10/30/2025
This is going to be a deeply personal share, but I feel if it helps just one person it's worth it.
As a primary care physician, it's often our own illnesses, disorders, and injuries that give us additional insight to be able to help our own patients. And this is definitely one of those times for me.
Some know I recently had a major knee injury requiring surgery, and I'm not allowed to walk/weight bear for the first 6 weeks post op, and then the following 4 weeks I'm only allowed to add graduated weight bearing at 25% per week. Which means I can't do or accomplish anything, as I'm getting around with one leg and my hands are occupied by crutches. I can't even get my own groceries. Which means I've had to close my practice for 2 months.
Now this is not my first major surgery by any means. I had reconstructive jaw surgery at age 14, and I had emergency open abdominal surgery at age 29... Each required their own rest periods. The abdominal surgery required me to lift no more than 10 lbs for the first month, which meant not working at that time as well.
But this knee recovery period is different in that I literally can't do a dang thing due to my near inability to ambulate, and if I do ambulate I can't use my hands/arms for anything. Which means no working, no cleaning, no cooking, no ANYTHING for a minimum of 2 months and then another month to follow with graduated ability.
This knee injury/surgery recovery period has FORCED me to stop and rest completely. And it has lead to my body healing issues I never even imagined would improve from rest alone (I'll be sharing that below). It has made me realize that stress is literally destroying our lives, especially here in America where we are led to believe that taking a break is a weakness and that productivity is our utmost importance. How dare we be "lazy".
As a provider, I already knew stress was a silent killer, but I never realized just how stressed I actually was.
As a millennial, we are drowning in student loan debt (my grad student loans alone I graduated with in 2014 totaled $250k at 7.9%) and we have wages that aren't even enough to survive (for example: Chiropractic visit insurance reimbursement rates have not increased since the 90's). My solution to that problem? Just work harder. I have not taken a vacation my entire adult life. I've had a week here or there attached to holidays of course, but only to use half of that time to catch up on my work (job related or housework related, etc).
Other countries do NOT have the work life balance we do here in America, and as Americans we are paying for it dearly... With our health... With our lives.
So.... After this long soap box.... what has improved for me health wise that prior I did not have the environment (rest) to do so:
1. 2 years ago I developed significant joint pain, stiffness, and swelling of all my finger joints, much like rheumatoid arthritis, but multiple labs showed no autoimmune conditions (at least not yet) --- but just two weeks into my post op rest period and the joint pain, stiffness, and swelling has DISAPPEARED
2. 1 year ago I developed loose stools (only in the AM after my 1 cup of coffee). I blamed the coffee.... I blamed my body developing a new food intolerance/sensitivity to coffee. ---but just 4 weeks into my post op rest period it has entirely disappeared (and I can drink my 1 cup of coffee with zero issues)
3. Astigmatism. Worsening over the past few years. Almost unable to drive at night or early morning when it's still dark before the sun comes up. --- but just 3 weeks into my post op rest period and it's 75% improved, I can easily drive in the dark again
4. MALS. Developed 5 years ago, worsening over the past 6 months to the point I was unable to eat more than 2 bites of food at a time, and I was getting ready for surgical correction just before my knee injury required me to put that first. ---but just 2 weeks into my post op rest period and its 85% improved, so much so my surgeon now wants to wait and see if we can put it off entirely.
Who knows what else is going to disappear/improve as additional time goes on.
And what did all my hard work and no time off get me ...no where....I still have the student loan debt (and then some). It only gave me chronic illnesses.
Moral of the story. Stress is killing us, silently and slowly. Your body is a healing MACHINE, and it will heal given the proper environment and tools to do so.
TAKE THE BREAK, TAKE THE VACATION, TAKE IT EVEN IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO DO IT.... TAKE A STAY-CATION AND DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND THE BARE MINIMUM.
REST. OUR HUSSLE CULTURE IS KILLING US.
~Dr. Erin Daube
