Thread by @JulieRohrYEG

Exactly one year ago today, I was enjoying brunch at OEB with this beauty, my dear friend Amanda. (Remember restaurants?) Near the end of the meal, I began to experience intense abdominal cramping. The pain was unreal. I excused myself & almost passed out in the bathroom. 1/

I managed to make it back to the table, but had to lie down on the bench seat while Amanda sprang into action, calling the restaurant manager over, explaining the situation, telling him my car was parked outside but she needed to take me in her car. I was adamant- no ambulance.

I thought it was the chemo I was on, told her just to take me home. The pain meds would solve this, I thought. Just bring me home to my pain meds. I lay in her back seat. It was so excruciating, when she asked me for my husband's phone number I couldn't even speak to tell her. 3/

The pain meds did nothing. After several hours of worsening pain, my husband called an ambulance. I ended up at UofA hospital. I was told I was in septic shock, needed surgery. My lawyer came into my ER room so I could finalize my will. It was terrifying. 4/

This is my boy and I, that Feb 7 evening a year past. I held him as long as I could. I had no idea what was going to happen. I was told it was very serious, an ulcer had punctured my intestines and bile was leaking through my system. I didn't know if I'd see him again. 5/

I'm crying now, remembering how traumatic that time was. I hugged my parents, my brother, my husband. My son's dad came to pick up our boy, and stayed in the room with my family for awhile. I wanted to be with all of them as long as I could. I went into surgery the next day. 6/

This is @mjkimmd, my surgeon that evening. It may sound dramatic, but honestly, he saved my life. Medical professionals are absolutely my heroes- my life has been spared so many times thanks to their work. Thank you again, Dr. Kim. I'm still here to tell the tale a year later. 7/

SO MANY of you were there with me. Your messages of hope, support, and love carried me through this horrific experience. Honestly, over a thousand people cared enough to be engaged with my story. I'm still amazed and grateful. 8/

https://twitter.com/JulieRohrYEG/status/1226114993424412673

Due to the nature of the ulcer, the recovery was the most brutal I've had in five years of cancer treatment/surgeries. Infections, reinfections, COVID started, I was in and out of hospital, home care was a mess because of covid... it was a super weird, hard period of time. 9/

But these photos show the other side of things. My cousin and siblings travelled to be here with me. The hospital staff cheered me on as I took my first slow steps post-surgery. I got to pet the support doggos. That's @giselledenis giving my bald head a little smooch. 😂❤️ 10/

I've written this out tonight to say this: it's been a hard year. We've ALL been through so much. My experience was hard, but so many of you have also suffered loss, pain & trauma in 2020. In my experience, it's community, friends, family that help us pull through. 11/

My neighbours came to the hospital, massaged my feet, painted my toenails, brought me smoothies, came with me for CT scans. @NatashaEmmCee drove me home one night when husband was feeling sick. Others brought meals. So many more sent messages, prayed, loved us through it. 12/

I guess I'm just really reflective tonight, one year later. None of us is guaranteed our health, or guaranteed tomorrow. Even during a pandemic, let's LIVE our LIVES like every day matters, because it DOES! Today matters. I'm grateful to share it with you. One more thing... 13/

... of course there was THIS day, when @slav_metalurges tweeted to me in my hospital bed that he wanted to GIVE ME this incredible sculpture. I bawled. Many of you witnessed that exchange. It still blesses me to think of it, and to see it in our home. 14/

https://twitter.com/slav_metalurges/status/1227286432873500678

And we got a friendship with @slav_metalurges & @425cath out of it, to boot, and got to have a patio dinner with them and @drdagly & his amazing wife to celebrate life. To celebrate being ALIVE, even in this Beautiful Chaos. I'm just so, so grateful tonight.

Cheers to life.
-fin