Prioritizing Your Health – Lessons in Work/Life Balance

Today marks the 146th day that I am back at work from medical leave for my kidney transplant. You can read the first part of my journey – the preparation for my transplant – here, but in this blog, I am sharing lessons learned about returning to the office after a leave, whether virtually, in-person or a mix of both.

After three months of recuperating, which included many puzzles, cookies, and TV, I returned to work, remotely, on May 19. My first day back was filled with excitement but also nerves. I was so thrilled to catch up with my amazing Real Chemistry colleagues and friends but nervous about how my transplant would change how I show up each day for work.

Mostly because my kidney transplant absolutely changed who I am – not just medically, now that I have three kidneys, but how I view the world. And yes, you read that correctly, I now have three kidneys because transplant recipients keep their own two kidneys. It really should be called a kidney addition instead of a transplant!

With my new kidney, my health became my number one priority. That is interesting because I have had chronic kidney disease for 20+ years and you would think that I would always prioritize my health, but it took this big milestone and medical leave to truly help me prioritize my own health in my day-to-day life. I’d go out on a limb to say that many of us push ourselves each day until we are burnt out – or at the very least consumed with work and pushing health to the back burner. How many late nights, rushed meals or skipped workouts have inevitably been tied to this collective mentality of prioritizing work?

So, now that I have been back at work for 146 days, I want to share some important lessons I learned about prioritizing my health while still showing up for my teams, clients, and the patients we are trying to help each day.

Lesson One: Lean in with healthy boundaries

Before my transplant, I would lean all the way in, always – someone would say “jump” and I would say “how high.” But, in a world where so many of us are working remotely and burnout is at an all-time high, when I returned to work, I had to figure out how I could lean in with my teams and clients while ensuring the boundaries around my health weren’t being compromised.

Now, I can tell you, this did not happen overnight. The first month back, I had a lot of heartfelt conversations with my incredible Real Chemistry colleagues about how to prioritize my health without deprioritizing our clients.

One of the ways I lean in with healthy boundaries is around communication but more specifically around overcommunication. I go out of my way to overcommunicate with my teams around expectations, when something is urgent and when it isn’t, and being open if I am feeling overwhelmed as I continue to get back in the swing of things.

Another focus for me is recognizing when I need to take a break and not beating myself up about it. After such a major surgery, I still have days when I am not 100%. That will probably always be the case, but for a perfectionist like myself, I have a very hard time being okay with not being able to jump in feetfirst. It is in moments like these where I lean on my awesome coworkers to remind me that it is important and okay to listen to my body and mind and take a break when I need it. It’s also important to remember that the whole world won’t fall apart if you must take a break. Also, the positive reinforcement I received from my teams made it easier to take a break each time I needed one.

Lesson Two: Don’t be afraid to ask for help

When I think back to the first couple months returning from leave, asking for help was a daily occurrence. I had so many doctors’ appointments to ensure my body was adjusting to the new kidney it was impossible to not ask for help. But now that I am further out from the transplant, I continuously need to remind myself that it is always good to ask for help.

You know the saying…two heads are better than one. I can’t even count how many times people on my teams have asked if I need help, but more than that, I think it is important to say that there is absolutely no shame in asking for help. We don’t have to have every answer to every question the moment it is asked, but it is important to reach out to get others’ thoughts, opinions, and ideas because it makes us better together for our clients and patients.

Lesson Three: Share experience to help others (and myself)

Each person who goes through something life-changing – whether a big surgery or another momentous occasion – will deal with it in their own way. But, for me, sharing my experience in my first blog and now in this one, as well as proactively connecting with my incredible donor, Victoria, and other transplant recipients, has helped me lean into this new experience and figure out who I am now.

I know I am strong, but I also know it is okay to show my cracks because those cracks are what make me, me. I am more open and real about how I feel each day because this openness makes me a better communicator with my family and friends but also with my colleagues, clients, and the patients we help.

Most importantly, if sharing my experience helps one other person have a better journey when they are going through a difficult time in their life, it is all worth it.