Perseverance and Resiliency

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Dear Readers,

I made it! I flew to Orlando Florida all by myself, to meet some women I had “met” on Twitter! We are all in recovery, and part of a group called #recoveryposse.

I was so excited about meeting my new friends, and as soon as I saw them, it was like being with old friends. This is a strong, caring, funny, and supportive group of women!

What struck me the most in our conversations, was how important perseverance and resiliency is to life and recovery. These women have both! I know in my life, I have had many times I had to bounce back from difficult situations, and then keep going, even when I didn’t want to.

I have many stories to tell. This one I have told before, but I share it again. When I was in my first year of college, I started having mood and anxiety problems. I was saying up all night eating, I couldn’t sleep at all. My heart was racing.
I was overreacting to many situations. I was crying all the time. One time I ran in front of Mr.Ut’s car, (we were dating), and told him to run me over. I started flunking out of my classes, and I had to drop out of the university orchestra. I really felt as if I was going mad, and some people even suggested I should be in a mental institution.

My parents thought I was going through a phase at first, but as time went on, my mother noticed my eyes bulging out.

Our family doctor could find nothing wrong, but my mother would not be dismissed. She brought me back to the doctor, knowing something was seriously wrong. Finally we discovered I had hyperthyroidism.

It is a condition where your thyroid is overactive. It’s like being all hyped up without a turn off switch.

I had to drop out of college for a semester, and had an operation that removed my thyroid. I now take a thyroid replacement. Once my hormones evened out, I went back to college and finished my teaching degree with honors.

When I hear or read stories of life and recovery with friends or on blogs, on social media, in books, I am always looking for those lessons of perseverance. When I read stories of men and women who stay positive even with physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, loss of limbs, I keep those stories close to my heart.

I have persevered through many health problems, through my drinking problems, and through going deaf. My friends are also moving forward with strength and hope.

With kindness and understanding, we are living our lives with love.

With No Fear of Flying,

On Day 1863,

Wendy

My friends gave me the permission to tell you how to find them on Twitter!

Susan D can be found here: @OhioSQ

Susan R can be found here: @susanroeder

Lacy can be found here: @LedByDragons

Jo can be found here: @28DaysMore