New City and New Career

2014 was the year I took my life back! It was a long and trying year. The year started out with one of the harshest winters I can remember. My husband has always worked outdoors and this winter took it’s toll on him as well. We were living with my parents and everyone was talking about moving.

My parents wanted to move to Las Vegas because that’s were my sister lives. My husband’s daughter had moved to Florida. It was a difficult choice but I decided to let my husband make the final decision. I said ‘we have family in Florida and we have family in Vegas where do you want to go?’

He didn’t make a decision immediately. Then, on one of the worst days that February, he came home, takes off his wet socks, and says ‘we’re going to Florida.’ I was a bit shocked at the sudden decision but I did what a good wife does and I packed us up to move on to a shot at a better future.

Florida was a disaster. I ended up having surgery the second day I was there. The local hospital in Cape Coral refused to transfer me to the Cleveland Clinic. I have several recordings stored on my phone of my arguing with doctors who are telling me I’d have to pay at least $12,000 up front for the transport costs.

They didn’t care about my extensive medical history. They didn’t think to transfer me to the Cleveland Clinic two hours away in Fort Lauderdale. I didn’t find out about that location until after they did a hack surgery. It took days and hours of arguing with doctors before they finally transferred me after surgery.

I was stuck being fed IV for approximately four months with two tubes coming out of my abdomen. The ordeal was stressful and I felt very trapped. The doctor removed one tube and I removed the other at home.

During the four months I was in Florida my parents moved to Las Vegas. As soon as I was able to travel I left Florida and went home to Michigan to live with a friend. My husband stayed in Florida working. I spent a month and a half on my own in Michigan. When my mom came to town I decided to head to Vegas with her.

Once I arrived in Vegas I started working immediately. Within six weeks I had the money to rent a condo and my husband arrived to meet me in Vegas. It is one of a few very difficult times our marriage has endured. I’m truly blessed to have such an amazing husband.

I started writing for the Las Vegas Business Press in September of 2014 and I will continue to write and take photographs for them for as long as they will have me. The experience has helped to rebuild my confidence and my career.