Journey back with me...back to 2008. I was just weeks shy of graduating from college with my Associates of Science Degree in Physical Therapy. The count-down was on...
April 2008 was a busy BUSY month for me. I was finishing out my last clinical rotation before graduation. I had a 70minute, one-way, commute to the facility where I was working with developmentally delayed and special needs children. I LOVED IT! The kids were amazing...and my co-workers were wonderful. The downside to working with so many children, is that it is almost impossible to avoid all their germs. By the 3rd weeks of April, I asked to leave early one day to go back to campus and get a strep-test done. I had had a sore throat for a few days, and the last thing I wanted to do was give this to one of the kids. Test came back negative, but they still gave me an antibiotic due to my circumstances. (My co-workers were impressed I was able to get 4 weeks into a 6 week clinical before getting sick...most other students maybe got into week 2.)
3 days after finishing the antibiotic, my throat hurt again. I went back to campus early again one night (see, awesome bosses/coworkers) and the PA-C (Physicians Assistant) did another strep test. When this one also came back negative, she decided it was time to do blood work to see what was going on. Up early the next morning, the blood work was drawn...and the following day (Friday) they called and confirmed their suspicions. MONO. At this point, I had 5 days of work left, 1 week of review classes for my board, and then graduation. I was literally 14 days away from being done with college. Or so I thought.
I felt good, so I was ready to bang out the next few weeks. I had no idea how long I had been symptomatic so I wasn't about to let it change my plans. That was until Sunday morning when I woke up, and was unable to eat anything in the cafeteria besides yogurt and milk (this was due to how swollen my tonsils were...pretty much closed most of my throat off). That was it. I called my mom as soon as I got back to my room and said "come get me...immediately." I then called my boss and my professors to let them know of my change in health status, and they were AMAZING. My boss was willing to let me come back "whenever...just get healthy." And my professors were willing to give me an extension to get things done. (Pays to have a great relationship with them.) I was able to complete things by June 1st...my goal.
Fast forward a few weeks...I had graduated from school and had moved home with Mom & Dad, but not the way I expected to move back home. See, take one head-strong, independent college grad + parents rules = disaster (in most situations.) BUT...take one head-strong, independent college grad that was sick and needing mom and dad for EVERYTHING = success.
Mono ended up being a blessing. (EAK! I know...not what you expected, was it.) Moving back home as a "fully-dependent-on-mom-&-dad" college grad, was the best way to move home. As I started to heal from this sickness, my parents were willing to give me the freedom and respect and lack-of-curfew I wanted/needed. Mono allowed my relationship with my parents to become an amazing friendship with both of them. (Heck...I still willingly live at home 4 years later! The relationship must be awesome!)
Mono also allowed me to focus my attention that summer to studying for my PTA board exam. Had I not gotten sick, my plan was to resume working full-time at the PT clinic I now work at. I was going to get my temporary license and work full-time. Things changed, and I only worked 3 days a week the entire summer. That allowed me ample time to study...and boy did I need it. I ended up taking my boards in September of 2008, and passed them on my first try!!!
So why did I tell you all this? Post-mono, May has become a month of reflection...where things get better put into perspective. Life has been full of ups and downs. Some big, some small. Some stick-out in my mind, and others blur into foggy memories.
Looking back on my mono-months/year I NOW can see how God had everything working to HIS plan. Did I want to be sick? NO WAY! But, am I glad I was able to pass my boards and create an amazing relationship/friendship with my parents? YOU BETCHA! Some of the best things in my life came out of that tough time.
So, that leads me to my pondering thought, that has been on my mind all day.
What am I going through right now, that will someday help define this era of my life? What will I look back, on several years down the road, and see God's hand in my life?
I don't have the answer(s). But I know someday I will...
