Thankful

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided it was time to blog about what I’m thankful for…

It isn’t always easy to see the bright side of things when you are consumed with only seeing the negative side of things. I’m sure a lot of people have been guilty of that at some point in their lives, when it seems like there is no end in sight, things aren’t getting better and you feel like it never will. Since June, I’ve found myself going through peaks and valleys of depression, sadness, confusion, and overwhelming emotions, but most importantly, I’ve also been feeling very thankful for being so blessed in all of this. I’m thankful for a lot of things, even in all of the chaos of doctors appointments & bad days physically and emotionally. I’m thankful, because I am alive. I am thankful because my cancer didn’t go completely unnoticed by doctors. I’m thankful that it could have been worse, but it hasn’t been so far. I’m thankful because I remember after surgery thinking “How in the world am I going to get through these next 6 months of all of the ‘unknowns’?” and so far I have. I might have 2 months to go, and they might be the hardest months of all, but I’m still here with my head (if only just barely) above water. I’m thankful for the doctor that understood what I was feeling (physically & emotionally) and sat in the office with me, held my hand and prayed with me… I was at one of the lowest point emotionally that I had been at during this whole process and I had unexplained pain that was so frustrating that I didn’t know what to do to fix it, and he told me that he understood and that sometimes emotional pain is worse than the physical pain and then he prayed with me. That touched my heart in a way that nothing else has, and it gave me hope that there are doctors out there that do care and will give you the type of care that you need, even if what you need is more than just a prescription. I’m most thankful for the support I’ve received from all different parts of the country, and from different people in many different ways… For the people who have reached out to me and to the guy through a FB group who had seen my post on a group and reached out to me, had a similar situation as me and helped ease my mind that things will get better, I am so very, very thankful.

I’m beyond thankful to my friends and family that have reached out to me, offered support to my charity event (especially those people who have donated their talent, time, money and other resources to support the cause), have shown concern for me, offered help in any way, or just to listen. I can’t even begin to describe what it feels like to be surrounded by so many people who made it important to them because it’s important to me. I truly do want to turn my situation into a positive one, not only for me, but more importantly to others. I hope that by doing this event that I can help even just one person be aware of thyroid issues and how much they can truly affect your life and you might not even know it’s happening.

I have to separate this part from the rest, because I am so beyond thankful this came into my life, but… I’m so, SO thankful for the Nashville Chive group. This group came into my life at the EXACT moment I needed it. At first glance, it may seem like it’s just full of pics of hot girls, funny pictures & people who like to party, but it is so much more than that. If you have never heard of the Chive, or have seen shirts with “KCCO” or “Keep Calm Chive On” and didn’t know what it meant at first (like me), do yourself a favor and take a little time to go to http://www.thechive.com and click “Chive Charities” at the top. This group is amazing. These people care… and they care about total strangers, and they make you feel like you aren’t a stranger and that you are a part of something special, and if you are part of a Chive group, you ARE a part of something very special. They donate their time, effort, money, or whatever they can to help other people. They give to charities of all kinds and this group, for me anyway, has quickly become a very important part of my life, not because they just donate time and effort, but because they have invested in caring about me & Wes and sometimes it feels like they have gone above and beyond to make us feel like we are a part of the group, even though we are relatively new to it. I’ve only been to a handful of get-togethers with the Nashville area Chive group, but they are such special people. They are all funny, kind, compassionate, good-hearted, loving people, which is exactly the type of positivity I needed to be around right now, which is what I’m most thankful for that they have provided me. It just goes to show you that a little bit of compassion can go a long way for people. It also shows me that sometimes people come into your life and you know its meant to be… This group definitely is that for me.

Finally, I am so thankful for Wes, his support and love. Without him, I’m not sure I could have gotten through these past few months as easily as I have.

I have always been told that I am an “inspiration” throughout my life, which is always flattering, but sometimes I feel very undeserving of the title of “inspiration”, but I hope that my journey, my words through my blog, and my overall attitude (even though I have had some bad days) have inspired at least one person in some way… Not because I’m just out in public, despite being in a wheelchair or despite having cancer. I hope that I have inspired at least one person to get out there and make a difference & have shown people that there is always a silver lining to things, even when you feel like you are at your lowest point. “Every setback is a setup for an even greater comeback.” I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving holiday, and in the spirit of giving that you will try to do at least one nice thing for someone, even if you don’t know them, so that maybe they will be inspired to do the same. The world could be a much better place if we did.