3 Times I Nearly Died

As if one near death experience isn't enough to scar you for a lifetime, my world has been turned upside down not once, not twice, but three times. Okay, so maybe turned upside down is a little bit dramatic, but I will say that it has been three stressful, time-consuming times.

Honestly, I am writing about these experiences so I can look back once day and be incredibly thankful for how far I've come and how much I've lived through. That way, when I'm having a particularly awful day, I know that I am alive for a reason. I overcame each challenge to be here, on Earth, to accomplish something or help someone. Well, here goes nothing.

1 On a not so positive note, I had cancer and it was not what I expected at age twenty-one. I was living near Orlando, Florida, where I had moved only two months ago to start a job as a residential director at a university down there, and I ended up getting rear ended on the highway. My car (R.I.P. Bucky) was totaled. My first car, my first huge purchase and it was gone. I, thank God felt no major pain, but after a phone call with my parents, they convinced me to get a CT scan at the hospital. Well, I agreed in the end and the doctor pointed out that there are some weird nodules on my thyroid that I should eventually get checked out. So, I left the hospital, concussion and whiplash free. I was a happy gal at the time. That is near-death experience number one. A car accident bad enough to ruin my car and leave me with some neck and back pain.

2 After travelling around the States for three months before moving home (this was after quitting my job), I had a biopsy done and BAM! Cancer! That car accident was the best thing that ever happened to me. I had no symptoms of cancer. There was no pain, no lumps, nothing. Without that accident, I would have never found out and likely would have had a less curable form.

I had two surgeries to remove my entire thyroid. Worst part is that the thyroid controls hormones and metabolism, so for a gym rat, it sucks. I am on medications forever now, so thanks to modern medicine for helping me function. Recovery from surgery was awful. I couldn't talk for a while, it hurt to eat and drink, and the surgeon said that she nicked my vocal cord which could impact my voice (I got lucky and still sound practically the same). I still have radiation left to go, but here I am. Alive and well, mostly!

3 When I was around 8 years old, we were watching my neighbours dog. Now, there dog was still a puppy, had no vaccines yet and was quite rowdy. Well, he scratched me on the face and his claws spread an infection into my blood stream (so much for all puppies being cute and perfect). I had intense chills, fever, and overall could not get out of bed.

My parents rushed me to the doctors and were told I may not make it through the night and I should be on standby for a blood transfusion. It was most definitely one of the scarier moments of my life and crazy stressful for my parents. Nonetheless, I survived to tell the tale.

Quite evidently, I've seen a couple disasters in my life, but in each case, I got lucky. Somehow, everything worked out for the best and it brought my family closer together. All I'm saying is that the lowest points of your life build you the most. They form your character, strength, and morals, so never think that a tragedy is the end of your world. It's just reforming a new beginning.