Welcome!
This blog is about my experience of going through a major life transition that I didn’t plan and certainly didn’t want. After my graduation from university I was all set for a summer of French immersion in Quebec, but capital L Life had something else in mind. I found myself sick in a hospital in Vancouver instead. I had caught mononucleosis, a common enough illness, and was devastated when, after one look at my throat, the doctor called off my summer. During six weeks in variable states of consciousness in the hospital it became evident that my body’s valiant, and I must say impressively strong, effort to fight off the virus was decidedly uncommon. The strange neurological symptoms that had taken me to Emergency in the first place progressed and the result was a permanent and, some would say severe, disability.
Once I had recovered from the acute illness and was deemed well enough to move on, I went to a physical rehabilitation centre as summer vacation season was drawing to a close . It was there that the reality of my suddenly very new and very unfamiliar world began to seep into my awareness and I began the immense learning of what this new life was and how to live in it. Ten months after that I went home and quickly realized that the protected, totally accessible world of the rehab centre was not like the “real world” and that indeed the curve stretched long and far ahead of me and my learning had only just begun.
Fast forward almost 30 years, and I do mean fast! Where did it go? Sometimes I can hardly believe all that time has passed! I have learned a lot from all kinds of experiences I’ve had along the way and being a contemplative, somewhat philosophical person I tend to look for the deeper meaning in them. Often this leads me to see a perspective that I find helpful. My intent in creating the blog is to share what I’ve learned in the hope that it helps others on their transition journey. The catalyst for me was an illness and a disability but I write this for anyone who is faced with an unwanted, sudden event or situation that causes a major rerouting of life. Although the events that usher in a radical transition are widely varied, there are common reactions and responses for us all. It is in this commonality that we find our shared experience, and it is from there that many of our offerings of support to one another are spurred.
This blog is an expansion of the work I began with the Living with Heart website. I am a counsellor, a writer and a woman with a disability but I am not writing this from any one perspective. All these aspects of who I am converge and interconnect to influence my experience. While my website has a more academic slant, this is a companion piece in which I can share what I’ve learned in a more personal and interactive way. I welcome your feedback, comments and insights!
