Understanding
I had another chance to live, and I was willing to do anything to make the most of it. In the fall of ’96, I took the plunge and officially applied for…
Turning Point
A string of bells jingled when we opened the door, announcing our arrival. My heart raced, and my stomach tightened, and I…
Nothing to Lose
It was December of 1995, four years after the day I first got sick. In some ways, I was still progressing. I had doubled my…
Leaving the Nest
For the first time in over two years, I felt like I was making headway. I finally had the energy to finish my correspondence courses—sketching…
Sweet Relief
Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe not… Shortly after my “surrender” and reading Bernie’s book, I started feeling a little better. The intense…
A New Chapter
When I woke up the next morning, something was undeniably different. I still felt sick and scared, but I didn’t feel alone anymore. As relieving…
Surrender
My family wasn’t particularly religious growing up. We were never forced to go to church. We didn’t even say grace before meals. But there was one…
Homebound
The room was dark aside from a street light shining through the blinds. I’d been lying in bed for hours, strategizing how to get to my…
Coming to a Head
Graduation was just around the corner, and I had one thing on my mind—to move to the city and become a hairstylist. It was a dream I’d had…
Starting Line
It was a blustery December night in 1991. I was playing pool with my boyfriend in his parents’ garage—smoking Camel cigarettes and…