It's summer vacation. So for me, that means busy, busy, busy! In fact, I'm exhausted! I've put nearly 200 miles on my car in three days and I haven't even left the county! At one point yesterday, I was feeling...crabby. I was frustrated that my house was a mess and I was too busy running kids from one end of town to the other and then it hit me...Jean, appreciate the "little things in life."
I had to share this because even I find myself taking things for granted. Five years ago, I couldn't leave my house without the help of an adult. Now, here I am taking Winona to math class, basketball camp and friend's houses. Plus, Sharon, John and I have run so many errands (groceries, Target, Costco, oil change, etc). I am so tired, yet I'm so happy that I can still function! Life is a gift and it is so important to take time to appreciate ALL OF IT!!!
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Family and friends have always been an important part of my life. This weekend, I was able to literally stand up by my cousins side as she said her vows. This was the first wedding that I had been in since my correct diagnosis. And it was wonderful!!! Back in the day, when I would be asked to be a bridesmaid, I would happily say yes, but as the day came closer my nerves would begin to build. I wasn't nervous about the typical things will my dress fit? or what if I trip on my dress walking up the stairs? Instead, the thoughts that ran through my head were more like How am I going to keep from tripping as I walk down the isle? or Where will I go when I can no longer stand up front? and of course how bad will my tremors be? These internal thoughts kept me from being there for the bride and simply enjoying the day. This Saturday, I was able to walk down the isle with confidence and stand through the entire ceremony without worrying about anything!! I was able to focus my attention on the sermon and listen to the bride and groom share their special vows without wondering am I gong to fall? For me, this was an amazing gift!! I wish Jessie and Randy a lifetime of happiness and thank them from the bottom of my heart for including me in their very special day! My life turned upside down about a month ago when my journey went viral. I never expected to receive multiple phone calls (and a couple knocks on my door) from the big name news shows that millions of people watch/read on a daily basis. To say it was overwhelming for my husband and I would be an understatement. And we got through it, because of the wonderful team (especially Christina) at Media Minefield. The day we met with them, it was like a load had been lifted from our shoulders. Christina called all the reporters back, scheduled some interviews and guided me through it all with a wonderful message map (I'm sure she did more than I ever knew about!). The map helped Steve and I to stay on track with what our exact message was. All of the interviews went well and nine people have gotten a correct diagnosis because of them!! Can there be anything better than that?! Today I dropped off homemade cupcakes and flowers as a way to tell Christina and the rest of the team thank you, but it just didn't seem like enough. I want them to know that Steve and I got through this process in one piece because of them. And I have no doubt that we will look back on this in years to come with a smile on our face and gratitude in our heart. Thank you Media Minefield!!!!! https://www.facebook.com/MediaMinefield?fref=ts Do you ever think about who you may have been in a past life? This is a question that I ponder every night before I fall asleep. And unlike many people, I know the answer to this question.
In my previous life I was a positive, optimistic, happy-go-lucky girl who just happened to be trapped in her own body due to cerebral palsy. That child wasn’t able to dribble a ball down the basketball court, run around the school play ground, hold a pencil with ease to complete daily homework or even use the restroom without the challenge of pulling her pants up and down. When that girl grew into adulthood, the idea of marrying and having a family of her own didn’t seem possible, because she wondered who could possibly love someone who has so many physical challenges? Luckily, that girl was wrong and she married a wonderful man who was able to look past all of that and fall in love with the women she was on the inside. She would later be blessed with three children and their family would be complete. It’s very hard for me to believe that the woman I just explained to you was indeed me. That girl had struggles and challenges every singe day of her life, yet here I am now capable of so much more. Every day I do so many things that weren’t possible such as: walking my daughter to the bus stop, cooking dinner, vacuuming, driving the kids to all their after school activities and so much more! It amazes me that I’ve had this new life for five years now!!! I work so hard to remember the person I was before that doctors appointment on Good Friday 2010. I make sure to give thanks to the Lord for my new diagnosis of Dopa Responsive Dystonia (DRD) every single day. I also make a conscious effort to appreciate everything that I’m able to do and promise God that I will NEVER take any of it for granted, even on those ever so busy days where the stress begins to rise in my chest. When I go to bed at night and think about who I was in my past life, I smile because I’m proud of who she was and pleased that she is making the most out of her current life…never taking anything for granted. A Special thank you to The Mighty for publishing this post (and other inspiring stories) on their website: http://themighty.com/2015/04/why-i-work-hard-to-remember-the-struggles-of-my-misdiagnosis/ After driving 650+ miles in 11 hours with three kids (13,11 and 2) alone, I am beyond exhausted. And if I wasn’t so tired, I’d be grinning from ear to ear because I was actually able to do this today.
I’ll be honest…I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I doubted my new ability and thought I would have to get a hotel room about 6 hours into the drive to rest my body. But I did it! I was able to take my kids into the rest stop for bathroom breaks, walk into fast food restaurants to grab a quick meal and pump gas. Each one of those tasks was something that I couldn’t do before. At least not without the help of someone else. But today I did all of it! And without the help of another adult. And for that, I am unbelievably grateful. |
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