HAWMC Day 27 The First Time I...

The First Time I… 
Write a post about the first time you did something. What is it? What was it like? What did you learn from it?

This topic was probably intended to let us reflect on the feelings and fears one encounters in new situations and what it takes to overcome challenges and accomplish achievements. What is it ike to face your fears? Challenges or my achievements were not the first thing that came to my mind .when I read today's prompt.

My health crisis began 3 days before Mothers day in 2008. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital where they determined I had multiple pulmonary emboli (life threatening blood clots in my lungs). They were able to get me stabilized and I got to go home to spend Mothers Day with my family. I was so grateful to be with my family. I have 4 children  and at the time I had one little two year old grandson  and my son and his wife were expecting another child. I wanted to be with them all.

Over that first three months my husband was told three different times that I might not make it through the night. I cried and was convinced that I would never see that unborn grandchild.

Four months later I was still here and I got to see our new baby girl. They took me to the hospital to meet her the day she was born.  I was set up in the arm chair in their room and they put a bunch of pillows under my non-functioning left arm to support it and then placed my darling grand-daughter into my arms for the very first time. I knew how truly blessed I was.

HAWMC -Day 4 I write because...

 

I write about my health because…
Reflect on why you write about your health for 15-20 minutes without stopping.

First, I must comment that none of these challenges are possible for me to write in 15 or 20 minutes. I might have been able to do that in the olden days but now.. EVERYTHING takes much longer!

I did not start off writing a health blog. I did not even start off blogging. I made web pages!

I discovered the internet about 14 years ago and it was love at first "site".  I used some online forums and figured out how to open my first web page about 4 months later.  I wrote about family activities, and I even had a little pretend mouse village web page.

Soon after I opened a web page to showcase my elderly father's poetry. The pride he felt in that web site was incredible. He wrote poems about how things used to be in the olden days, but a pivotal poem of his was about the impact of landmines.  We put a link to an organization that would donate money to help remove old landmines if you clicked. My dad was dying of congestive heart failure and he was proud to make a difference about an issue that touched his life. The ability of an individual to make a difference using the internet became crystal clear to us with that page.

In the years that followed I enrolled in a community college program with the plan of becoming a web designer.  I  found the design part of making web pages to be very exciting and a highlight was working with a student team that designed an early web site for a major charity. It felt wonderful and I was so proud of our group.

When I got sick I started to keep a diary file on my computer. My short term memory and executive brain function was very compromised so I needed to make a lot of notes in order to remember anything.  I was also supposed to keep track of a lot of health related issues so I rolled it all into one daily log.  I remember more now, but I also do more so I still need to keep a record in order to be organized and to remember the details of my life. 

I opened this blog when I decided I wanted to think about wellness and recovery. I had a huge variety of issues going on with my health however I wanted to be positive and talk about getting well, even though I really did not expect to survive at the time. I also wanted to talk about how our community resources can help us cope.

I did not really expect anyone to read my blog back then and I was writing for myself.  I wanted to record some of my experiences and I was trying to use writing as a way to sort out my feelings.  I have since discovered a community of other bloggers that share similar experiences. What a wonderful support team they have become and I am grateful to have those wonderful people in my life.

Sunshine Award

Sunshine

I have a wonderful life long friend named Susan. Susan is an author of young adult historical fiction and she started a blog this year about her writing experiences.  Please visit Susan at My Withershins. The authors blogging community she now finds herself in has had several challenges and awards that they have been sharing. This lets the group members know they are appreciated and at the same time promotes viewing others blogs and finding new sites of interest.  Susan nominated me for the Sunshine Award and I thought It was an honor and also a great opportunity to have some fun with other bloggers.

The Sunshine Award has some rules:

• Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog
• Answer 10 questions about yourself )
• Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers
• Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated
• Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

  
TEN QUESTIONS

Favorite color:  Blue
Favorite animal:  At the moment my daughters cat Storm.
Favorite number: 10
Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Eggnog!
Prefer Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook
My passion: My family
Prefer getting or giving presents:  giving
Favorite pattern:  Nautical stripes for this year
Favorite day of the week:  Sunday
Favorite flower:  Apple blossoms and all they promise for the fall.


There are so many bloggers out there that I admire and respect.   I never thought I would find so many wonderful people that I would have so much in common with especially after I became ill, but our blogging community has become so  special to me!  I do understand that not everyone will find the time to participate in this award, but I do hope you are happy to be appreciated.

I would like to give this award to the following 10 Bloggers.

• My Happy Stroke because I love the little snippets of life that she shares and how she can find the humor in so many situations.
• Barb's Recovery  is an inspiration with all her hard work and perseverance. I love reading her blog.
• Dean's Stroke Musing  because Dean keeps us up to date with all the latest research.
• Up Stroke is a wonderful writer with terrific insights. She makes me look at things in a different way.
• My New Look at Life after Surviving Strokes for her great sense of humor and no holds barred approach to life and blogging.
• The Pink House on the Corner for being such an amazing wife and caregiver who faces daily struggles with love and optimism and writes with such honesty.
• Geoff Hathaway His family keeps up such a great blog. I love hearing how his family and friends are cheering him along.
• Home After a Stroke  for her wisdom and her practical advice and ideas.
• Andrea from Blue Shoe Farm & Living in my Head  for her interesting blogs and her determination to keep on going with her life.
• Cousin Murray  He really is our cousin and he writes about his vacations with a dry wit  that makes me laugh out loud.