Hope Is Universal

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. – Martin Luther

 Hope is universal; hope is the light at the end of the tunnel; hope is the candle flickering in the darkness.

Hope, in many ways, is a key to survival.

Hope is instrumental in providing the will, determination, and strength to carry on.

After the diagnosis of cerebellitis, Laura and I went to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion; the diagnosis was confirmed.

The doctors also believed that my chances and degree of recovery might be impeded by the medication I was taking for my bipolar disorder.

They recommended discussing this possibility with my psychiatrist.

Laura and I met with him when we returned home.

We considered the pros and cons of discontinuing the medication, including the fact that I had not experienced any mood swings in the previous five years; we all agreed that this was a reasonable opportunity to discover whether or not I required medication any longer.

Unfortunately, I did.

Several weeks later I was beset by a manic mood swing and was admitted to the hospital.

 

My significant loss of coordination and balance, dramatically worsened by the depressant effects of my medication, made even simple tasks monumental. I found that the easiest and safest way to make the bed and to get in and out of the bathtub was to crawl on my hands and knees.

 I was exhausted, slurred my words to the point of incoherence, and fell frequently. Finally, I asked Laura to bring my walker to the hospital.

 One day as I was dragging the walker and myself down the hallway, a nurse stopped and asked me how I was doing. I told him that I felt like a running back making my way down the field. Every ten yards a tackle would knock me down and hang on to me, but I kept getting up, dragging them with me. – Excerpt from “I’m Afraid”

 

I had no idea at the time that hope was the driving force behind my will, determination, and strength to carry on.

I do now.

 I offer these thoughts for your consideration.

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The saga continues in my next blog.

Do Not Be Afraid!!!