theuniverse

“I Had a Little Health Scare”

/ Anne Dennish / 8 Comments

There’s something I’d like to share with all of you and I’m hoping that my experience helps save a life or prevent the loss of one.

After Thanksgiving dinner I started to have a back ache. It felt like a pinched nerve on the left side of my back. I woke up Friday morning with the pain worse and it was now on both sides of my back. Silly me, I went for a pedicure just to use the massage chair in the hopes that it would help my back. It didn’t.

Saturday night the pain was extremely bad in my entire back and had now moved around to both sides of my upper chest. I slept sitting up on the couch because I couldn’t lay in my bed or roll from side to side. It was a struggle to get to the bathroom and I needed help just getting my pants on. The pain became excruciating and the muscle relaxers I had did nothing to help. I called the doctor on Tuesday for something that could help but they wanted me to come in on Thursday, which I did.

My doctor did an EKG and said that I may have had a heart attack or was about to have one or possibly a stroke. I was rushed to the hospital and admitted. After x-rays, a CT scan and ultrasound, the verdict was in. I did not have a heart attack but had blood clots in both lungs and one in my leg. I have NEVER felt such fear in my life. It made breast cancer seem like nothing but a bad dream. THIS was a nightmare!

I’m happy to say that I’m feeling better! I’m on medication and am able to walk up to 20 minutes a day now without chest pain or shortness of breath and am so grateful for that!

I went to my doctor a week later for a check-up. She hugged me and said that I had had a “near death” experience, which is why I was feeling more emotional than usual. She also told me that most people wouldn’t be alive after staying home with that much pain and those symptoms for eight days like I had, and that someone on the other side was watching out for me. She also believed that it was a sign that it just wasn’t my time! 

She saved my life and there are no words to thank her enough, so I will share this experience with you in the hopes that you will not ignore symptoms such as these like I did. I still sit here some days and can’t believe I didn’t do something sooner, but it’s done and over with and I’m here, thank God. Now, it’s time to get on with life and life is even more precious than it was. 

I say to all of you, don’t take one day for granted and don’t take the people in your life for granted. If you think of them throughout your day, let them know. If you love them, let them know as often as you can. And never, ever, take someone you care about for granted.

That’s my story and it’s been quite an eye opener for me. It’s changed me in many ways and I will certainly share those changes with you as time goes on. 

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Feeling Uncomfortable”

/ Anne Dennish / 4 Comments

I’m no stranger to feeling “uncomfortable,” especially in the last nine months. I was uncomfortable leaving my job at the Jersey Shore and moving to Delaware for the summer. After that I was uncomfortable when I left Delaware to move to Florida by myself. And now I find myself uncomfortable again. I left the job that I had here for the last two months. It was a difficult decision but one that was right for me. The job took a toll on my body and even more on me mentally. Within two months I was spent. My body was tired and my mind was exhausted. I miss the girls I worked with and the customers that brightened my day each morning, but being treated unfairly just wasn’t working for me anymore. 

I cannot put myself in a position to feel taken advantage of and to be treated disrespectfully. No one should. And I had had enough.

It was a rough few days last week coming off of that job but I managed to put myself in 100% self care mode, allowing myself the time I needed to get over the negative feelings from the job. It took a bit of time but I kept telling myself: “Go easy on yourself. You did the right thing for YOU!”

I believe that when YOU close a door that needs to be closed, the Universe will open many more. 

I have a few people in my life that feel like I made the wrong decision and have continually brought it up to me all week.  Sometimes people who are unhappy in their own lives take it out on those that have a life or mindset that they want, but don’t have. I understand that people project their unhappiness onto others and it’s hard for someone like me to keep remembering that, but I am, with the help of a few good people that support me with lots of love. They are the ones I need to keep close.

None of us should feel bad about making a decision that is in our best interest and we have to stay strong to those that try to make us feel that way.

No matter what you or I are going through, we have to believe in ourselves and our ability to do what’s best for us. Forget the opinions of anyone else.

I believe in you.

And I want you to believe in yourself.

And together we can.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Christmas Plans Have Changed”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

And just like that, my Christmas plans have changed. None of my children will be home as we had all planned, thanks to a tricky virus that seems to be running rampant lately. I’m disappointed but have to be honest in telling you that I was beginning to worry about two of them flying right now and one is getting over having this little bug.

I’m sad that they won’t be home. It’s the first Christmas I’ve ever spent without even two of them home. 

This was supposed to be my “Christmas Miracle,” having them all together with me again but the Universe had other plans and I understand that. Still, it would have been the greatest gift for me to be together with all of them.

And I truly believe that Christmas lives within our hearts, remembering the memories of Christmas past and making memories of Christmas “present.” Whether we’re together or apart, my children will always be the Christmas that lives in my heart. 

This “staycation” has certainly been good for me because if I hadn’t had this time to myself I probably would have been more upset and sad about it all week. And I haven’t been. I’m glad they made decisions in their best interest and in my parents and in mine.

Christmas will be quiet, as was Thanksgiving, but I’m grateful to have another one. I’m grateful that I had this “staycation.” I’m grateful for the peace I’ve found this week.

And I’m grateful for all of you. 

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~