When I was a kid, whenever I used to complain about something, my mother would tell me, “Life isn’t fair!” Even as a young child, this filled me with instant rage and I would retort, “Well, it should be!” At six or seven, I couldn’t articulate why that phrase filled me with such fury, but… Continue Reading
Yesterday was a big day for me. I say that with tongue firmly in cheek, but it’s also true. It wouldn’t have been a big day before the hospital, but it was after. Why? Because the most noticeable change to me after what happened to me is the loss of stamina. So, yeah, what would… Continue Reading
If my life were a movie, it would start with me collapsing in my front hallway and the credits would roll as I woke up from a week’s long ‘sleep’ (i.e., drug-induced unconsciousness), ready to fight whomever and whatever needed fighting. I had a tube in my nose to help me breathe, but I didn’t… Continue Reading
I don’t talk about my father much because, well, that’s actually a part of this post. He is very much an old-fashioned Taiwanese man (emphasis on man) in many ways. He lived in America for roughly 25 years before deciding there was more for him in Taiwan. As a result, many of his ideas of… Continue Reading
Before my experience with, well, death, I considered myself a cranky old lady who was a mild version of the ‘well, actually’ dude that everyone hates. I had a mania for the truth in part because I grew up with very unreliable narrators (my parents). My mother forgets the bad things that happen or spins… Continue Reading
We’ve all heard stories about how when people are dying, they see a bright light guiding them. Some hear the voice of a loved one telling them to go to the light. It’s all gentle, encouraging, and almost poetic. Not me. I woke up from a week of unconsciousness with a gasp, ready to fight… Continue Reading
I’ve been home from the hospital for four weeks, which has made me reflective. That’s twice as long as I was in the hospital, as difficult as that is to believe. It feels both longer and shorter than four weeks simultaneously. On the one hand, I have a hard time believing what happened to me… Continue Reading
Before I went into the hospital, my sleep sucked. A brief summary: I was hyperthyoid when I was a kid and severely depressed. I rarely fell asleep before midnight and my sleep was sparse. I got maybe four hours a night in college, which was not nearly enough. Every time I went home for vacation… Continue Reading
I’ve had plenty of time to think about what happened to me and the biggest question (well, one of the biggest, anyway) I have is why did I come back? My glib answer is that I believe three things brought me back to life (besides my incredible medical team): taiji, love, and luck. Only one… Continue Reading
I’ve been home for three-and-a-half weeks, but that’s not the home I’m talking about in this post. I’m talking about Dark Souls III by FromSoft and I’m talking about Firelink Shrine. When I was in the hospital, one of the therapists I saw (physical? Probably) told me that I should play video games as part… Continue Reading