I Was Given Two Years to Live

How creative writing saved my life.

Over the years I’ve had many different fears. When I was in my twenties, I was afraid to be alone. After having two children I was cured of this very quickly. As a young mother who couldn’t even pee by herself, I soon craved that aloneness that I had been so afraid of before.

Now I love time alone to dream, create, write, read, travel, or just take a nap. I’m sure parents of young children can relate to this phenomenon.

Later came the normal fears and anxieties of living life in an imperfect world. At least now I’m aware they’re normal, but back at the beginning of some of those paralyzing fears, I felt like I was the only one.

For example, I feared driving after being involved in a car accident. That lasted for many years, only to fade away to a dull ache just by the sheer need to drive to work and get my kids to school. I now choose my cars by safety ratings rather than looks.

Then I was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and several other autoimmune diseases. Lupus never travels alone.

After a decade of prescription meds, holistic medicine, diets, and several rounds of research drugs, I found myself in front of my normally upbeat and smiling rheumatologist. This day he was frowning. He’s the best in the northwest…