The Journey Ahead Part 3

I wasn't home free when I was discharged from the hospital. I had a lot of challenges ahead of me. The doctors thought it would be best that I start physical therapy as early as possible. I started physical therapy at six months old, but my life has been anything but normal (although my mom believed firmly in treating me no different than my brother. I'm so grateful for that).

I've had lots of surgeries, so I plan to do a brief overview of each one.


1998: I had this one at 9 years old. They broke both of my hips and put in hardware because the cerebral palsy made my feet turn in to the point of tripping.

2004: I had to have new hardware put in my left hip because my leg was starting to turn in again. The doctor also moved a muscle from my quads to help my leg bend better.

2006: I had both sets of hardware taken out of my hips. Little did I know, the hardware wasn't supposed to be left in that long. A hip replacement would have been in my future had I not had this done.

2007: I had a spinal fusion done to my back. This was a very intense surgery. They had to fuse some of my vertebrates because my back had broken(it had been broken a year, but no one knew it...another story for another post)

In 2008, I started having hip pain, which I knew was from a condition known as bursitis. A bursa is a sack filled with fluid that can happen from overusing your joints. I don't want to go into all of the gory medical details, so suffice it to say, something weird happened to my hip. :)

2013: I had my big toe fused on my left foot and my Achilles tendon(more commonly called heel cord) lengthened. 

2014: The Achilles tendon and post tibial tendon on my right foot were lengthened. 

My life has had its share of twists and turns, but I'm still here. The doctors had said that I would be blind, deaf, and require speech therapy, but God worked his magic. I'm now a junior in college and on the Dean's List. To top things off, I am majoring in Communication of all things(and never needed speech therapy)! I don't say this to brag, but to show the greatness of my God.

Through my journey, I've had the chance to meet some amazing people. I can't say enough of about the doctors that work tirelessly on my behalf. I know I could never express my heartfelt gratitude, but thank you. Thank you for helping me despite the criticisms from others. Thank you for trying one new medicine. Thank you for never giving up. Without God on my side and an amazing team of people surrounding me, I wouldn't be here. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to live. Not to live hooked to machines, (I'm thankful for medical technology, I'm not belittling those that do. I've been there, too), but to really live.

I've also met some wonderful families who are on this crazy ride with me. Instead of play dates, we go to the doctor's office. Instead of laughing at a movie, we laugh a the hospital clown.

Thank you all for taking the time to share your stories with me. They were full of inspiration and hope. They were a good distraction from the obvious while in the waiting room. It would be impossible to name all of you, but know that I remember. I remember the curly haired little girl who told me of her frustrations about becoming a ninth grader. I remember the story of the blond haired toddler who is confined to a wheelchair and can't interact with his little brother because of a drowning incident. I remember the then 16 year old boy in the hospital room next to me who was leaving Red Lobster and had a life changing accident. His mom came to my room daily to get inspiration, to see hope in living form. I remember the 16 year old black girl who had to have a spinal fusion up to her neck. Her little baby cousin would come in to see me almost everyday. I was touched by that little girl because she wasn't afraid to touch me or talk to me. Just as I've enjoyed your stories, I hope mine has helped you. I've always said, "If I can help one person by telling my story, it's worth it."

P.S. Here's a picture of me now.


*To celebrate my blogoversary, I'm having a giveaway! Look for it in the coming days.*