Because I was part of the team who picked the ice breaker, I had a little time to prepare my response. I struggled with this because I wasn’t sure if I should be honest or lie to my co-workers. I discussed my anxiety over that with my co-presenters and because they know my story, they actually encouraged me to be open and honest…so I did.
When it was my turn, I said “I feel like my story would make for an epic award-winning, true crime, Dramedy.”
Of course, everyone’s ears perked up at the words “true crime”. I have been with this company for 16 years now and I can count on one hand how many know my story.
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My dad went to prison when I was three. He didn’t get out until I was 12 so I basically grew up visiting him in various prison facilities. To me, this was normal and I didn’t see anything wrong with it.
He lived a “rockstar” life when he got out of prison and didn’t take very good care of himself.
He was an alcoholic. He was a drug addict.
He was an abusive man. I walked in on him beating up my step mom one night.
I called the police.
He went to jail, again. Only for four months but it was long enough for my dad’s side of the family to turn on me. I was told, “you don’t turn your family members in.”
This became my “normal”.
Because of this I found myself attracted to men who had a “bad boy” image which led me into relationships with men who led a true criminal lifestyle. You may remember me discussing how I drove my behind all over the state of Washington in a previous post.
I also came out of a very violent marriage where being held at gunpoint, knifepoint, being choked out, and having things thrown at me was a constant. I accepted this behavior because to me it was normal.
It took me MANY years and one divorce to learn from my mistakes but trust me when I say that I am over it.
My dad passed away when he was 50. His lifestyle had caught up with him.
He lived a “rockstar” life when he got out of prison and didn’t take very good care of himself.
He was an alcoholic. He was a drug addict.
He was an abusive man. I walked in on him beating up my step mom one night.
I called the police.
He went to jail, again. Only for four months but it was long enough for my dad’s side of the family to turn on me. I was told, “you don’t turn your family members in.”
This became my “normal”.
Because of this I found myself attracted to men who had a “bad boy” image which led me into relationships with men who led a true criminal lifestyle. You may remember me discussing how I drove my behind all over the state of Washington in a previous post.
I also came out of a very violent marriage where being held at gunpoint, knifepoint, being choked out, and having things thrown at me was a constant. I accepted this behavior because to me it was normal.
It took me MANY years and one divorce to learn from my mistakes but trust me when I say that I am over it.
My dad passed away when he was 50. His lifestyle had caught up with him.
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In high school, I learned that everything happens for a reason. We may not ever know what the reason is but I do know that God puts us where he wants us.
In my senior year of high school, my best friend and I drove to her boyfriend’s house because he wasn’t answering her calls. When we got there, they started arguing. We weren’t there very long when she stormed out of his bedroom and said we were leaving.
We got into her car and we sped off. She was driving at a very high rate of speed down dark and curvy roads.
He was chasing us.
She refused to stop.
We hit a curve going 85 miles an hour and she lost control of the car.
I don’t remember much after that.
The police told me that we flipped the car end over end four times down an embankment on the opposite side of the road.
She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
My best friend died that night. A big part of my heart died with her.
As I previously mentioned, her boyfriend was chasing us. Because I don’t remember anything in the minutes before we wrecked, the police couldn’t determine if he was at fault.
I believe in karma. Fast forward five years later – he gets into a head on collision with a tree. He is now paralyzed.
In my senior year of high school, my best friend and I drove to her boyfriend’s house because he wasn’t answering her calls. When we got there, they started arguing. We weren’t there very long when she stormed out of his bedroom and said we were leaving.
We got into her car and we sped off. She was driving at a very high rate of speed down dark and curvy roads.
He was chasing us.
She refused to stop.
We hit a curve going 85 miles an hour and she lost control of the car.
I don’t remember much after that.
The police told me that we flipped the car end over end four times down an embankment on the opposite side of the road.
She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
My best friend died that night. A big part of my heart died with her.
As I previously mentioned, her boyfriend was chasing us. Because I don’t remember anything in the minutes before we wrecked, the police couldn’t determine if he was at fault.
I believe in karma. Fast forward five years later – he gets into a head on collision with a tree. He is now paralyzed.
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I was diagnosed with a kidney disease when I was 30. Approximately 30% of the filters in my kidneys are destroyed (scar tissue has grown over the glomeruli). I am prone to kidney infections, especially when I get a cold or the flu. They are also easily irritated and get inflamed which causes extreme pain.
The doctors say I can live the rest of my life with my kidneys if I can continue to manage their behavior but there may come a day when a transplant is needed.
Because my disease is an autoimmune disorder, I am susceptible to other autoimmune and autonomic disorders. After ten years, this caught up with me in a big way and now I have a heart disease and hypothyroidism (see previous post where I discuss this).
The doctors say I can live the rest of my life with my kidneys if I can continue to manage their behavior but there may come a day when a transplant is needed.
Because my disease is an autoimmune disorder, I am susceptible to other autoimmune and autonomic disorders. After ten years, this caught up with me in a big way and now I have a heart disease and hypothyroidism (see previous post where I discuss this).
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Yes, that is a lot of drama so why did I refer to my life as a Dramedy movie genre?
Laughter. If my life were a movie, I would make sure there was a lot of humor to lighten the darkness of the drama.
I find that when it comes to dealing with pain, drama, or shady people, laughter gets me through.
I am that annoying person that looks at the positive in everything.
Two years ago, I was sitting in the ER waiting room with excruciating pain in my abdomen and all I could do was giggle.
I think I laughed the most at the fact that it felt like labor pains but I knew it wasn’t because I had a hysterectomy 12 years prior.
Every time the pain hit, I just laughed. I thought for sure the doctor was going to come in and tell me that it was just gas. No joke.
You can imagine the look on my face when the doctor came in and said they needed to take me into emergency surgery because my appendix was about to blow.
So, what does this life story movie business have to do with my weight loss journey?
Nothing. Other than the fact that I let myself slip back into a few old habits and forgot to not take my slip up so seriously.
I am back in the gym and loving every minute of it.
I laugh through the pain of my blistered hands from rowing.
I laugh when my thighs are so stiff it hurts just to get in and out of the car. I have also dropped a few "F" bombs because of this but I say it with a smile - so to me, that's OK!
I laugh because crying gets me no where.
I may not have overcome things as serious as others but the fact that I have come out from some very dark places in my life and I still have a smile on my face says a lot.
Laugh on my friends! Your situation is what you make it.
Laughter. If my life were a movie, I would make sure there was a lot of humor to lighten the darkness of the drama.
I find that when it comes to dealing with pain, drama, or shady people, laughter gets me through.
I am that annoying person that looks at the positive in everything.
Two years ago, I was sitting in the ER waiting room with excruciating pain in my abdomen and all I could do was giggle.
I think I laughed the most at the fact that it felt like labor pains but I knew it wasn’t because I had a hysterectomy 12 years prior.
Every time the pain hit, I just laughed. I thought for sure the doctor was going to come in and tell me that it was just gas. No joke.
You can imagine the look on my face when the doctor came in and said they needed to take me into emergency surgery because my appendix was about to blow.
So, what does this life story movie business have to do with my weight loss journey?
Nothing. Other than the fact that I let myself slip back into a few old habits and forgot to not take my slip up so seriously.
I am back in the gym and loving every minute of it.
I laugh through the pain of my blistered hands from rowing.
I laugh when my thighs are so stiff it hurts just to get in and out of the car. I have also dropped a few "F" bombs because of this but I say it with a smile - so to me, that's OK!
I laugh because crying gets me no where.
I may not have overcome things as serious as others but the fact that I have come out from some very dark places in my life and I still have a smile on my face says a lot.
Laugh on my friends! Your situation is what you make it.
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