The doctors told my mom that without a transplant I wouldn’t live past four years old. Slowly the days turned into months and the months passed into another year and I had beaten the odds. I was still sick and in the hospital all the time and I faced an uncertain future. The doctors then told us that I would be lucky if I made it to twelve years old; that I wouldn't be able to run, swim and be as active as other kids and that I wouldn't have a normal life. I saw that as a challenge. Over the years I still spent a lot of time in the hospital-sick, on various medications and enduring endless breathing treatments in hopes that my lungs would let me live. I fought against the doctor’s predictions for my life. When I was six, I learned how to swim at the local Boys & Girls Club and joined their swim team. In elementary school, I raced against the girls and the boys and I was the fastest kid on the playground. I did my best to push the line of when I would experience an asthma attack. Here I was, not even ten yet, and I was doing things that the doctors said would be impossible. …show more content…
In middle school, I joined the track team and I ran and while I may not have been the fastest I wasn’t the slowest and I actually got some medals.
I also joined the volleyball team and was constantly active. Twelve years came and went and I was still alive without the transplant that the doctors said was a necessity that I have to survive. High school was much the same, I was involved in athletics, I was active and I survived. In college, I learned about backpacking, kayaking, diving, climbing and discovered that I had the world at my fingertips; there wasn’t anything I couldn’t
do. Last year I accomplished a goal that should have never been achievable for someone with my diagnosis. At the age of 34 I climbed my first 14’er, the mountains of Colorado opened their arms to me, took me in and taught me that it just takes a step at a time and you can do anything even what you have been told is impossible. With a step at a time, I victoriously climbed 14,115 feet. I had been told my whole life that my lungs would prevent me from having a normal life, that I would never be able to do what others can do and you know what; they were right. My life has been far from normal; I have found more satisfaction in my accomplishments than the average person would. Here I am 35. I have lived 31 years longer than the doctors told me I would. I have run, swam, dived, climbed, biked, kayaked and traveled the world. While I am slower than others and I can’t breathe as well as they may be able to I am stubborn and resilient and I will do whatever it is that I set my mind to; especially if I am told that I cannot do it. Why would I want to have a normal life and be content with what comes easily and merely survive when I can do so much more and thrive?
The timing was horrible, because I was immobile and was not able to do everyday necessities without having help. With the physical change I felt inadequate because I was a burden to my family, friends, and teachers. My psychological journey lasted over four years during which in time, my identity was being transformed from an athlete to a “nerd”. With my identity being questioned, I fell into what Harris describes as the “abyss”. Looking back now, I can see this was the turning point and that the pain was temporary. I had to discard my athletic demeanor and put more emphasis on my scholastic abilities for my future. I agree with Harris’s thoughts of, “reframing [from] negative, painful events in our lives, reinterpreting wounds so that they become starting points for growth” (Gestalt’s 3), and feel that I have used his ideas to become who I am today. At that time in my life I did not know Harris 's thoughts but I did know I had to think positive about my injuries or I would have ended up losing
Although some individuals may believe that it was a miracle that my father survived cancer, it was much more than that. The optimism of my family, friends, and loved ones enabled my dad to relieve his stress and focus on his cancer treatment. This situation has changed my mindset in life and it has provoked me to stay hopeful even when the odds are not in my favor. I’ve began to use positive thinking to help guide myself to my ambitions. This made my transition into adulthood much easier because I was prepared to deal with difficult situations. I began to cherish my loved ones even more than before. I realized all the luxuries that I had received and took for granted. I learned that the most important people in life is your family and without them, it’s near impossible to be successful. If my father had lost his fight, I would have had to become more independent as I would become the man of the house. Going into adulthood, I’ve learned that I should take situations into my owns hands rathering that relying on others. Some people that may be there for you today, may not be there
As a child I was not in to many sports or involved in school activities. Going through high school I figured out that being involved in a sport or a school club would make my high school experience better. The first and only sport I chose to do was track. Track changed my whole high school experience and life. I learned to never give up, and it kept me out of trouble throughout my four years of high school.
