The red and blue colors blur my thoughts, and my head pushes back against the seat. An ambulance ride I do not want to relive. Thoughts of the past flood into my mind. Running shoes, painkillers, wheelchairs, and a thousand balloons.
Most days I forget about the pain. The trouble that it caused my family. Most days the running comes easy. I can run. I can breathe. I can take steps. I can be just a teenager.
But some days the pain is there. I can feel it. The emotions pile up...
6 years prior.
I closed my eye. what is going on? why does everything hurt?
I tell my mom. the rest is a blur.
March 30th: ran a mile with a high fever
April 2nd: visited the ER at 3 pm,
April 2nd: visited the emergency room in Silverton at 6 pm, doctors and nurses realize there is something big going on.
April 3rd: Transferred to Randall Children's hospital in the midnight hours
April 3rd-8th: Got diagnosed with Pyomyositis- a rare bacterial infection of the muscle that usually results in an abscess. It's most common in your thigh muscles. Pyomyositis can be difficult to diagnose, and symptoms usually include fever and muscle pain. Healthcare providers often treat it with antibiotics
Doctors. Nurses. Family members racing to figure out why my body was shutting down on itself. Worried that the infection would travel to my lungs and heart.
I went through a lot. That's what makes my running story my running story. The Physical Therapy, the late nights, the antibiotics, and the nurses saved my life.
I remember a few specific details from my short experience in the hospital.
the food was not the best. just saying
the walls were very bright colors
my little sister slept in the cabinet drawer below my bed
I was in the best health at the hospital.
Number 4 is the most significant. I distinctly remember going to a bingo night with my mother and seeing a girl with a shaved head, pretty painted nails, and a broken smile. And if you ask me about that girl today I will start crying.
It doesn't make sense, all of the times I have asked God why I had to go through that pain. the memories, the tears.
But the biggest blessing from that whole experience was realizing it no matter what in life. There is always something you can do to stay positive. Keep your head up.
Will I ever be the same girl? No.
Will I ever be able to look at running the same? No.
But guess what. I lived. I breathed. Because of God. All his works, not mine.
there are so many people in the world that are struggling, dying, and can't get the oxygen to their lungs.
God will not put a weight on your shoulders that you can not carry.
I went through a lot. That's what makes my running story my running story. The Physical Therapy, the late nights, the antibiotics, and the nurses saved my life.
But then came the survival stage.
breaking through the wall.
Something in me was afraid of trying to run again. I blamed a lot of my problems on running.
From the girl who couldn't walk, and had to relearn again.
I went to thriving.
6 years ago this week.
Randall 45.5446°N 122.6700°W Hospital
One thousand balloons later.