The View From My Head

I have often heard that I have an odd take on life and its trials and tribulations. Just the other day someone told me I am not the norm when we sat talking about ideas for a blog for her magazine’s website. I had suggested exploring this black humor/matter-of-fact approach to life’s little (or huge) challenges. It goes something like this: If you are handed a difficult challenge, just find out what your next step is, what the consequences may be (of the disease, of the choice, etc.), and move forward. Don’t waste time crying about it and feeling sorry for yourself. OK. Forget that. Go ahead and waste as much time as you want crying and feeling sorry for yourself … and then move forward.

I have a rather rare blood disease called APLS (antiphospholipid syndrome). It is essentially a rejection by my own body of my own red blood cells. It sounds like a fun thing to have, huh? I can cause sudden stroke and it messes with whatever organs of the body it chooses. Think about it. Blood swirls through everything, doesn’t it? The result, in my case, was trouble finding words when speaking, severe fatigue, migraine headaches, and occasional limb control problems.

Yes, I have the disease, but I have been blessed in many ways. First, they found it after searching for causes to some symptoms for over ten years. Second, the medicine and supplements I was taking for my migraines saved me from having a stroke and, at least so far, the limb control problem is not due to multiple sclerosis.

All I am saying is this. Everyone has their challenges, and there is always someone worse off than me. I sometimes have to remind myself of this fact, but when I do, I take a breath and count my blessings again.

For more information about APLS, go to the APLS Forum .

NEWS OF NOTE:

SDSU (My alma mater!!) has agreed to participate in the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Demonstration Project.
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/31967/

Help A Reporter - an alternative to ProfNet for journalists.
http://www.helpareporter.com/

Rev. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech on this 40th anniversary of his assassination.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm