I am who I am
because of every important person in my life, and today I choose to celebrate
them. Last year I was in the best shape of my life, I was healthy,
strong and everything seemed to be falling into place. But little did I know
that God was preparing me for a tough year ahead.
Living in the public eye means going through a lot alone. You
hesitate to share certain parts of your life with the world , because you can’t
always trust that people will understand what you’re going through, have
compassion or even be sensitive to your pain.
That’s how I underwent surgery this year and kept it to
myself. But as I celebrate another year I want to celebrate my survival story
and all the people who made it possible.
Here it goes;
Not being able to walk, bath, and do basic things you
usually take for granted teaches you a lot about life, humility and all the
little things we often overlook.
In this period I’ve had to smile through the pain,tears
and healing.
I felt the need to mask my fears for my loved ones,
I didn’t think anyone would quite understand the range of emotions I was
going through. I played the part of the strong, ever ready tough girl
perfectly, until the day of surgery.
When I saw the doctors and nurses in scrubs heard the
beeping sounds of medical equipment and saw the surgical instruments, it
finally dawned on me in that cold theatre room, that this could very well be
the end.
And then I broke down in tears at the thought of that.
No matter how reassuring and comforting my doctor, family
and friends were in the lead up to my procedure, I was also very aware of the
possibility that a successful surgery, was NOT guaranteed.
The realization that I’d be cut open, the excruciating pain
I’d be in, the uncertainty of post surgery recovery and the idea that my body
would never be the same terrified me.
Thankfully, I SURVIVED.
But the road to recovery was long, painful, confusing and
sometimes psychologically draining. And this period brought me so much clarity
on my life and I came to appreciate the raw gift of love, family, friendship
and even forgiveness.
It brought healing to my family in places I’d almost given
up on, and created unexpected bonds with new acquaintances, giving me a new
perspective on life. But most importantly it reminded me that I’m NEVER
ALONE, especially in the moments I need it most.
The overwhelming love and support from my family, friends
and others I encountered during this period is a testament of GOD’s unwavering
presence in my life.
So today, I want to thank God, by celebrating these people
who he’s strategically placed in my life at nearly every turn to see me through
the worst.
My mother : Mum, where would my life be without
you? I was so naive to just how much I needed you, especially through this, but
as usual you were right. For weeks I became your baby girl again, crying and
needing you by my side. You put your own pain aside and focused all your energy
on nursing me back to health; watching you limp back forth and not being able
to help tore me up inside. But you refused to stop until I was back on my feet;
so thank you mum for being strong enough for both of us, for hiding your own
fears, and being my rock.
My Father : Dad, your calmness and comforting
words through this period helped me out of a frightening and dark place. On the
days when I was too afraid to tell anyone how I really felt, you were the one I
trusted with those feelings of doubt. Thanks for using this to try even in the
smallest way to make up for the many years we’ve lost apart. And opening a new
chapter in our relationship.
My brothers: Sam and Manny, I really don’t know how I
got so lucky to have brothers who make me the center of their universe. I felt
the frustration of wanting to be by my side, but what you don’t know is I felt
you there with me even from thousands of miles away. The long nights you
stayed up with me on FaceTime, especially when I couldn’t sleep were so
precious to me, if I come back in another life I want you as my brothers over
and over again.
My friends : GGW girls, I see you. Thanks for
the calls, phone credit ( yes you know yourselves), fruits and just
continuously checking up on me. To Yvonne and Sandra, thanks for sneaking in
the “good stuff”, to Gwen, doing what you did for me especially in my moment of
need is something I will never forget. To Euphemia, thanks for being the sister
I never had, and being someone I can always count on to make me feel better. To
the many others I can’t mention by name,thank you for listening to my fears and
joining me to laugh them away. But most importantly thanks for being friends
with a handful like me.
My Doctors : Dr. Bilson, thank you for being the
exception to the rule, for making me so confident in your work that I trusted
you with my life. Thank you for not being the ordinary and for listening to my
all concerns and fears, especially those I thought were just in my
head.But most importantly thanks for going the extra mile.
Dr. Delase Amedoh ( I just needed to write your
full name) : Imagine it took surgery for me to finally see you as a
doctor. But thank you for holding my hand as I cried like a
baby. That’s an image I wish I could erase from your mind but it’s one I’ll
forever cherish.
To my fans : You were with me every step of my
healing process without knowing, you gave me something to constantly look
forward to on my hospital bed. Some of your comments, especially your words of
encouragement, support and love even when you didn’t know what I was going
through.
I may not always understand Gods plan for my life and the
things I go through, but I have faith that he’s with me every step of the way,
and I’ll survive.
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