Name your journey in one word

Name your journey in one word - Go! Wow, isn’t that a question. There are so many words one could use to describe my journey with Guillian Barre Syndrome (GBS) - some are negatives that I feel on my tough days and then positives on my good days. I think it is important to acknowledge both feelings. So when I try to choose my word, I need to look “Big Picture” as I look at the past 2.5 years and what I have experienced. When I had this discussion with my mom - first word that came to me BLESSINGS. Caught me by surprise, but thought about it again; yup that’s the word.

How can getting a devastating disease be a blessing? Yes, being diagnosed with Guillian Barre Syndrome has changed my life forever, giving me plenty of challenges to constantly to overcome but still when I get down to it, I am blessed. 

When I first woke up 6 weeks later one of the first things you see is the window sills filled with Get Well cards. I felt the love of family, friends and coworkers, it actually was overwhelming. At that time it was hard to express how encouraging they were because I couldn’t talk. This has been an encouragement to me still to this day. 

Relationships. Traumas changes any relationship, as they say they either make or break a relationship. My family sure has been through the ringer since I was 16 when my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer followed by my sister’s diagnosis of bone cancer 9 months later.     Though experiencing Kathryn’s death, then my parents divorce and now my health crisis - my relationship with my mom is the strongest ever. For 2 years she stuck by my side coming to my hospital bed every day being strong for me. Definitely a blessing. All my relationships in my circle of friends - wow! Their love has been amazing - there to give an encouraging word, give me a smile or a laugh. Best medicine for my recovery. 

The lesson learned - even doing a little thing for someone who can make an impact to that person. That “little thing” which is something natural for you to do can be inspiring or encouraging to others. I noticed this with coworkers and through my friends kids. It made it overwhelming comprehending this notion. Again - I feel blessed having all these people in my life. As I cheated death twice in my first year, I have been able to see and allow these people how much they mean to me. 

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