!

NEW

WOW!! Is life crazy or what? It feels all brand new. But not like the super great brand new that we have been wanting and looking forward to, more like a new that hit us smack in the face, shoved our noses into it and said “Here!!! FIGURE IT OUT!!!”

I know we are all in this same kind of boat although we are not navigating the exact same waves, I know that for sure. Some are working from home while also learning to teach school. Some are displaced from life or work or family or whatever it is…but we are all out here doing our very best with the unknows. It literally feels like most of life is filled full of unknowns.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Dr Erica Peabody - New

You haven’t heard from me through this format in a long time as navigating it all has pushed blogging to the back burner. One other stumbling block is my laptop was on its last leg for a few months. I would begin writing here or inside of an office newsletter and in the middle, prior to be able to save it, it would kick me all the way back off and discard all that I had written. Life has taken a lot of extra energy lately and so trying to deal with that as well was just plain frustration.

So I ordered a new laptop and braved the curbside pick-up they had set up and honestly it was seamless and rather delightful!! So I now have a brand new machine to communicate with you better. I am excited to move forward with this blog and creating other content as we all learn to navigate this brand new life.

I take solace in writing and sharing in this manner and hopefully it remains interesting and entertaining as I share tips and trick, but probably more brutal honesty as we move through the stories of life: mine, my practice, friends, colleagues, being a dog mom, my family….on and on we will go. Check back here regularly and of course all of these posts will be shared on my social media platforms.

Years ago, I named this blog “We Only Get One Chance” and I still live and eat and breathe by that tagline in my day to day. Maybe now, more than ever before, others have really increased their awareness around that as well, that we really do get only one chance. It is time to make the very best of it!!

New computer, new life, many unknows and a new commitment to sharing and helping in any way I can. Stay tuned!!

PART 2

To continue from the previous blog, I wanted to give you an update on where I am now, following my Patent Foramen Ovale closure surgery, but also answer some of the questions you have had since the first post. Welcome to part 2.

In August of 2019, I was at my regular yearly check-up with my primary care physician. Now when I say “regularly yearly check-up” I haven’t been to anything “regular” and “yearly” except to see my chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner in years. Being a spouse of a GM employee required that I do certain things on that insurance and so I am following the rules.

When I was in that appointment, I said to her, “I know I have a hole in my heart. I may be planning to have my own family in the next couple years and I would like to pursue getting is closed ahead of time.” I had a different cardiologist recommended to me but she told me to absolutely go back to the same one I saw before and that he is the greatest in this region.

One test was redone and a few more tests were added to the mix to determine exactly the size and location. Funny and not funny part of this is that I happen to be a healthcare provider and also in good health inside of a cardiologist’s office and so they sort of took it for granted that I would already know how this whole thing would go.

I asked questions along the way, and although I didn’t get “blown off” it was more like “of course yes that happens…” and “of course no way it would go that way…” was always the attitude. Which ended up probably being a test to me and my ability to trust.

I am a generally trustworthy kind of person and so I just turned it all over to them to do what they needed to do and know that I was in the best care in the region. On that I settled in, navigated through it all and am now here to tell the story on the other side.

Many have asked “How are you feeling now?”

I feel GREAT!!! I truly do. Instantaneously following surgery my hands and feet were warm for the first time in my entire life. I remember back in chiropractic college, my fellow classmates would always mention just how cold my hands all the time. I didn’t know any better so I had no idea it was even an issue.

Best Chiropractor - Part 2 - Dr Erica Peabody - Kilimanjaro

By this point in the game, 12 weeks out from surgery, I have skipped what I would count to be 9 migraine headaches (I’m tallying this due to my history of roughly 3 per month). I haven’t had even one. I don’t even get any headaches that I know of anymore, or nothing that I would even count as a tension or cluster headache.

I am able to workout and do what I want to do at this point and feel pretty amazing. Three weeks ago I started back at step aerobic class and looking back on teaching step for over a decade of my life, I feel incredible. The step I take now I can keep up with the HIIT moves and can actually do a burpee without blacking out!!!

I will begin to run again soon. If you have been to my office, you can see my collection of participation medals although not many from anytime recently. I will know more once I begin to train for the CRIM this year, it is a race I have done numerous times and I am curious to see if my finishing times improve and just how well I recover. I will begin back to the triathlon sport as well and look forward to seeing how my swimming progresses.

If you have followed this blog at all, you know that I had a severe foot injury following my summit of Mt Kilimanjaro back in 2017. (I have added the video log link below in case you missed it thus far…it was EPIC!!)

I wore a walking boot for 6 solid months and have been working with that foot at about 80% healed. Now I am beginning to not even have to think about it at all…warm hands and feet mean that blood supply is actually going to my feet at a better rate and I AM HEALING!!!

I truly feel great and I am so, so, so, so grateful to have been a candidate for the closure as I just know for the next decades of my life, I will be far better off.

One of the questions I have gotten a few times along the way is “how do I find out if I have this or not?” as a few of you may be suspecting something similar for yourself now listening to this story. I have to send you right back to your own general practitioner to get that resolved.

The recovery has been amazing and pretty simple for the most part. The cardiologist had me on a blood thinner since the anatomy of the heart changed and has since taken me off to proceed into my life exactly as I want to.

Dr Erica Peabody - Part 2 - Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan

Your words of encouragement as well and your good wishes are appreciated more than I can really say in words here on this blog. It has been quite an experience and I hope that my sharing this information, that you feel a little more informed and educated about the possibilities.

Of course, all along I have continued chiropractic care, massage therapy and stayed in touch with my functional medicine practitioner. I have continued yoga and meditation and am now back at full capacity in the gym. In essence, I have done the things that we talk about in the practice all the time: eat well, move well and think well. These are truly the keys to optimizing the body and it’s inborn ability to heal, and even more critical to healing from something like that.

Thanks for checking back for part 2 and stay in touch as time progresses…there is a lot more to share!

PEACHY

From the outside it appears that all is peachy and so simple.

It’s not.
It’s hard, anxiety-driven work to pursue a dream.
It’s long, late night conversations and countless sleepless nights.

It’s questions without answers and conflict without immediate or foreseeable resolution.

It’s stress beyond anything I have ever known.
It’s wildly uncomfortable and feels like running around constantly short on time.
It’s humbling and frightening.
It’s not just out of my comfort zone, it’s as though I took a rocket ship and split from the Universe my comfort zone is in.
It’s so far off the edge and hoping the ground appears somewhere beneath my foot as I take the next step.

It is tears of frustration and moments when I cannot stand being inside my own skin.

It is giving up beach towels and sunglasses for hammers and drills.

It is a deep breath in not knowing when i will have space to exhale.
…AND it’s not just business, it’s every aspect of life.
It’s building a home that’s gone on far, far too long.
It’s learning to partner inside of a relationship rather than run off on my own and do it all my own way.
It’s learning what being a bonus mom is all about and to triplets nonetheless.

It’s wedding planning and all that comes with that (which i am currently trying to figure out).
It’s a constant battle with my subconscious that wants everything to stay the way it’s always been.
It’s tough and messy and faith-building.

It is somehow trusting that stupid phrase “You will only be given as much as you can handle.” Everyone please STOP SAYING THAT!!!!
It’s being sure to meditate every day and pray every night.

…and all this I am writing because I got a great hot shower and did my hair and now I’m dreading walking outside into the humidity which will undo it all in 17 minutes flat. …and so this is me procrastinating and writing to you instead of that.
And now I’ve come to the end of this rant.
Regardless of all that I wrote above, I’m going to make it the best day I can anyway.

Building dreams comes with a lot of hard work and not all of it is peachy.