Almost a year ago, I caught myself saying over and over, “I’m healing my hip.” Every time someone asked how I was doing, that’s what I said. Until one day, I stopped and asked myself out loud, “When will I actually know I’ve healed? When can I stop calling myself ‘in healing’ and start calling myself healed?”

That question changed everything.

Because our words matter. What we tell ourselves becomes our truth. If I only ever say “I’m healing my hip,” then in my mind I’m always healing, never healed. So I decided to set a milestone. I told my ladies, “When I can teach and perform a full Pump Class again, that will be the day I can finally say: I’ve healed.”

This past Wednesday, that day arrived.

I performed half a Pump class at full capacity. For the first time in years, lunges didn’t feel like a battle. I could move with strength and stability instead of fear and caution. My hip socket felt solid. My muscles worked hard my right quad, hamstring, hip but I didn’t end up sidelined for days afterward. It felt like a glimpse of my old self again, but stronger.

I chose to believe healing was possible. I only needed to find one person who had done it before me — and I did. I found a doctor who understood adhesions and nerve entrapments. Together, we worked to release years of scar tissue from multiple C-sections that had left deep adhesions in my lumbar spine, hip flexors, right groin, quadriceps, hamstring, calf, and even my foot.

Most people don’t realize how adhesions can restrict movement and set off a chain reaction of pain and joint damage. So many of us push through pain, unaware of the damage building up, until surgery seems like the only answer. But sometimes not always, but sometimes there’s another path.

I’m proud to say I’m the most healed I’ve been in three years. My hip pain had caused knee, calf, and ankle issues, but step by step, I’ve regained strength and hope.

Here’s what has been most important in my healing journey:

• Relentless curiosity. I researched everything about healing tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. I asked questions and sought out people who had gotten better.
  
• A doctor who wanted to prevent surgery. I followed his plan and trusted the process.
  
• Nourishing from the inside out. I was diligent about collagen peptides loaded with amino acids twice a day, and almost daily I added 2 oz of liver.
  
• Smart loading and recovery. I worked my hip flexor, tendons, and ligaments with the right amount of load not too much and gave them time to recover.
  
• Perfecting my form in everyday life. From sitting on the toilet to standing up, riding my bike slowly, breathing better, and eliminating inflammation through food.
  
• Prioritizing what I could do. While my lower body healed, I built my upper body stronger than ever. Today my upper body can push, pull, and lift more than it ever has  even on chest presses.
  

Most importantly, I placed my health and movement as the highest priority in my life.

I’m not done yet. I’ll keep seeing my doctor periodically. I’ll keep strengthening my lower body until both sides are balanced again. But today, I can say this with my whole heart:

I have healed.

And if you’re reading this while in pain or feeling like your body has betrayed you, please know this: Healing isn’t always linear, and it’s rarely quick, but it is possible. Your body is capable of more than you can imagine. Sometimes you just need the right knowledge, the right support, and the right patience to see it through.