Adapt and Overcome

[surge_supra]

Hey there fellow Rebels!

Sorry that this post is going to be long but I'd like to share my story. But before I do here are the basics:

I'm of the female persuasion. I'm 22yrs old, 5'4", 130lbs and up until recently I've been an EMT (I pick people up and put them down! And try to save lives too of course). I love being fit and active but because of lifting such heavy people since I was about 16 I have suffered from some back medical conditions. Not to mention my right knee just randomly pops out lol. Right now I'm an economist for Medicaid in my state and loving a less hectic and stressful job (although I miss the jokes and saving people stuff).

So here's my story:

Yeah, I know, 5'4" 130lbs doesn't sound like I have any weight problems or anything like that but my attraction to Nerd Fitness and leveling up my life, like everyone else here, goes deeper than appearances.

This, the year of 2012, has been a hard one. On July 10th I was riding my motorcycle (a Harley Davidson of course) with my step father and boyfriend (each on separate bikes) when a deer came out of nowhere and was struck head on by my step father. The sound was so deafening and his yell was louder than you could imagine. The deer died instantly and I seriously thought he was going to get out of the impact but his bike wobbled and he fell off, just missing a mailbox as he rolled deep into the brush on the side of the road.

In full EMT mode I pulled over, turned off my bike and ran to his side, instructing him not to move his head (c-spine injuries are so easy to get in motorcycle accidents--I've been to my fair share). He was gasping for breath and staring up at me with panicked eyes. I knelt down and small little me fit in that brush perfectly. I calmed him down as best I could and held his head as my boyfriend found a way to get in touch with the cops. He was barely breathing but he was able to move all of his extremities which was awesome. A few hours later, the doctor came out and told us that he had suffered from 6 broken ribs, one punctured lung, and some scrapes and bruises. Everything happens for a reason, we also found out that day that he has an aortic aneurism. He was released from the hospital a few days later and I'm happy to say he is making a good recovery, although seeing my step father fall off of a motorcycle was definitely on my worst fear list prior to that day.

Shocking and scary as this was, my story doesn't end there.

A few weeks prior, my family heard that my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and that she needed a mastectomy. Just one week after my step father's accident, my grandmother underwent surgery. We were all extremely nervous and hopeful. Each of us clouded with thoughts of "wow, how long is life anyway?"

Step father still at my house bed ridden and healing, grandmother at her house healing and freaked out from the gigantic cancer word looming over her head; just a few weeks later, at around the middle of September, we all get the worst news we could ever have imagined (as if that hadn't happened yet).

My aunt, my mother's sister and my godmother has metastatic stage four adenocarcinoma. Translation: lung cancer that has moved from her lung to a tumor on her back. Prognosis: 25% chance 2 years tops. Reaction: WTF she doesn't smoke. She has a sixteen yr old, what do we do? My uncle is going to be a mess.

Now...now I started to really see life for what it really is. It's those moments when everyone in the room is laughing but crying at the same time. It's that phone call in the middle of the night to say I love you. It's the sound of birds in the morning, the feel of sunshine on your face and the fake knowledge that you know there's tomorrow. Life is limited, time is forever shrinking and beauty is everywhere.

She has started chemo and it's working, my family has a history of beating all of the odds and we are praying and fighting for my aunt to beat the hand dealt to her.

That's when you start watching movies and stop thinking "that'll never happen to me" and start really thinking "wow, what if?" That's when you start really living life and seeing it for the little moments and the gigantic changes.

On top of all of this my mother is losing her house, I don't have the financial capabilities to help right now and one of my dogs is nearing it's day.

Will this defeat me? Never. I will adapt and overcome and be the rock my family needs, I will continue to strive to succeed in my field and outside of it and above all I am going to live my life to its fullest because I never know when I'm gonna go. I've seen so much death as an EMT for six years, but it doesn't sink in until you start seeing things in your own family.

We are gonna get through this--I am going to get through this. I am going to take this story and remember it and use it later to help others through their trials and tribulations and every day I use it as fuel to overcome my own.

Life is precious, short and above all: blessed.

