Dear everyone,
Thank you to the doctor who believed me when I walked in and told him that I was sick. Thank you for listening and not just hearing me. Thank you for always fighting for me and never giving up hope. Thank you for advocating on my behalf with the insurance companies and testing me for everything my paranoid brain came up with, if only to keep me calm. Thank you for pushing me to stay in school and for reminding me that a wheelchair is not giving up. Thank you for everything you have ever and will ever do for me as a patient. You are the reason I haven’t given up.
Thank you to the nurses who have held my hand through painful procedures I had to be awake to endure. Thank you for administering medication whenever I asked for it. Thank you for being my sister and brothers and my mom and my best friend when they couldn’t be there themselves. Thank you for staying way past your shift to paint my nails or do my hair. Thank you for pretending to let me help plan your wedding. Thank you for telling me about new research and treatment options. Thank you for fighting the doctors when they didn’t have my best interest at heart. You inspire me to become a hero in scrubs.
Thank you to the friends who have stuck by my side since that very first diagnosis. Thank you for holding my hair back when I spend the night vomiting in the bathroom. Thank you for rubbing my back and holding me when all I can do is cry and writher in pain. Thank you for staying at home with me and watching movies while your other friends were out at parties or other events more suitable for a 20 year old. Thank you for driving me all over town and for what you constantly do to help me feel included. Thank you for offering to do my shopping and host fundraisers on my behalf. You make me realize that I can be myself and prove that I am still worthy of love.
Thank you to my sisters for face timing my puffy and flushed self no matter how you are feeling. Thank you for letting me vent and for sending prayers and love my way every day. Thank you for every single care package and card and dollar you have sent to me. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your words of wisdom and your comforting hand when I feel I cant keep going. You have carved me into the best and most compassionate form of myself that I can be.
Thank you to anyone who has ever been inspired by my fight.
Thank you to the strangers who tell me I am too young to be sick. You have made me bold enough to stand up for myself.
Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me. You taught me that the only person I have to impress is myself.
Thank you to the “friends” who gave up on me. You showed me that I am the only person I need to count on.
Thank you to everyone everywhere who didn’t believe me when I insisted something was very wrong. You made me stronger. YOU are the reason that I have become this ferocious fighter.
And thank you to myself, for being one badass warrior and always laughing at the unfortunate events that arise from being chronically ill. Thank you for being a peacekeeper, a dream maker, a go-getter, and an unconditional lover. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for always fighting for what you believe in no matter what you feel like on the inside. You should remind yourself more often of how awesome you are.
And lastly, from the bottom of my heart and soul, thank you to all of you who have followed my journey and cheered me on. I look up to and admire every single one of you. Your steadfast love and constant encouragement have truly gotten me further than I could ever have imagined.
Thank you all for being my cheerleaders, caretakers, best friends, sisters, chosen family, chauffeurs, personal shoppers and cooks, therapists and most importantly, supporters. I could never express what it means to me.
Love,
Me
Thank you to the doctor who believed me when I walked in and told him that I was sick. Thank you for listening and not just hearing me. Thank you for always fighting for me and never giving up hope. Thank you for advocating on my behalf with the insurance companies and testing me for everything my paranoid brain came up with, if only to keep me calm. Thank you for pushing me to stay in school and for reminding me that a wheelchair is not giving up. Thank you for everything you have ever and will ever do for me as a patient. You are the reason I haven’t given up.
Thank you to the nurses who have held my hand through painful procedures I had to be awake to endure. Thank you for administering medication whenever I asked for it. Thank you for being my sister and brothers and my mom and my best friend when they couldn’t be there themselves. Thank you for staying way past your shift to paint my nails or do my hair. Thank you for pretending to let me help plan your wedding. Thank you for telling me about new research and treatment options. Thank you for fighting the doctors when they didn’t have my best interest at heart. You inspire me to become a hero in scrubs.
Thank you to the friends who have stuck by my side since that very first diagnosis. Thank you for holding my hair back when I spend the night vomiting in the bathroom. Thank you for rubbing my back and holding me when all I can do is cry and writher in pain. Thank you for staying at home with me and watching movies while your other friends were out at parties or other events more suitable for a 20 year old. Thank you for driving me all over town and for what you constantly do to help me feel included. Thank you for offering to do my shopping and host fundraisers on my behalf. You make me realize that I can be myself and prove that I am still worthy of love.
Thank you to my sisters for face timing my puffy and flushed self no matter how you are feeling. Thank you for letting me vent and for sending prayers and love my way every day. Thank you for every single care package and card and dollar you have sent to me. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your words of wisdom and your comforting hand when I feel I cant keep going. You have carved me into the best and most compassionate form of myself that I can be.
Thank you to anyone who has ever been inspired by my fight.
Thank you to the strangers who tell me I am too young to be sick. You have made me bold enough to stand up for myself.
Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me. You taught me that the only person I have to impress is myself.
Thank you to the “friends” who gave up on me. You showed me that I am the only person I need to count on.
Thank you to everyone everywhere who didn’t believe me when I insisted something was very wrong. You made me stronger. YOU are the reason that I have become this ferocious fighter.
And thank you to myself, for being one badass warrior and always laughing at the unfortunate events that arise from being chronically ill. Thank you for being a peacekeeper, a dream maker, a go-getter, and an unconditional lover. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for always fighting for what you believe in no matter what you feel like on the inside. You should remind yourself more often of how awesome you are.
And lastly, from the bottom of my heart and soul, thank you to all of you who have followed my journey and cheered me on. I look up to and admire every single one of you. Your steadfast love and constant encouragement have truly gotten me further than I could ever have imagined.
Thank you all for being my cheerleaders, caretakers, best friends, sisters, chosen family, chauffeurs, personal shoppers and cooks, therapists and most importantly, supporters. I could never express what it means to me.
Love,
Me