Preparing for Battle: A Letter to My Younger Self

Dear Paris,

Nineteen years from now, life for you will be very different. I know that at this point in your life, you can’t possibly imagine how different it will be. The challenges ahead will completely change your views, your perspective about life, and your decision-making process.

As you read this, you are a standout athlete in college, and you are doing well, but it won’t last long. You were one of the top athletes in high school, but in college, you will learn that many other athletes are just as good, or better. This will force you to dig deep, and it will test your character.

Ultimately, you will make a decision that will transition you to a place of limbo that many other athletes have dealt with when they stopped playing. The best way to describe it is trying to find your identity after losing a key part of yourself.

The battle ahead

This period of your life will teach you to rely on your foundation and pull from several lessons taught to you during your childhood. The battle ahead will be unlike anything you’ve faced before. You will have several obstacles to overcome from this point forward.

However, the massive adenoma that doctors discovered at the base of your brain, which completely covers your pituitary gland, will be the most difficult. This organ is very important for a person’s mental and physical health, and when it doesn’t function properly, the endocrine system can’t operate successfully.

This will cause your body to experience struggles you never thought to prepare for. The situation will blindside you in a way that will cause you to either make the necessary health changes and live, or continue down the same destructive path, possibly leading to an early death.

You may not have fully known what it meant to be a husband when you chose to get married, but just know that you made the right choice. Your wife refused to allow you to lie down and die. She will dig deep and force you to dig deep, too. She will support you in ways you never knew about. Her belief in both God and you will play a tremendous part in your progress.

And when it was all said and done, you did good, kid! Your parents were a huge support system for both of you. Never forget to show them continual respect, love, and appreciation.

Remember, it’s not about you

I would like to encourage you to keep moving forward. During your hardest times, understand that giving up is not an option. If you quit, you will never see the greater things that lie ahead of you. Understand and know that everything you are going through is so much bigger than you.

You will end up helping many people. I know you don’t fully understand all of this right now, but try to weather the storm. Eventually, you will begin to see life-changing progress that not only will benefit you, but also everyone around you.

You will become a great man, just not in the way you had assumed. Trust God and the process!

***

Note: Cushing’s Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cushing’s Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Cushing’s.