When Life Gives You Lemons....

The older I get, the more reflective I get about life. Maybe that's true of a lot of people, but lately I have spent more time thinking about the "what ifs" than I probably should. The last ten years of my life have been pretty traumatic, so maybe that's part of it, but I am trying to see the positives that have come from all the things that have happened!

First of all, trying to deal with divorce after 31 years of marriage had a huge impact on my life. It probably was less traumatic than it could have been since the divorce was MY idea and my initiative. But even still, you lose that half of your family. My mother always told me that when you become divorced or widowed you lose your married friends. Once again, Mother was right. Within six months, I'm not married for the first time (in forever!), alone for the first time, new job, new boss, first time living in a city, no friends, family grown and gone... It's culture shock!

Once I dealt with all that, along come more "lemons."

In 1995, I tripped over a dog on my back porch, and somehow managed to fall into a brick ledge with my head! The effects from that one fall, one fraction of a second in my life, are still part of my life today. I had to have a laminectomy in 1996 because the fall caused my spinal canal to swell and there was no room left for my spinal cord. Then after I moved to the big city, I managed to rupture three discs in my neck that were bulging as a result of the fall. In 2001, I had to have those discs fused. I still have problems with my back because now I have a disc that protrudes from the spinal column and is pinching the nerves. Fortunately, there is another option than surgery, lumbar spinal injections. I had three injections last summer with fantastic results. This winter I underwent two more injections and still have the option of a third if I need it. So far, I haven't needed it! Right now I am pain-free and enjoying every second! As long as I can avoid surgery, I will continue with the injections. It is wonderful to once again enjoy walking and hiking -- and I will keep doing those as long as I can!

Along with all of this, I have also dealt with cataracts (How can I be THAT old?!) and an illness that will affect me for the rest of my life. But I am determined that this disease will not be the way I will be known; it will not rule me, I will overcome it and be that much better for it! I will live my life as an example to others who deal with this disease!

Life has given me lemons a few times, but just like the saying, I think I've managed to make some lemonade. It may have taken me a while to pull myself back up, but I am a stronger, healthier, more compassionate person than I was ten years ago.

Go ahead, life -- bring on some more lemons because I can handle them!!