THANK YOU MACE* & ALBERT**
By, Kolleen Arnold
The tumor in my brain was so big
It wrapped around my carotid artery.
I had a stroke from the surgery.
3 days in the hospital turned into 3 months.
…
I woke up from a coma after 5 days,
I was paralyzed on my right side.
I could not talk, in a coherent way.
I could not read, not even the alphabet.
I could not walk, skip or run.
…
I was an infant all over again,
I did not even know how to feed myself.
I drank perfume . . . it smelled good!
I had to learn to talk, read and walk.
…
Some days I just wanted to give up and die.
I did not want to be a burden to Mace,
But I could not give up because of Albert.
What kind of an example would I be setting?
…
I just kept my chin up and rolled with the punches.
I lost several friends,
but I made so many new friends.
Everything that I had been through in my past
Had a reason now, because
I had become so strong.
I amazed myself!
…
After 2 1/2 years of therapy I am an adult again,
I can talk, read, eat and walk again.
Not as good as I had,
but consider what a doctor said,
“Put her in bed and forget her. Leave it to God.”
…
Mace took me into his care and love
Like I had never been cared and loved before.
And that gave me hope and strength
Like I never had in my life.
…
I am a new person!
I say what’s on my mind.
I am who I want to be; no one else.
…
I will you tell this:
If it weren’t for Mace and Albert,
To help me find myself and strength
To come back from an infant to an adult.
I hate to think what I would have done
Or not done!
Thanksgiving, November 24, 1994
* my husband ** my son
