Im ready.

I havnt posted in a while, I guess I have been trying to get a handle on where my life stands and how I feel about it all.

Last week, I had a panic attack, only a fairly minor one one night, but still, the first one I have had in a long time. Since then, I have done some pretty serious thinking.

I know what was bothering me, what was causing the problems. Its the whole death and dying thing. Things were put pretty bluntly and just when I thought that I had made up my mind, the words of the surgeon, bought my whole world crashing down upon me, making me reevaluate my decisions.

My mind has been everywhere, between denial and despair, joy and triumph. And its only now, as fear builds up its height, that I am truly able to see over everything.

Last year, my extended spell in hospital destroyed so much of me. It broke me beyond where I thought repair was possible. Not only was it a toll on my body, it was a toll on my mind, my spirit and my resolve.

But today I look back and I can admit that I was broken and it was scary. It has taken a heck of a lot of work to build myself up again and the mere mention of surgery was enough to make me quiver with visions of being the ill again. But I am not that person any more. I am stronger, I have faith in surviving again. Back then, taking a shower, would be a long and draining process. It would take all I had to manage it, before collapsing with exhaustion on my bed to sleep for hours. But now, I am still restircted, yet I am able to shower without needing a break. I am able to do that and more besides. I have made peace with who I am and more than that, I am oh so grateful for what I have.

These last few weeks have been amazing. From going to Turkey with my niece, to greece with my parents. Visiting Devon with my family and this past weekend, Alton Towers with my two nieces. I have taken steps to rebuild bridges, I am slowly bringing my family back together. Its early days and its baby steps, but my heart feels happier for it, at the prospect of once again being close to others.

Of course the flip side to that, is once they go home, I am filled with this lonely ache deep inside me. It has taken all of today and yesterday for me to put a name to this feeling and recognise it for being lonelyniess. But that is a good thing surely, for recognising, instead of wanting to shut away alone, away from everyone.

Right now, I am happy. I feel strong, I feel positive. And more than anything else, I guess I should say that I feel ready to defey some more medical boundries. So my sleep patterns not great and bad thoughts fill my nights. But right now, I am able to fight that.

And so, next week is going to be a simple in and out of hospital trip, everything to plan and I will bounce back from it, as I always used to. And I will talk to the surgeon. Its my turn to tell him where I think things are. That, sure, I am not runing any marathons, nor joing a talk show. But right now, I surviving. More than that, I am flourishing within my limits. I still have enjoyment, I am still able to do the things that I want to, just with a little more support than usual. I am not ready to pin my life on a risk. I am however ready to fight. Ready to achieve some more goals. Ready to kick ass and fight back.

And so, my thoughts are still against me, the dreams, the flashbacks, the panics. But my physical self is still here. I still have a way to go. And I am ready to go that way.