If you know me, does it seem like I fell off the proverbial cliff? Been hiding under a proverbial rock? All the other proverbials that mean no one knows where I am or “whatever happened to Kellye Crane?”

For years, I’ve been having health issues. Not the big, life-threatening kind where you tell everyone and ask for prayers. They’re invisible and don’t even seem that important in the grand scheme of things, and yet they can change your entire life.

For those curious, I have been on partial disability since 2019, after developing orthopedic problems. What first seemed like some combination of carpel tunnel, tendonitis, and lower back problems turned out to be all of those things- plus pinched nerves in various parts of the spine. Because it’s in multiple places (and having personally seen some bad outcomes in family members), I’ve thus far avoided surgery. Through physical therapy and behavior modifications, I live a relatively normal life- there are just some things I can’t do.

I thought I could take this opportunity, having learned some things the hard way, to offer a little advice to other entrepreneurs:

1. If you’re young and healthy, investigate purchasing disability insurance. I got my private disability insurance very early in my career, mostly because I had a friend also starting her career at an insurance company (I wanted to help her out!). But according to the Social Security Administration, “studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of developing a disability before reaching full retirement age,” so it’s something worth considering, if you can swing it.

If you’re interested in learning more, CNBC Select recently published a list of top disability insurance companies. Note this type of insurance is expensive and difficult to get. You must pass a physical, and it turns out self-employed people are more likely to file claims (so insurance companies are reticent to insure us).

2. Related to the point above, it’s my theory that self-employed people use their disability insurance more frequently because we often take such lousy care of ourselves. Looking back, I used to spend hours sitting, typing and staring at my computer screen without a break- all the recent data about the dangers of sitting came too late for me!

I also should have paid closer attention to the ergonomics (or lack thereof) of my desk setup, and oh btw, I walked around barefoot for most of my life (I’m a southern girl, after all!). Many of my problems run in my family, so I can’t blame it all on behavior, but I’m sure it didn’t help. If you work from home, consider whether there are small changes you can make that would help protect your health.

3. My final point is one of the most important (hindsight being 20/20): your body doesn’t give you a flashing red signal light before health problems come upon you- it goes immediately from a yellow to red. If you’re starting to feel extra tired, or your neck is stiff, or your back aches a bit, etc., please go get it checked out before it turns into something irreversible.

This post is years overdue. On top of the physical changes of writing it, I always hoped I’d be able to announce a triumphant return to full time work. But I’ve since come to terms with the distinct possibility that I’ll never work full time in communications again, and I’ve dealt with all the existential issues that come along with this journey.

If you’re in a similar state, please be kind to yourself! And for those solos who’ve faced (or are facing) life-threatening illness, you are truly in my prayers. Despite everything, I feel blessed beyond measure for the many good things in my life, and I hope the same for you!

Photo Credit: istock by Getty Images |  JZHunt