BUILD YOUR TOOLBOX

Author Tonya Joyce of Guided Path Wellness

When an Illness or injury impacts your life, your world is turned upside down and everything changes in an instant. This was my reality in 2012 when I was struck by a drunk driver just five minutes from home; I died instantly and came back to life with a message that there was more to do! It has been a long journey to discover what that “more to do” exactly is. Through my journey of being in a wheelchair to walking in heels, I discovered several techniques that helped me to understand how the mind communicates with the body, and how to manage pain, stress, and PTSD. I built my own toolbox of modalities and I invite you to build your own toolbox of healing as well. Initially, during the acute phase of my accident recovery, I was on several medications to treat my injuries. I had incurred a broken neck in two places, had broken transverse process in my back, a deep head laceration which required stitches and staples to close, two broken ribs, a pseudoaneurysm on my left carotid artery, a blood clot in my throat, a punctured left lung, severe damage to my right wrist (later requiring a tendon graft to repair) and several steroid injections to gain mobility. Furthermore, I had deep contusions to both of my legs, post concussion syndrome, and a severe staph infection on my lower lumbar spine (later diagnosed as methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - difficult to treat as it requires long term more potent antibiotics). When I returned home to my family, after 18 days in hospital, I was in a wheelchair and could not function independently. I had an entire team of people making decisions for me. I was required to wear an Aspen Collar twenty-four hours a day, medications were administered every two hours (which consisted of sedating opioids – among others) and I was cared for by a nurse at home. I had an orthopedic specialist and a spine surgeon, a team of trauma doctors (seen on an outpatient basis bi-weekly), a dermatologist, a neurologist, an occupational therapist(my case manager), a hand-physiotherapist, and my family physician. As time went on, I had a neuropsychologist, a psychologist, a physiotherapist, and a kinesiologist. I felt like I was a walking experiment; there were some treatments that worked and many that did not. I was in constant pain. I began having seizures. I would stutter, I could not read without losing my words, I had severe migraines requiring frequent hospital visits for treatment. Additionally, I had constant nerve pain, it hurt to walk, sit, stand, sleep, breath and be alive. At one point I wanted to end it all. The doctor’s prognosis; permanently disabled for life. I was working full time for the provincial government prior to the accident. I had completed my bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, concentrating in Criminology and Psychology. I was about to write my LSAT to become a lawyer through the University of British Columbia, I was also volunteering as a crisis line worker, and I was a professional singer and songwriter. I felt hopeless when the doctor’s told me that I could no longer pursue my goals because of a drunk driver. To me, life was not fair. I had children to care for and they needed their mother. I was married; however, my husband was not participating in my care or the care of the children. It broke my heart to see that my children became my caregiver. I went from being a parent to being their patient. At the time of my accident, my children were twenty-six, twenty-three, fifteen, eleven, and eight. My eldest son moved back home, my twenty-three-year-old son left university in his third year to care for the younger siblings, my fifteen-year-old was staying with his father in Virginia, and the two younger girls grew up very quickly. I became more determined than ever to find a way to heal and this is when I began building my toolbox. “I went from being a parent to being their patient” I started reading anything I could get my hands on to be able to build my cognitive skills. With the help of my eight-year-old reading books to me daily, I could start reading and understanding and memorizing material independently again. My occupational therapist started giving me daily tasks such as word searches which developed new neural pathways in my brain and helped with my memory. I attended Change Pain, a pain management clinic that facilitated removing opioids from my pharmaceutical regiment. At this clinic I also received trigger point injections and pain education. This was very beneficial and assisted me with being able to walk with a four wheeled walker independently. I began reading educational books on health to facilitate further healing. I learned about neuroplasticity by reading The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. Books by Jon Kabat Zinn taught me about Mindfulness. Donna Eden wrote a book called Energy Medicine: Balancing your Body’s Energies for Optimal Health, Joy and Vitality, this taught me about changing the position of your body to improve your energy and balance. Dr. Wayne Dyer gave me Inspiration. Mel Robbins showed me the 5 Second Rule. Louise L. Hay showed me that I Can Heal My Life. So many wonderful authors stacked all around me in my prison of a bed for years lifted me with inspiration out of my bed and gave me my life back. In January 2018, I hired a life coach named Jessica Coulthard of Just a Girl Like Me Coaching. This single act was one of the best things I could have added to my toolbox as it spring boarded my success to healing. Hiring a life coach allowed me to have a person to share my goals with, keep me on track and accountable as well as set me up for success. After hiring Jessica, I started my own company entitled: Guided Path Wellness. I attended two of Tony Robbins’ events, where I walked on fire and learned that anything is possible if you are determined and motivated to take the leading step. In the summer of 2018, I returned to Kwantlen Polytechnic University and took a fourth-year course in Indigenous Criminology and achieved a 4.0 GPA. I went on to become a public speaker by telling my story at the Women Who Inspire Conference 2019 in Vancouver, BC. I returned to work with the Province of BC, married the man of my dreams, and now I walk proudly in heels. I do not want to disillusion anyone by saying that building my toolbox or my journey to recovery has been an easy one; quite the contrary. There is no magic wand to heal from any illness or injury. Everyone is on their own path to healing. Applied knowledge is power. I recommend you research everything you can, for we can only do as much as we know. Once you know, you engage. I started my company, Guided Path Wellness, to educate others about becoming their own healer. During my recovery, I utilized pain education through Pain BC, and I earned a Pain Management certificate to teach pain management strategies. During my time at Change Pain in Vancouver, BC I took three classes to understand how the mind communicates with the body when chronic pain is present. I became a board-certified coach through Robbins-Madanes Life Coaching. I became an Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) specialist through 5th Ray Academy and am currently becoming a certified practitioner in this field. This modality is recognized by the American Psychological Association for treatment of PTSD. I am a Mindfulness Base Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor and an energy healer to balance the body’s energy for stress management. My toolbox is built from experience in managing my own chronic pain and PTSD. With all I have learned in this field, I can help guide you to building your toolbox as well. Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey of recovery. For more information, please visit my website at www.guidedpathwellness.com or email me at tonya@guidedpathwellness.

Tonya Joyce

I am a mother of 5 beautiful children. They are my world, and I am so grateful to be here with them and for them, as I have experienced not one, but two horrendous car crashes. Getting through the pain and hardship these accidents caused myself and my family has taught me how truly powerful the mind is. The journey of recovery has given me extensive knowledge and experience practicing in the healing arts benefiting the body and the soul. Today is a gift, and I am here to help guide you on the path to wellness in your life. Credentials: Kwantlen Polytechnic University - BA Social Sciences – Criminology Kwantlen Polytechnic University - AA Social Sciences – Psychology Currently at Simon Fraser University - completing my Restorative Justice Certification Tony Robbins – Madanes – Board Certified Life Coach Tony Robbins - Unleash The Power Within - Firewalker Pain Management Specialist – Pain BC Certificate Energy Healer Guided Meditation Specialist Mindfulness Coach – MBSR EFT Specialist Vision Board Facilitator Author – “Wheels to Heels” and “Poetic City” Poet, Songwriter, Vocalist, Drummer