When One Dream Dies...

Hey everyone! Many of you know that my biggest passion in life is helping others and my dream for about 13 years was to be an interpreter for the Deaf full time.  When I was younger, I had alot of depression and low self-esteem.  I struggled alot with different things.  When I was 10 years old, I fell in love with sign language because of a TV show.  It gave me purpose and gave me a dream.  It got me through some of the lowest points in my life. 

When I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in February 2015 I was still in school at Madonna University in the Sign Language Program.  I had been having really bad pain that had gone way past being manageable.  That semester, I ended up getting an Incomplete in one class, failed one class and got a C in the third.  It was so hard.  I felt like just giving up.  I decided to quit at the end of that semester.  My health was continuing to decline as my baseline pain kept increasing as well as the frequency of dislocations and subluxations (partial dislocations).  I ended up finding a job as a companion/aide working one on one with a young woman who is deaf and needed a friend to spend time with her and take her places.  I would sign for her as much as I could and loved seeing her.  I ended up having to leave that job because the 1 hour drive each way was starting to affect my fatigue and my pain.  I had an interview with an agency in Ohio on April 19^, 2016.  I was excited for the new experience.  I had been making over $10 an hour while working in Michigan but was offered a starting pay of $8.75 an hour while working at the agency.  I was told that if I had some type of medical certification, they could offer me a higher pay.  As soon as I heard that, I knew I had to go back to school, even if for something other than sign language.  

I had to find something I could do that wouldn't require alot of money and time but would also be very profitable and something that I couldn't be replaced by robots and computer programs. I wanted to get my CNA or STNA because I knew it was a short program and was better than where I was.  I looked into Ross College, but they don't have a CNA or STNA program.  I was told about the medical assisting program, and after researching it more, I decided that medical assisting would be a good idea.  

At that point, I had conflicting emotions. I was excited to start something new and to be able to feel successful and like I accomplished something.  Even with the excitement, I also was grieving.  I had to grieve the loss of my dreams of being an interpreter.  I had to grieve the loss of a dream that was 13 years old, a dream that gave me a purpose during the rough years in my life.  The loss of that dream broke my heart in so many ways.  Sign language will always be in my heart, especially since I now found a way that I can still interpret, just not full time.  

Over the last 5 months, I have been working really hard at Ross College in the medical assisting program.  I have been doing so much better than I thought I would.  I was so nervous and realized that I had nothing to be nervous about.  I am really good at this.  I can't believe how good I am at this!  I love it!  The fire in my soul that was distinguished when I was forced to leave sign language is now burning bright again.  It will never take the place of sign language, but I can still love it and have passion and excitement.  Growing up I told myself and everyone else that the last thing I would ever do would be to work in the medical field, and here I am, doing amazingly well in the medical assisting program and looking into a RN program to go into.  That's right, I want to be a registered nurse! 

I found a passion again.  I found what I love.  I found what I'm good at and what will make me happy.  I can't believe how long it took me to find it, but I'm so grateful for it.  Here I am. Almost a RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) and looking into being an RN (Registered Nurse).  Thank God for second and third chances!!