Get ChaRGD!

I came home from the hospital about 9 months following the removal of a large brain tumor and severe stroke. When I came home, I was able to swallow, speak, and stand on my own for a few seconds at a time. I was not able to project my voice, blink consistently, drive, or walk without assistance. I still managed to go upstairs to bed every night and get out of bed every morning. Three years later, I had re-learned to drive, became involved in my children's lives again, returned to work, gone whale watching, attended a concert and a cheered for the visiting team at a couple football games! During those years (and every day since!) I've had plenty of dark, hopeless moments. To pull myself out of these depths, I came up with four mantras that I live by, and repeat to myself, every day. To remember these, the acronym ChaRGD works: Cha-R-G-D Focus on what you CAN change. Do the best you can with the resources you have. Modify your goals but stay true to yourself. Don’t be afraid to try something new and difficult. ​ Everything I’ve done since my surgery—from returning to work to going whale watching, to meeting Steve Young, took all four mantras. For example, whale watching for the first time after my surgery was, of course, scary and difficult.  I also had to focus on what I COULD change, do the best I could with the resources I had, and modify my goals while staying true to myself. I had to remain in one spot during the trip, but I love taking pictures and trying to get that great shot. So, I held my camera with a zoom lens up to my face the entire time, held onto the rail, and did my best. On my first trip, I managed to get a great shot of dolphins, including one with its head out of water.