Sitting in the ER, Wondering If the Pain Would Ever Go Away

The mom guilt piled high because my daughter was upstairs, under anesthesia, getting tubes in her ears...

And I was downstairs in the ER, trapped in my migraine misery.

My husband had been worried for months—maybe even years. He just wanted me to be happy and healthy again.

But I kept telling him it would get better when...

• When work settled down...
• When the kids were older...
• When I had more time to focus on myself...

I ignored my body’s cues—the increasing, never-ending headaches, the irregular periods, the bloating, the weight gain, and the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of coffee could fix.

I thought if I could just push through a little longer, life would get easier... and then I’d finally have time to take care of myself.

I can’t tell you how many times I said that to my husband.

He’ll tell you it went on for years.

Then... My Body Decided It Was Done Waiting.

That’s how I ended up in the ER—my migraine had lasted for days, the dizziness and nausea had taken over, and I literally could not function.

My body had officially given up on me waiting for the “right time” to rest.

And let me tell you—it was NOT convenient. (I mean, my daughter was literally upstairs under anesthesia!)

But I still thought I could push through. I was fully on board with the cultural standard of just "push through."

Until the Physician Assistant treating me mentioned the words “lumbar puncture.”

That’s when it hit me.

This Wasn’t Just a Migraine. This Was Burnout.

As a nurse practitioner, I knew this wasn’t something serious like meningitis or a brain bleed.

This was burnout—severe, ignored-for-too-long, wrecking-my-health burnout.

I had spent years believing I was the exception.

I thought I could keep ignoring the warning signs.
I thought I could outwork exhaustion.
I thought I didn’t have time to take care of myself.

But if I had just listened to my body six months earlier, I wouldn’t have been sitting in that ER, terrified and depleted.

The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything

Once I recovered enough to move forward, I knew I couldn’t go back to ignoring my health.

I didn’t overhaul my entire life overnight.

I started with small, tiny shifts—ones that felt doable, even in my overwhelmed state.

Those small changes led me to where I am today in my holistic health journey.

If you want to read about another major turning point in my life, stay tuned to see how writing my own obituary changed everything.

Your Health Impacts Your Family’s Health

I slowly began to understand something I had been resisting for so long:

• If I want to raise healthy kids, I need to be healthy.
• My well-being is directly connected to my daughters’ well-being.
• Taking care of myself isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

And when I finally embraced that, it quieted the mom guilt.

Self-care in all forms—rest, movement, nutrition, stress management, emotional health—is not a luxury. It’s the foundation of a thriving family.

Start Before Your Body Forces You To.

Right now, ask yourself:

✨ “What is one tiny thing I can do to take care of myself tomorrow?”

Make it small and easy:

• Drink a glass of water before your coffee.
• Take three deep breaths before tackling the bedtime routine.
• Go to bed 15 minutes earlier.

No massive overhauls. Just one small act of care.

Because I know how hard this is—I’ve been there.

And I want you to know you don’t have to do this alone.

If this resonated with you, let’s talk. I’m here to help you take the first step.