marta
05-15-2015, 04:46 AM
This past Mother's Day, I turned five. The new and improved Weggie me that is.
Five years ago today I was released from the hospital, armed with a concrete diagnosis and a plan of attack. I was hopeful because at this point in my journey I still hadn't discovered the severe lack of coherent knowledge of this disease within the medical community. With the help of the people on this forum, my family, loved ones and friends at home, and in time, my experiences, I've become a better patient. Sadly, I've learned how to expertly navigate the medical system only because I've become a permanent part of it, but in doing so I've also seen some fantastic opportunities for positive change.
I was thinking about this when Brian and I went for a little Mother's Day mountain bike ride in the forest, and I pondered the journey over the last five years.
It sure has been a ride. And it's opened up doors in my life that I never even imagined, let alone dreamed about.
I read a little thing in a book not that long ago (forgive me if I've said this before, but I find it so empowering) - I'm paraphrasing, but it's along this line - Our souls design our life struggles before coming into our bodies to create opportunities to bring out the best in us. Wow! Does Wegener's ever fit that bill. Apparently we like to challenge ourselves. ;)
Aside from the pain in the everything part of it, there are some beautiful things that have come out of it for me (and I'm guessing to some extent everyone on here.)
The new friends around the globe.
New heroes.
New challenges to promote creative problem solving, and plenty of opportunity for practice.
New opportunities for work, for life, for volunteerism, for making your voice count.
I can say now, five years later, that I've gotten way more out of Wegener's Granulomatosis than it has gotten out of me.
I'm richer from our 'chance' meeting, and it (WG) is one voice closer to it's ultimate demise.
Thanks to you all for being in my corner for the last five years.
You're all total rock stars in my eyes.
And I guess I should thank Wegener's as well, for enriching my life via trial by fire.
Five years ago today I was released from the hospital, armed with a concrete diagnosis and a plan of attack. I was hopeful because at this point in my journey I still hadn't discovered the severe lack of coherent knowledge of this disease within the medical community. With the help of the people on this forum, my family, loved ones and friends at home, and in time, my experiences, I've become a better patient. Sadly, I've learned how to expertly navigate the medical system only because I've become a permanent part of it, but in doing so I've also seen some fantastic opportunities for positive change.
I was thinking about this when Brian and I went for a little Mother's Day mountain bike ride in the forest, and I pondered the journey over the last five years.
It sure has been a ride. And it's opened up doors in my life that I never even imagined, let alone dreamed about.
I read a little thing in a book not that long ago (forgive me if I've said this before, but I find it so empowering) - I'm paraphrasing, but it's along this line - Our souls design our life struggles before coming into our bodies to create opportunities to bring out the best in us. Wow! Does Wegener's ever fit that bill. Apparently we like to challenge ourselves. ;)
Aside from the pain in the everything part of it, there are some beautiful things that have come out of it for me (and I'm guessing to some extent everyone on here.)
The new friends around the globe.
New heroes.
New challenges to promote creative problem solving, and plenty of opportunity for practice.
New opportunities for work, for life, for volunteerism, for making your voice count.
I can say now, five years later, that I've gotten way more out of Wegener's Granulomatosis than it has gotten out of me.
I'm richer from our 'chance' meeting, and it (WG) is one voice closer to it's ultimate demise.
Thanks to you all for being in my corner for the last five years.
You're all total rock stars in my eyes.
And I guess I should thank Wegener's as well, for enriching my life via trial by fire.