From Kamchatka to Texas

Genesis of a VictimInitially, I was merely born a victim of poor health. It was not until I was twelve years old before I became a victim of another person. I was born with very severe allergies that led to continued illnesses and a seizure disorder. I had numerous surgeries as well. My adenoids, tonsils and appendix were all removed before I reached the age of seven. Tubes were placed in my inner ears twice to help drain the fluid caused by allergies, in hope hopefully reduce the...
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Genesis of a VictimInitially, I was merely born a victim of poor health. It was not until I was twelve years old before I became a victim of another person. I was born with very severe allergies that led to continued illnesses and a seizure disorder. I had numerous surgeries as well. My adenoids, tonsils and appendix were all removed before I reached the age of seven. Tubes were placed in my inner ears twice to help drain the fluid caused by allergies, in hope hopefully reduce the infections.I still can remember the long drive to get my allergy shots in Lake Forest, Illinois from my home in Deerfield, Illinois. I hated the thought of the pain from all those shots in both arms. The shots always made my arms very sore and made me feel very sick. The road to get the shots was covered with huge trees on each side of the road. Each tree was big enough that the leaves of the trees reached the trees on the other side of the road. The trees formed a sort of tunnel, with dense leaves darkening the road. This made the trip even more dark and frightening!These things made me feel fragile. I was told not to run while playing, due to my asthma. If I did run and play I found myself unable to breathe at times. I would come running inside and my mom would place her ear on my back to listen for wheezing. If I had an asthma attack, there were no inhalers available to patients in those days for instant relief. There was a thick, yellow, awful- tasting medication that I would swallow and sit down for half an hour and wait for it to work.I missed a lot of school and was teased about it. I think this was the beginning of feeling different." Now that I am older and wiser, I am aware that almost everyone has a story of feeling different. My parents dealt with the issues at hand: my illnesses. I am not sure if more focus on finding what I could do, instead of all that I couldn't do, might have offset the negative circumstances. The lesson learned for this period would be that self-esteem is the foundation for success."