Fuzzable
So I guess I should probably start this off by introducing myself.
Hi, I’m Rachel, an 18 year old student from Ireland. I love everything writing and anything music-related – in particular, I am still obsessed with Little Mix’s recent album ‘Glory Days.’ I am a huge fan of Little Mix and One Direction, but I also love artists who aren’t as well-known such as Michael Sutthakorn, Josh Taylor and Joey Devries – to name but a few.
I still find it hard to believe we are in 2017. 2016 went so fast, and it was an incredibly tough year for me, a year I will never forget. In a year where everything seemed to be falling apart for me, everything was also coming together in the most beautiful way. I kind of wished 2016 to be over as soon as it started, but as the year progressed, I have made memories I will never ever forget.
You are probably wondering why 2016 started off so bad for me. Long story short, I had to have spinal fusion surgery at the end of 2015 and it was one of the toughest things I have ever gone through. It was an incredibly difficult time – they say you leave your dignity at the door in hospital, and it’s true. Not only that, quite a lot went wrong during the procedures. Having to learn to walk again and do basic things was beyond hard.
I was in hospital for just over three weeks, however it felt much longer. I had a want to get better, I needed my independence back. Being out of action for too long was never an option for me. I wanted to get back to a routine as fast as possible. I remember even doing little things around the house when I got home would make me so so tired, but over time, I realised that I was starting to recover. I had to wear a body brace for the first six months to protect my spine, and that was reassuring – even though I detested it at the time. It didn’t feel like it, but the progress I have made is unbelievable and something I will be forever proud of.
The first few months of 2016 were beyond difficult. Recovery is a horrific process, and you feel like you are not getting better. But, you are. Would I say the whole process was worth it? Without a shadow of a doubt. As much as I look back and remember the pain I was in, it is strange thinking back to this time a year ago. I mean, time heals a lot of things, and it certainly helped heal me.
In 2016, I also had my final year of A Levels. Which were horrendous, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks they are. I did Applied Business, Applied Health and Social Care and Home Economics – all subjects being mainly coursework-based, and of course, having to take a third of the year out to have surgery was difficult.
I’ll be honest, I had prepared myself for failure. I also wanted to drop out at around March, I thought I would save myself the embarrassment of failing. Yet, there was also a part of me that wanted to see how I would do in the exams – if I worked extremely hard, harder than I ever have before, would I pass? The answer was yes. I passed all of my subjects, and not only passed, I achieved grades I thought weren’t possible for someone like me, another achievement I will be forever, forever proud of.
If someone had told me this time last year that I would be doing jobs that I love, happier and more confident than I have ever been, I would have laughed and said that never would be real. But it is real, and I am so excited to see what 2017 brings.
So I guess that sums me up – I’m excited for this year. If you want to follow me on Twitter, my user name is: @weerachh_. I hope you have enjoyed reading my Fuzzable Blog!
