Hi Tracy,
I have not been to Freedom in over a year. I read your story and wanted to reply to let you know that strength comes from within, and you are a wonderful example of that. To start-quitting the emphysema sticks is an amazing accomplishment. To have 2 beautiful children( maybe more???) is also an amazing acomplishment of love and life. I want to share a story of a student who worked for me 4 years ago.
Alison is a gal who was studying to write her medical school entrance exam late that summer. Her boyfriend had passed them the previous year. He is a Triathalon athlete. They are madly in love and called each other every night because Ali was in Saint John,NB and he was in NFLD.( Yep the east coast). I hope I have set the stage for the events which unfolded. He entered a triathalon and was doing great until he lost control of his bike and did a headder over the handlbars. He was flyin and he got severe road rash on his entire back, butt, legs,arms and hands.
At the hospital they ran all the tests-patched him up and did the work that Canada`s health care workers do so well. But something happened. A test revealed he had something wrong. To get to the end -it was found out he had blood cancer.Leukemia. Not even 25 years old. Perfect physical condition.
Today he is fine. Doin` his thing at medical school and back at the sports as well. Ali was there with him all the way, she left her job that summer to join him , and she just won some prestigious award (2006)at medical school as well.
In your case Trace, they weren`t looking for it-they found it-that is a blessing in disguise as was that young man falling off his bike. Things happen for a reason Tracy and I believe in your case the Medical personal are confident in what to do and how to do it.
You are young-they know that-You are a non smoker-You have family and support-You are in the birthplace of our medical coverage and you will be taken care of by kind, gentle and caring people. Our medicare system is not perfect but it is designed by real people and real people care.
You will conquer this and be stronger. You will take pride in what you went through and how your inner-strength came through for you. Finally you will discover that love is real and caring is from the heart.
Bless you and your family and in time this shall pass.
Stew
StewartG1952--A non smoker since January 9th,2004 after smoking since the summer of 1964