Life’s Beaten Paths

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There are many roads behind me and many more ahead of me.  I have been there, done that, but no regrets!  Do you want to know why?   If I had not done those consequential things, I would be sitting here right now still wondering “what if?”  When I look back at all I have done so far, I am very proud of all that I have accomplished, and that is a wonderful feeling!

I was born into an extraordinary family and have always had unconditional support in everything I have done.  I grew up in the church, and my parents gave me just the right amount of freedom to let me choose my beliefs on my own.  I have chosen to be a child of God, going on Habitat for Humanity trips and Mission Trips with my church, donating thousands of hours to community service, and treating others as I would like to be treated.  I am by no means saying that I am a saint; I do not believe anyone is.  I have had my pitfalls and my rebellious times, but I owe my love for humanity to my parents.

There are so many surprises in life, and no matter how much you try to be a virtuous person, you stumble.  It is inevitable!  When this happens, do not lay in the bed that you have made and sulk, but rise from your knees and get back out there!  A person that I have grown to know (via Twitter) said to me earlier today, “What the mind believes, the body can achieve. “  That person is Justin Glover, an insanely savvy entrepreneur whom I strongly suggest you read up about!  Just visit his website, and I can promise you that you will be hooked on his positivity and generosity!

I was diagnosed at the age of 17 with lupus, and let me tell you, I was livid!  There was no way I was going to let a silly disease get in the way of me living my life the way I wanted to live it.  I did not want to go out and run a marathon or climb a mountain, but I most certainly did not want to have to pace myself every day in order to accommodate my illness.  I was supposed to be picking out colleges and getting excited for what I have always dreamed of doing, being out on my own!  I was grieving for what I had thought I lost:  freedom to live my life the way I wanted to live it.

My parents knew how important it was for me to live on my own, and helped me get an apartment in the center of town.  They let me have my freedom, and stepped in when appropriate.  Like I have previously said, my parents are amazing.  They are by no means amazing together.  In fact, they clash to the max.  When it comes to raising us children, however, they put all differences aside.

By the beginning of my freshman year of college (one year after diagnosis of lupus), I realized that I had never stopped doing what I loved.  Sure, I did have to pace myself, and I learned quickly that lupus does not just kick back and let you do your thing, but I was still doing what God had wanted me to do.  I was helping people.  I had joined the Lupus Support Group on WebMD, where I was able to meet fabulous people going through exactly what I was going through.  I started out as being someone who asked all of the questions and eventually as I learned more, I was able to start helping the newbies as well.  From my experiences on WebMD, I branched out and began speaking more freely to friends about dealing with lupus.  I found that people who hadn’t even heard of lupus were interested in what it was about.  I already had a support group of people that I had known forever!  What a beautiful feeling to know that I was cared about, even if not understood most of the time.

An inspirational Twitter friend, Tracy L. Hurlbert, tweeted it perfectly!  She told me, “It’s [disability] NEVER easy at first! Often we think of it as the end. We forget that it’s just the beginning of the next chapter.”  I could not have said it any better if I tried!  I live a life that is much different than I ever imagined I would, but I would not trade my life for anything.  I have learned and still am learning to adjust to living with lupus as well as fibromyalgia, narcolepsy, and kidney disease.  As new symptoms arise, I am veered off into another pricker filled path.  I chop down those prickers one by one, and eventually come out the other side more knowledgeable and thankful for the beautiful life that God has created for me.  Everyone has heard the saying, “God only gives you what you can handle.”  Think about that statement, and realize how true it is!  I believe that I have the illnesses that I have because I am strong enough to handle them, and I am here to help others cope with chronic illnesses as well.

I have not given into my illnesses one bit.  I have simply made adjustments to my life so that I could enjoy the times when I feel my best.  We have simple things such as X-10 wall dimmers by the bedside, a laptop to sit with in bed, memory foam mattress pad for fibromyalgia discomfort, and other things that the regular Joe may consider to be luxury, not necessity.   For me, these simple adjustments have helped me tremendously!  Start by taking a look at your challenges you have at home, and figure out how you can turn them into hassle free tasks.  I can guarantee that when you quit your stubbornness and allow yourself the extra assistance, you will be presently surprised how much more energy you can exert towards your ultimate goals in life.

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