This post is a little different to the norm and gets a little personal and deep. It is a little insight into why researching the paranormal has been such an important and big part of my life in recent years.
July is always a bit of a strange month for me. It is a time when I am often reminded of one of the major events in my life which would later be a major part of why I am here writing about the paranormal today I had always had an interest in the paranormal, but unlike many of you, I never had an experience as a young child that set forward my path. I had my first experience when I was 21 years old after my Grandfather passed away, but it wasn't until July 2013 that it feels like the wheels were set in motion for my journey into paranormal research.
10 years ago almost to the day, I had to have open surgery to remove a 9cm cyst from the tail of my pancreas. It also meant losing my spleen and 1/3 of my pancreas. It was originally supposed to be simple keyhole surgery, but due to a rupture early on, I had to have an emergency blood transfusion and they had to open me from my belly button up to my ribs. It left with me a pretty big scar up my torso, a forever reminder of what was a very tough time to follow. I was very ill after the surgery and I ended up with a collapsed lung all the while I had 1 and 2 year boys at home that I wouldn't let visit me for the first week due to the number of tubes and wires I had coming out of me. In fact, my 1-year-old learnt how to walk while I was in hospital. The day the DR came in and told me it was benign and not cancer was one of the best days of my life! The thing is, it could have all been avoided because I knew about what was then a 2cm cyst 6 years earlier but the DR told me not to worry about it and if I keep looking I will find all sorts of growths in my body. That was also the same day I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and he told me I couldn’t have kids and printed a sheet off from Google and sent me on my way. (Of course, after struggles I was blessed with two miracle boys!). My surgical team could not believe he didn’t take it seriously. Luckily for me, I was finally in good hands and I always have a huge amount of thanks to the people at Jesse Mac Private at Monash hospital. Not long after the surgery it was found that all the iodine from the many ct scans I had to have in a short amount of time possibly awoke an autoimmune disease I had hiding - Hashimoto's thyroid disease. It would have happened at some point anyway, it was just bad timing. It was also around this time I fell into depression. I suppose it is not surprising given everything I had been through. My husband who had been very patient with me told me one day I needed to get out of bed and just do something ... anything and he would support me. He just wanted to see me happy. I remember visiting the DR and talking to him about how I was feeling. He told me I needed to find my passion. Maybe I could take photos of landscapes he suggested.
If I fast forward a few months, my brother asked me if I wanted to attend a paranormal investigation. I had always wanted to, but I had been a little scared. I had watched a lot of shows like Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted, so I was intrigued that it was something I could actually go out and do myself! While 10 years doesn't seem like a long time ago, the paranormal field itself was very different back then and not as well known or as easy to access as it is now. It was still quite taboo then and even when I mentioned it to people, there were a lot of looks and comments like "What is wrong with you?". Long story short, I did go on an investigation and like many of you, I caught the bug. I was out investigating every single week. I had unknowingly found my passion, or perhaps it found me? After about a year of adventures, I decided that I wanted to start a blog and write about the paranormal field the only way I knew how. I am a very matter-of-fact, tell-it-like-it-is sort of person, and that is how I wanted to write my blog. I had wanted to write a blog for years, but I had no idea what to write about. I had found the perfect idea! I wanted to give people an honest insight into what it was like being a paranormal investigator. There weren't a lot of paranormal blogs around at that time (at least not to the level there are today). It also helped that it was somewhat early in my paranormal journey so that people have been able to see my growth in research over the years. In some ways, I felt like I could connect with people as we were exploring the unknown together.
It was this blog that completely changed my life. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had found myself. I was happy and I was fulfilled on a creative level. I had always wanted to be a journalist and in the media. I even studied broadcast journalism after I left school, however, the ethics never sat well with me and I didn't pursue it. My blog allowed me to write about the things I wanted to write about in a way I wanted to write about it. I don't make money from the blog so there is no pressure, no outside influence, it is just me doing my thing on my terms. I have worked my tail off. I write pretty much every day, I am always researching, and there is a lot of work behind the scenes just to keep things running. It is honestly a true love job. As a result, I have managed to achieve some really cool things. I have been nominated for awards, made top blog lists and found an audience from all corners of the World. I even realised a lifelong dream of writing a book, which soon turned into 4 and counting. I know my books are never going to make best-seller lists but that was never the intention behind them. They were more for me than anyone else. If people read them and enjoy them, well that is just a bonus!
So when July rolls around each year I am transported back to 10 years ago before I found the paranormal and my blog. I realise just how far I have come and how very important the blog is to me. It is my escape. It is my love. It is my passion. Of course, I experience drama, pushback, jealousy and people sometimes think I am handed things because I write for a couple of magazines. Some days I will have little to no hits on my website and it does feel like what is the point of continuing if no one reads it? The truth is, I just work really really hard. I work really hard because I love it and it doesn't feel like work. I will write whether there are 10 readers or 100. That's it! It has become a part of me.
After the 'spleen incident,' I went on to have a further 3 surgeries to remove endometriosis (something that took 15 years to get diagnosed and not through lack of trying) and 5 years ago I had to have a hysterectomy in order to become a functioning human again. Some days are a struggle to even function and I often forget about everything I have been through (or I choose not to think about it) but if I can get through all of that, I can do anything and I absolutely plan to! So this is where I take a moment to say to you, if there is something you want to do, it is never too late to start. We all deserve to be happy. Excuses are just that .... excuses! So it is time that we stop being our worst enemy and be a little selfish and do something for ourselves. Remember, self-care is not selfish! It turns out, the paranormal field is responsible for helping many people I know to achieve their own dreams. It is just a bonus it is on a topic that is something that they love doing! People have released books, filmed documentaries, been on radio, TV, started their own online stores or just taken the time to do something for themselves. This is the power of the paranormal field.
So what is it about the paranormal that allows you to fulfill a dream?
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Comments
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Kd Foreman 3 years ago
Glad you made it through that scary health time! Thanks for all your research and contributions :)
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Peter 3 years ago
Thanks for sharing that.
Life can throw some curve balls at times, however i am glad that things are looking up for you and you have now found your passion, being happy is an important step to being healthy. Some people never get that chance.
Thanks once again