Dearest You

Profound apologies for my silence. I have enjoyed reading your amazing contributions and comments here, on the facebook group and on my last post about my meeting with a WP community member - Stacey in South Africa. They've strengthened me more than you may ever know.

A month ago when I set out for SA, I was prepared for one surgery and a week's stay, but that stay dragged on to a whole month and another surgery.

Both surgeries went well; thankfully, though I didn't recover from the 2nd one which I had on the 26th of June as quick as I hoped. I have been enduring severe neck pain and have had to go to the ER three times since the surgery.

Tomorrow is the day I have waited for since 2004; since I first had my tracheotomy surgery. My doctor says if my trachea and vocal cords show no sign of closing up then he would take out the tube I have breathed with for so long. It also means that if I don't heal as expected, I have to continue with the tube.

I am really anxious; I just want to be able to walk in the rain, go swimming and take a whole bath again - these I haven't been able to do since 2004. But a part of me is scared; I have trusted my tube so long that I don't remember how to breathe on my own.

I want to thank you all for your love and support always. Whatever happens tomorrow won't make me relent in the work I feel so strongly about.

Let's hold the Line sisters!