Better than Good

I know it's been a while, but I feel like now is the perfect time to do a blog post. In just a few weeks, it'll be nearly three years since I first got sick. And boy has THAT been a roller coaster. But here I am three major abdominal surgeries later and I am finally feeling good again.... actually I am feeling GREAT. And it is so exciting. I haven't been able to say that in years. I missed 2.5 years of high school due to my illness... but I worked hard to graduate on time, and now here I am in college at UNC, feeling better than good. Even though college is a little different this year (because of COVID), I am still so overjoyed that I am well enough to even be here! When you've gone through what I went through you learn to count your blessings - even if they seem little to others.

I owe all of my thanks to my amazing surgeon, Dr. John K Petty. Dr. Petty is without a doubt one of the best surgeons and people that I have ever met. I remember after my MALS surgery I was so mad because I was recovering so slowly and dramatically. It sucked. I didn't really ever go into detail on here, but it was really tough. It required a LOT of work and patience... which in the moment was SO frustrating. I sort of just expected a quick fix, to immediately feel good again. I guess that was a big expectation. But despite having a long and tough recovery, it was so rewarding. For so long, it was hard for me to enjoy any outings that involved food, because it made me feel so horrible. That discomfort and pain is gone now and it is amazing. I no longer have to rely on a feeding tube for nutrition, which is a MIRACLE. I still have it in place in case I end up needing to use it again, but I don't think I will. I am feeling better than I have in years and it is such a blessing. Battling two very rare compression syndromes (MALS and SMAS) took a toll on my life, but I believe that it has made me stronger. If you had told me three years ago that I would need not one, not two, but THREE major abdominal surgeries to fix two very "rare" compression syndromes, I never would have believed it. I put quotations around "rare" because it's much more common than you would believe. If you didn't already know, Dr. Petty has created a whole clinic at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for compression syndromes, including SMAS and MALS. There are kids all over the country meeting with and having surgery by Dr. Petty every week. He is transforming the lives of so many, and it is unbelievable. Doctors really do have the power to change lives. I hope that through my journey and being "patient zero" (which is apparently what they call me) it can help kids facing similar challenges maybe have to fight a little less. 

I know that many of you may be at a place where you feel hopeless. You may be wondering if you'll ever be able to feel good again - I know I felt that a lot. Just know that there will be a day where you can say that you're better than good. Let me be an example of that. It truly is possible. Keep pushing and fighting and never give up. Many doctors would rather say that it's just "in your head" than try more tests and maybe learn something new. I know I dealt with some really egotistical doctors who tried to tell me that it was all due to stress.... but boy were they wrong! If it weren't for my parents relentless fighting, I probably wouldn't be here today. So to all the people going through this or the moms and dads fighting, keep going. And to anyone dealing with these rare compression syndromes, stay hopeful and hang in there. You got this! 

And if anyone ever wants to talk about what they are going through, please feel free to reach out to me via Facebook or instagram. I know how tough all of this can be!!!! <3

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