Hope wins ...

Life can be tough and if you are in the middle of something hard right now, I'm so sorry. Pain of any kind sucks! Sometimes it's hard to have any hope and it seems impossible to think of brighter days. 


I've been there - felt that. 

Accident in California on May 20, 2004

I was a marathon runner pre-accident and woke from being in a medical coma for ten days to find out that I almost died, they almost amputated my leg and even if it healed, I might never walk again, due to that injury and several other severe ones (my pelvis and right femur were also shattered)

About two weeks post-accident - the docs didn't know if my left leg would still need to be amputated and/or if I would ever walk again.

Over the next few years, I became depressed from all my pain - physically and emotionally - and the lifelong effects of my injuries. I wrote my obituary. And I thought of ways to make that obituary needed. 


I'm not speaking from beyond the grave - so you know hope won over depression. Thank God!

Praise God - I healed better than anyone expected - 
though the scars are many.

With time, counseling and help from my creator, I found glimmers of hope again and learned to do "Did what I can, with what I have, where I am." (Roosevelt) As I did that, my hope was watered and grew. 


Last year I competed in a marathon relay for the first time, doing 4 1/2 miles - local TV clip about it. Today is another step forward (actually it's hundreds of steps :) ... I am competing in the marathon again, on a relay team. I will do 6 miles. I do a combo run/walk - run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes and repeat until I'm finished.


So when life hands you pain - breathe deep and know there is hope. Life might not be what it was, but it's still worth being alive. "That thing" that is causing you pain is not good, but there's other good in life. I don't view my injuries as good, but I have hope in spite of them and I'm celebrating how well I've recovered today!


I'll soon have a new website which will have more info/pics about my journey the past 5+ years and info about my upcoming memoir.