The beginning...

Every journey has a beginning.  My journey began with a headache.  A headache that led to a CTScan, to a MRI and to a Cerebral Angiogram.  A headache that led to a diagnosis of an
Arteriovenous Malformation in the left frontal lobe of my brain.
 Basically an AVM is a tangle of veins that doesn't belong. They are very serious and very rare. An estimated 1% of the population. Over time they become weak and rupture. They are commonly discovered after a stroke or during an autopsy.  I am very lucky.

When a major health crisis interrupts your life you rethink everything.....

What can I do to help myself heal?  What changes do I need to make to become healthier?
What are my beliefs and values?  Do I honour them?
Have I been a good daughter, sister, and friend?
Does my husband know how much I love him?  Does he know how grateful I am to have him in my life?  Does he know that I think he is an amazing father?
Am I a good parent?  Am I engaged enough? Am I raising my children to be resilient? 
Am I living my life with purpose and meaning?  Could I be doing more?
Am I surrounding myself with people that make me happy?  Am I making them happy?
What is really important to me and my family?  What changes need to be made?

As I adjust to my "new normal" I look for and find something that makes me happy everyday. Sometimes its simple things like the wind blowing the clothes on the line.  Sometimes it's the knowledge that I have made a difference.  Today is was starting this blog with the support and encouragement of my friends.