Looking at it differently

I have to say I have met many wonderful people all over the world who live with Thalassemia and every time it amazes me to hear the journeys of others. How much hope it has given me, but also made me a stronger person to be able to raise my kids mentally healthy as well.

Maybe this will make sense to some and maybe some will be thinking I make no sense at all. I have mentioned in the past that as a mother I know there is a different way to live through life. Such as turning 16 and going to parties being wild and crazy. Eating as I wish, no medication I needed to remember. At 18 years old move into my car and travel no doctors appointments plus I didn't have insurance and I didn't care. I was young healthy and free. Yeah it was careless, but I learned so much from that period of my life, how many choose to back-pack through Europe.

In my kids case they will need to have insurance and keep their doctors appointments and remember their medication every day. That used to bother me SO much because they wouldn't have that freedom I did. Then the financial burden when it starts rolling over to their hands scares the life out of me. Every time I would hear the word disease or say it or write it every hair on my body sticks up.

To bring all this together I met a woman with Thal major who changed my thoughts forever. Her spirit so free and full of laughter, full of life! I feel like 85% of the time I am a walking zombie mourning already and here in just an email I felt her life through her writing that shook me up. The one thing I have been saying to my self over and over again today that she shared with me and I never saw Thalassemia in that light "It is a condition not a disease". I don't know if it is my dramatic Greek side of me that was always seeing the negative, but that is true it should be taken seriously when it comes to the treatment, but if you maintain your treatment most likely you are NOT going to die tomorrow and your chances of fulfilling a normal life are still getting better with today's medicine.

"Thalassemia is a condition not a disease or illness, it requires maintenance but there is nothing we cannot achieve."

Thank you koukla for bringing light back into my eyes.

Again we should not be going through this alone, I have found that even from far away so many people have helped me as I hope I have helped them. The best cure is people coming together and making it happen!