When life knocks you down, get back up

I was diagnosed with RP when I was 7 years old. I can still see but I have no peripheral vision, no night vision, and severe cataracts on both eyes, which I hope to rectify as soon as the insurance will pay. I have 3 girls who are 22, 22, and 19. I have a 13 year old son. Three of these children are by birth and one is by a wonderful choice to marry her father and to gain her.

My first husband was in the Army at Fort Knox, Kentucky. We married very young at 18 and had two beautiful girls. We were driving home to NC from Fort Knox for a visit when he fell asleep and drove off a 200 foot bridge. The girls lost a lot of blood. The oldest who was 4 had some facial cuts and psychological trauma, the youngest was 1. She had cuts and bruises and a broken arm. I had a fractured neck, a broken femur which resulted in a rod being put into it, a broken nose, and facial cuts.

I had to learn to live without my best friend and raise two girls on my own. I also had to learn to walk again through lots of physical therapy.

God brought a wonderful man into my life through my father. He was a electrician, a heating and air contractor, and a bi-vocational preacher. We had a cute little boy. We were married for 9 years. Terry found out he had colon cancer in August 2005. He did several extensive rounds of chemotherapy and 3 surgeries, but lost his battle in March 2006 at the age of 36.

I again had to learn to survive without my best friend and the love of my life and raise 3 children by myself. I went back to school and got an Associates Degree in Medical Office Administration and a Certificate in Coding and Billing.

Again God saw fit to bring another wonderful man into my life. Rick is a engineer and is a wonderful patient, loving man who deals with a wife with vision problems and fibromyalgia. He is amazing. He lost his wife to an aneurysm. We had loss in common and fell in love almost at first meeting.

We had several years of adjustment with children that had to learn to get along. Step-family living is very difficult to do, but we are learning to grow together with time. You can follow along as well learn to do life together.