Thanks so much for the warm welcomes! :)
- Natalie a écrit:
- Howdy, Mel!
I'm Natalie. (I'm on Youtube, too, under the name of Big Mama Furter.)
I've seen your Behind The Red Door video; Everytime. It's beautiful!
That movie breaks my heart every time I watch it- and you really did capture the tone of it, perfectly. (I've made one as well, called 'The Much Improved Version Of Goodbye's The Saddest Word.')
Oh awesome! I'll have a look for your video! I LOVE Behind The Red Door. I never use to cry at anything. But that movie broke me lol. It really did. Now I cry at anything and everything sad lol.
- Natalie a écrit:
- I'd be interested in hearing about how Kiefer, and 24 saved you- that is; if you don't mind talking about it.
Don't worry, I don't mind at all :)
Almost 8 years ago now, I was taken to hospital when my left leg swelled up 5 times its normal size. And the doctors there had no clue what it was that had caused the swelling. So I was told to go home and that if the swelling hadn't gone down, I'd be transferred to the more equipped hospital in another town. I got up the next morning and the swelling had actually increased and I was taken to the DRI, Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Where I saw 4 specialists who all didn't have a clue what was wrong with me. And they decided to admit me to the childrens ward downstairs. I was only like 13 when this all started. I was taken for a scan where they found out that the cause of the swelling was actually a Baker's Cyst that had ruptured and the fluid inside the cyst had filled the back of my leg. So I was allowed to go home but had to have the rest of the week off school to rest my leg.
About 2 years later, I started to develop this skin condition called Psoriasis. It was all over me. My scalp. My neck. My jaw. Behind my ears. On my arms. My stomach. My chest. The small of my back. My legs. My thighs. Literally everywhere. So I was taken to the doctors and given all sorts of that.
A year after that, the swelling returned to my left leg. Except, this time, it wasn't in my calf. It was in my thigh and all around my left knee. I had to go back to hospital and they did all sorts of tests before I was diagnosed with Psriatic Arthritis.
From that day, I was going back and forth between 2 hospitals every 3 months. Having blood taken for tests, steroid injections, x-rays, scans, MRI scans. Anything they could think of.
And with the sudden development, my school life went crashing downhill. I was going to be a Sports Teacher when I was older but the arthritis stopped me from doing the sports I loved to do. I was on the school teams for Football, Cricket, Rounders and Athletics. I loved doing sports. But had to stop doing them as soon as this condition came on.
I was offered the chance to go to this really fancy hospital in Chesterfield where they specialise in knee operations. I had to travel for 2 hours to the hospital. Had a four hour examination. Only to be told that they weren't going to do the operation because the cyst that had ruptured, had formed again. And they weren't willing to do the operation. So, I started to feel depressed. I wasn't eating properly. I wasn't doing anything. I just felt like, this was how my life was going to be. I was so active, ever since I was little. And now I had to sit on sidelines and watch the others play instead.
I was in college when it got to its worse. I had to climb 2 really steep hills to get to the college. And couldn't get there because my knee was so bad. I was thrown out of drama class and had to drop my English class because I was that far behind. And my days were just made up of me laid on the couch. Resting my leg. And being able to do nothing.
At that point, I had nothing really. I had to quit my job because my boss wasn't willing to try and figure things out with my condition cause I was going home early because I would be in so much pain. And I just had this awful feeling that my family were really getting sick and tired of hearing moan about how badly my knee was. So... I'm really sorry to say that I was considering the thought of ending my life. I didn't want to go on like this. I had no help from others with trying to adapt and change my lifestyle around. It felt like I was all on my own.
Then one day, I was watching TV and I saw this advert for Season 4 of 24. And I was like, hey that looks pretty good! So I came to taping it sunday night and watched it the next day. And I was immediately hooked. Every sunday I'd settle down on the settee. And I'd sit there and watch it. And it just felt so good to have this TV show that could just swallow you up in this absolutely amazing story. And fantastic characters. And just beautiful acting by all the cast, that, I forgot all about my knee problems. I forgot I ever had any problems. I felt... better, in a way.
Then I started to take more interest in Kiefer. And I read about all he'd gone through. All the ups and downs in his life. And it just gave me this strength to keep on fighting through all of this.
24 and Jack Bauer taught me that, however bad a situation may look, and that it might look hopeless. And that there's no end in sight. You just have to keep on fighting through it and you will find that ray of light. And that will be something so wonderful that you know, all the pain and the agony was worth it.
Kiefer's life has given me the same strength and the same motivation to keep on fighting through it. His life had been up and down with his movie career. And I couldn't help but think, you know, that's kind of like what I'm going through with this knee problem. I'd have good days and bad days. Like Kiefer had good movies and bad movies (although i disagree with some of the criticism they got lol. Love them all.). If I just kept on going, I'd get the 'break' I need.
So he gave me this incredible strength to keep on fighting through it all.
And it really all did pay off. On the 1st of December, 2006. I finally got my knee operated on. I had to stay in overnight because my knee wouldn't stop bleeding from about 11am til 8pm that night. But it was all worth it. It was one of the scariest things I've done in my life so far. But my knee is finally, almost, back to the size it was before. And I can walk again without having to lean on somebody or use a walking stick.
And if I hadn't discovered Kiefer or 24, I don't think I would have been able to be where I am today. I feel so good and more confident now. And I honestly can't wait for the day when I can meet Kiefer and just thank him for being who he is. And how he's helped me without knowing it :)
That's basically how he saved my life :) Bit of a long story huh lol
Sujet: Howdy 
Mer 26 Mar - 14:57
! Great to see you here ! Have fun 
!
:amour 1: 