I was 10 when my mother was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. Naturally, I was scared and the thought of losing my mother was something I couldn’t fathom. My mom’s strength throughout her treatment was almost unbelievable. She drove
I’ve always been the type of person that truly enjoys athletics and have participated in nearly all sports offered to me. I started playing sports in elementary with club softball and basketball. As I entered my middle and high school years I was able to add the school sanctioned sports to my list of activities. This afforded me the opportunity of competing in volleyball, basketball, golf, track and softball. The camaraderie and life lessons of sports seemed invaluable to me.
Walking around the halls of Tyler Elementary, I felt as if I had no one to talk to. Not many people could relate with a little girl who had a dad battling cancer. While I was playing on the monkey bars during recess, my dad was fighting for his life. While I laughed with friends, he was going through the worst moments he has ever experienced. When I would get home, he would be on the couch with his chemo bag next to him, pumping medicine into his sick body. The pancreatic cancer cells and tumors wrapped around his arteries and veins as I wrapped my arms around him to give him a hug. All I wanted was for him to feel better so we could be a happy family again.
The thesis of "The Mistress of Nothing" by Kate Pullinger illustrates that the journey to self-discovery and freedom is fraught with complexities, highlighting the intertwined struggles of power, race, and class, as exemplified by the experiences of Lady Duff Gordon and her maid Sally Naldrett in Egypt. Complexities of power dynamics- Lady Duff Gordon, a woman of privilege, holds authority over Sally, her maid. However, this power dynamic is not without its complexities.
I spent the summer in recovery. A handful of surgeries, different doctors, different hospitals, all the same prognosis. While retinal transplants were available, the eyes themselves were beyond repair. They took skin grafts from my legs and applied them to my chest, neck, and face, piecing me back together. I asked my nurse if my hair would grow back, or if I needed to get a Tina Turner wig. She didn’t answer, but I could hear my mom quietly start to weep.
My dad was diagnosed with severe blockage to three cardiac arteries. Unfortunately, he had been sick over the years and barely weighed 100 pounds. Additionally, they thought he might have tuberculosis, and had put him on a plethora of medications for this. We were all very worried he may not live until surgery to repair the arteries. As a result, myself and my siblings all jumped on a plane to go visit him.
This article got me thinking. I had face situation in my life that because of my bad grammar I had let go of great opportunities. English is my second languish and I thought that as long as I knew the basic I would be ok in life. But as I got older I started seeing the pattern of negatives effects of my insecurity of grammar. My return to college open my eyes to a better potential in life just by continually a proper college education. When reading this article the wheels of my brain started spinning. The first image that pop in my head, was my children trying to mimic all the YouTubers online with their in style vocabulary. Then two little boys appear in my head, two little boys that I saw ones about 10 years ago for about 10mn. I have forgotten them, until
I came from a decent sized city in Texas named Weslaco. I have lived in a loving divorced family since I was 5 years old. My brother and I were given joint custody so we have lived with both our parents despite the divorce.
On July 30, 1997 30 days after my fifth birthday I lost my mom Pamela Sue Erwin to emphysema. First, emphysema is a condition where you lack oxygen to your lungs, severely too the point you can not get enough oxygen to the brain. I remember vividly the impact this disease had on my mom. I could tell she was miserable and every day that passed she was losing her mind. I remember my brother coming over before the disease progressed, bringing a new paper. He told my
I was raised in rural wyoming where hunting was not only tradition, but a way of life. Since I could walk I had been accompanying my dad on all varieties of hunts. My father did all that was possible to pass on the knowledge and lessons needed for me to become a responsible hunter and man. However, there are some lessons that can only be learned through personal experience. They are often the ones of moral and ethical decisions. My sophomore year of high school I committed the hunting mistake most outstanding in my mind.
I can divide life into two parts: The part before I went to the temple and the part afterwards. I suppose everyone could do that. On September 19, 1998, I went to the temple for my own endowments. I read my journal entry from that time and it did not do justice to what I actually experienced at the temple. I went through so many emotions and had so many questions answered that I had kept to myself.
As always, my teachers and coaches loved me, and my parents supported me. I loved being the child everyone talked about. I loved to succeed and I loved to make people proud.