Making the most of it…
January 2019 - I began the hardest road ever traveled for an extrovert…isolation...or so it seemed. It was a somber cold winter in central Carolina and I struggled with grasping what was becoming the liberties I had worked so hard for and grown accustomed to. Still barely being able to get around well I was majorly at the mercy of my family for meal prep and retrieving anything not already in the home. Restricted from flying, I was determined not to let my condition prevent me from managing my work. So, when visiting clients I had to either drive or take Amtrak.
August 2019 - After several months of continued kidney deterioration, I was eligible for a new treatment called Retuximab. It’s a drip chemotherapy aimed at killing some b-cells to reduce the level of over activity in the immune system. You’re basically hooked up to an IV for 5-6 hours while the medicine slowly infiltrates your system. Luckily it worked, and I stayed stagnant at about 20% kidney function for several months.
Fall 2019 - Spring 2020 - Looks like the tide has turned, I was feeling great and able to get on air planes again. I took my freedoms to the domestic skies and begin to make up for lost time. I visited many friends across the country including an annual trip to Hawaii. I was also able to reside in Miami all winter, feeling good and restoring my mind, body, and soul to pre-diagnosis states. Being able to be around people again and somewhat return to normal did wonders for my positive response to everything. I knew that so many others plagued with my exact and similar conditions were in much worse situations.
I realize that God filled my tank with great people and allowed me to achieve such heights because he knew I was going to need them while enduring the these last two years of ultimate lows, fighting to stay alive physically and mentally. I understand that he was preparing me for this battle and equipping me with what and who I needed in my life to persevere. Great visions of returning to the top, combined with the support of my family, old and new friends keeps me going.