Everyone has their ups and downs but I've found that you have to accept as much as you can, keeping trekking on and most importantly: live in the moment because you never know if it will be your last.

Thank you Nerd Fitness, and thanks for listening.

[Josh_C]

Definitely one hell of a year Surge! Welcome. I hope you'll find that this is a very supportive/understanding community here to help our fellow rebels in any way possible.

What kind of dog do you have?

[surge_supra]

He's a husky chow-chow mix. He's old lol, and got the cutest purple tongue! The only thing he loves to do is eat, it's so funny he acts like a puppy whenever food is around xD

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Heck of a year, you've got wisdom most 22 year olds lack. We are a supportive community, thank you for choosing to share your story with us.

[surge_supra]

Thank you tanktimus. And thank you for reading

[Laureleye]

That's a lot to come raining down all at once. It's wonderful that you've recognized the value of taking care of yourself during all of this. Stay tough and help them all stay tough too. We'll be thinking about you.

[ihulke]

.

[surge_supra]

Laureleye, I appreciate the thoughts and your comment more than I can express

ihulke, you in no way have stolen my thunder! Thank you so much and I am honored that my story has inspired you to share your own. Seems that we've both been handed the strangest and hardest year I certainly could have never imagined. I pray for your mother-in-law, your wife's aunt's speedy recovery, and I'm happy that your brother-in-law is recovering. I also hope that you get to eat plenty of ice cream as you feel better from your appendectomy! So glad that the EMTs did their jobs, kept you calm and got you there in time before it ruptured!

And I certainly agree that this does bring us closer (ontop of the fact that we're both rangers which is uber awesome [yes, I said uber]) and again, thank you for sharing your story as well. I feel so welcome now

[metal_weaver]

Such a fitting thread title for not only you, but your whole family! You truly are an amazing woman - don't forget that. I'll be keeping you 'n your crew (as well as you & yours ihulke) in my prayers! Thanks for sharing your amazing story with us!

[obax]

I'm coming from a similar place (2011 was more my year of darkness than 2012, though most of 2012 wasn't all that easy either), and I can definitely empathize with being the rock for your family. I admire your strength and courage to be that person. One thing I wills say, and I wish I'd learned this a long time ago, is, have someone to be your rock. Maybe for you it's this place (and I feel like this place might be good at that), or a friend, or a priest if that's your thing. Anyone, really. It can get to be too much sometimes, and in those times having your own rock is what will get you through.

I finally found my own rock in a woman who runs an organization I volunteer with, and I'm certain she doesn't even know it. And in my sister, of course, but it had to start outside of the family before I could bring it in. Without them, I'd be in a very different place now than I am.

I'll be sending positive vibes out in the direction of NJ, hopefully some of them find their way to you and yours. Be strong!

[surge_supra]

Such a fitting thread title for not only you, but your whole family! You truly are an amazing woman - don't forget that. I'll be keeping you 'n your crew (as well as you & yours ihulke) in my prayers! Thanks for sharing your amazing story with us!

Thank you so much! That really meant a lot and I really appreciate the prayers.

I'm coming from a similar place (2011 was more my year of darkness than 2012, though most of 2012 wasn't all that easy either), and I can definitely empathize with being the rock for your family. I admire your strength and courage to be that person. One thing I wills say, and I wish I'd learned this a long time ago, is, have someone to be your rock. Maybe for you it's this place (and I feel like this place might be good at that), or a friend, or a priest if that's your thing. Anyone, really. It can get to be too much sometimes, and in those times having your own rock is what will get you through.

I finally found my own rock in a woman who runs an organization I volunteer with, and I'm certain she doesn't even know it. And in my sister, of course, but it had to start outside of the family before I could bring it in. Without them, I'd be in a very different place now than I am.

I'll be sending positive vibes out in the direction of NJ, hopefully some of them find their way to you and yours. Be strong!

Thank you to you too, I will be sure to look out for those positive vibes. I too have a rock that makes me laugh endlessly and not having my rock would make life very difficult (it's like having an exit buddy [yay Nemo!]).