Recognition and Reaching Out

People who have been affected by Spinal Cord Tumors are reaching out to me. I've had  individuals contact me to let me know that I am not alone and that they know exactly what I am going through. They have shared their stories with me and have been giving me tips and advice for pre- and post- surgery. Almost all the stories that were shared with me had some pretty positive outcomes, though these individuals had quite the journey  to get to where they are today.

One of my new SCT friends is Chelsea Taylor Grant. Chelsea took time out of her life to reach out to a stranger ( me) after reading her story. My story "hit home" to her, the emotions that I felt after being diagnosed were pretty much identical to the ones she felt after finding out about her tumor in June of 2013. Chelsea and I have been messaging back and forth, sharing stories, questions, concerns. Sh has let me know what to expect once the surgery is over, and she isn't sugar coating any of it, which I am totally okay with. I'm the type of person that wants to know exactly what I am in for, so that I can prepare for it and know what to expect - in this type of situation I'll pass on any surprises!
 Currently Chelsea is doing amazing with her recovery, she mentioned that her first few weeks weren't easy, she needed to use a walker for a while, she needed assistance in the shower, and to this day she still has some numbness in her extremities.  Chelsea's husband has even offered to extend his hand to my husband as another support system since this journey will probably have just as big of an impact on Keenan (hubby) as it will  on myself.

With Chelsea's permission I am going to share her story with you. Chelsea is such an inspiration, And I pray that I will have a positive outcome like she did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWNXu3VUfB8

We have a lot to be thankful for.

-Eileen