I have been faced with insurmountable health challenges that I am very grateful to have survived. Many people call me the miracle child. To begin, I have survived two blood cancers; non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I have also had a bone marrow transplant in which my son was my donor. I have had two brain surgeries (1) a brain bleed and (2) a brain aneurysm. Last but not least, I am currently managing two autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and myasthenia gravis disease) and other post health challenges from the various health challenges I have faced.
Throughout my journey in the hospital and at home I journaled daily all that I was going through. I even wrote a book so that I could share my journals in hopes of being an encouragement to others. In my book I walk the reader through my real-life experiences from a patient’s perspective; in which, I captures the essence of my emotional saga (sadness and anxiety), pain, frustration, and sufferings.
My story also reveals the pain and suffering my family experienced; in which, each one (my husband and two sons) wrote a chapter about how these challenges affected them. This has been a blessing to those loved ones and care givers who are seeing their loved one’s suffering.
I also volunteer weekly at one of the hospitals where I was a patient. I go to the various patients’ rooms to share an encouraging flyer with them. I also open my heart for them to talk, and I share with them my journey in reference to relating to their experience from a patient’s perspective. My whole purpose is again to be an encouragement. I love to bring encouragement and love.
Rhonda
non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
