Willing My Way Back

By Christine Emmerich

After two years of gathering essential information from my family, friends, speech therapist and others, I was finally able to piece together a puzzle of a few confusing months in my life. I only remembered bits and pieces of what happened. I needed the support and recollection of my loved ones to help me better understand it, in order to allow myself closure on such a tragic ordeal. In some ways, I could relate my experience to Humpty Dumpty, as if I had fallen, broken apart and needed help being put back together again.

Willing My Way Back is a non-fiction story based on my experiences of enduring brain surgery, in my early 20s, and the full recovery process as I understood it as well as how others observed it through their own eyes. Willing My Way Back has received compliments from individuals who have already had the opportunity to read it. Some examples include "inspirational", "easy to read", "flows smoothly", "should be a resource available at the hospital for parents to read", and "I learned a lot about you". I too have learned a lot about myself throughout the past two years including accomplishments I never imagined I would complete, such as writing this book. I look forward to fulfilling more noteworthy accomplishments throughout my life and I hope others will appreciate them as much as they have appreciated the written words of Willing My Way Back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 2, 2005
• ISBN: 9781465315106

Christine Emmerich

Christine Emmerich currently resides in Southeastern Wisconsin. She enjoys her line of work at Mount Mary College and in her spare time serves on local fund raising committees and womens leadership events. You might also discover Miss Emmerich playing first base woman on a co-ed adult kickball league, painting, shopping, volunteering, reading, traveling and coordinating friendly get-togethers in addition to spending quality time with her little niece, her dear Nanna, and other family and friends.

Book preview

Copyright © 2005 by Christine A. Emmerich

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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26898

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

About the Author

This book is written in honor of

an inspirational woman and devoted friend,

Sister Jean Raymond McBride, SSND

Foreword

Looking back on my brain surgery and recovery period, I find it all pretty amazing. I only remember bits and pieces of what happened, having had brain surgery and all, but to have such a wonderful family, and other loved ones providing me with their recollections of the whole situation has been a big help in completing my puzzle of those confusing months in my life. In some ways, I can relate my experience to Humpty Dumpty, as if I had fallen, broken apart and needed help being put back together again.

I’m very thankful for all the help and support, thoughts and prayers, and ongoing love and care from everyone during the time of surgery, recovery and throughout the present. I am thankful for my neurosurgeons, nurses, nurse practitioner, and my amazing speech therapist, but most of all Mom, Dad, Lisa and Dan. Thank you for being as patient and as understanding as you could be. I love you with all my heart.

~ Christine

Introduction

I had just started a new job on January 2, 2002, at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as assistant director of major gifts. The first few weeks I spent most of my time reading about the college—the strategic plan and its history, as well as other fundraising techniques and business resources to utilize in my day-to-day projects. I also spent time meeting with other staff members and learning about their individual positions and how to work with them to complete my responsibilities and fundraising tasks.

I spent some time with Kathy, the assistant director of human resources, to determine my insurance benefits, retirement planning and other personnel obligations. I appreciated Kathy’s detailed explanations and true patience with my numerous questions. I was informed my health insurance wouldn’t officially begin until February 2nd, one month after I started working at Mount Mary. I asked Kathy if she thought I should purchase COBRA for that one month, and she told me it was my decision, indicating that if I didn’t think I’d need it, I could consider holding off until my insurance started at the beginning of February. Basically, Kathy was watching out for me because the cost for COBRA insurance for one month could have been more than the cost of a doctor’s appointment without insurance. So, I decided to wait. I could always purchase COBRA if I really needed it.

I had also mentioned to Kathy my concerns about possibly not having long-term disability insurance until I had worked at Mount Mary for one year. My mom had a benign tumor at the base of her neck and spinal cord at the age of 24. My older sister, Lisa, and I have always been concerned that something like that could happen to us; therefore, we like to be prepared, just in case. Kathy was very understanding and told me that I would be eligible for long-term disability insurance after the requisite six months of short-term disability.

Two weeks after I started my new job at Mount Mary, I was scheduled to take a seven day Western Caribbean cruise with a good friend from high school, Emily Stein. The cruise was a blast—one of the best vacations I’ve ever had! I now recommend a cruise to everyone I meet—especially on a Carnival Fun Ship!

We were fortunate to have decent weather, tons of activities on the ship, an attractive room with our own veranda and wonderful company. Emily and I set sail on the largest Carnival ship available at that time, the Carnival Victory. We met many interesting people from all over the world—Costel, Cowboy Curt, Pepe, Lou and Nick, Sheila and so many others! We baked in the sun and kissed a dolphin named Apollo in Cozumel, Mexico; climbed a waterfall and ocean kayaked in Jamaica; shopped ‘til we dropped and attempted to snorkel at Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman; ate ‘til we couldn’t eat any more at the ship’s twenty-four-hour pizzeria and danced the nights away on the ship’s disco dance floor. I also lip synced to I Will Survive with a banana as my microphone, up on the Lido Deck late one night in front of hundreds of passengers and crew.

I came back from my trip in very high spirits! I’ve never had such a fabulous time meeting new people, and trying new things. I’ve always been self-conscious about what people thought of me, which hadn’t left me with the strongest self confidence; but this trip really helped build me up. I was excited to go home, go out and have fun and just focus on me. Who cares what others think? That was my new philosophy, and I was proud of myself for finally realizing I was somebody; and that somebody was me.

I arrived back in Wisconsin with a beautiful tan; e-mail addresses to keep in touch with new friends; an improved friendship bond with Emily; lots of souvenirs for friends, family, and myself and tons of pictures and postcards! I only had a small amount of cash to spare, but it was all worth it!

I developed my cruise pictures right away and showed them off to everyone I came in contact with. I visited with Mom, Dad, and Lisa and Dan and gave them gifts and shared my fabulous cruise stories. Emily and I even met at Chi Chi’s restaurant a week later to trade pictures, reminisce and start talking about our next big trip.

I returned to my new job and jumped right back into reading and refreshing my memory about the college and what my job entailed. Over the next two weeks, I performed prospect research on potential donors and worked with my boss, Dianne, to schedule my first personal donor visit with Phyllis, a long-time devoted donor and alum, on Monday, February 11th. Dianne and I planned