Kimberly, thank you for your good wishes. It can be challenging to go through an experience like this, but it's a wake-up call. As you said, most of the time, we're just sleepwalking through life, never recognizing its true potential. Thank you for your kindness, Kimberly! 🌺
Sandra, this sounds frightening and exhausting, and I admire how calmly you stayed present through it all. Encounters like this have a way of stripping things back to what actually matters. I’m glad you’re feeling steadier now and listening closely to what your body is asking for.
George, thank you. As you say, experiences like this can be pivotal wake-up calls if we don't just return to cozy normal! I hope it will be for me. I appreciate your steady support!
Oh Wow ...Sandra... never a dull moment going down that bumpy road...except between the two points of when you arrive and when you get to leave ( the ER ) ... a surreal world ...yet somehow calming even in the chaos ... when you know you are in good hands....but I can`t yet imagine... how it felt for you.... the exact moment they told you ... you need a MRI because they found something " concerning" ....like we all know what that means ....to me ...that would feel like facing a firing squad....but yet it`s our own bodies .....
I also have just embarked on a similar journey ....one that I have been putting off since the fall --but moved like a tsunami today.... my breath....any exertion .. and I loose it... I thought I was just out of shape....you know...then we got a pretty nasty winter storm last week .. that left me hanging over my grocery cart in the middle of the parking lot..trying to catch my breath... any breath... ..felt like I was climbing Mt Everest with no oxygen ...
Met some really awesome people out there today on my rounds of blood work and also an EKG.... grateful for all those amazing souls out there ...we are very blessed indeed....
I`m glad your headaches are manageable... and surgery optional ...
Please keep us in the loop and Tx for sharing Sandra
Brenda, your trouble breathing sounds so scary! I'm glad you are finding awesome people as you explore what might be causing your trouble. Wishing you the best outcome and hoping you find relief soon.
My headaches are mostly gone, thank goodness! Thank you for your support and understanding. Yes, that moment when the nurse told me something concerning was found on the CT scan was when I went sideways for a short while. I can imagine how you must feel with the intensity of your symptoms and as you seek help. Sending love and prayers! ❤️🙏
Tx so much Sandra... ya .. there is a definitely a line you cross when your looking down the barrel of what feels like own mortality.... everything shifts... sideways -- exactly.....
Actually was feelin a whole lot better today... ( maybe my little 6 mg iron gummies are starting to do some heavy lifting..) managed to shovel driveway twice today and that was unheard of last week....
Oh, Sandra, I'm so sorry you had such a scare. And I'm relieved to hear that, overall, you're doing so much better and that you are indeed taking care of yourself and healing.
Scary. I like how you keep your fear under control through awareness of the meaningful aspects of what you're going through. With any luck, I've picked up some tips from you that will help me through my next medical episode.
Tahm, thank you! I hope it can help if you go through a medical episode. I wish you wouldn't suffer one, but having a human body makes that unlikely for most of us. All the best to you in the coming year! 🙏
Do you know how to close out a year or what?! 😉 I am so sorry you went through all of this, Sandra! The fact that you could stay relatively calm over your 7 hours in the hospital speaks volumes of the healing work you have done. I hope you recognize that. 💝
Cathy, that gave me a good laugh! Humor can be the best medicine. Honestly, I'm surprised by how calm I remained because anxiety has become so big over the last year. But I've been learning how to be present when it visits, and that has indeed been part of my healing work! Grateful for our connection here on Substack. 🙏
This sounds scary as hell Sandra and the emergency area environment sure didn't help. It sounds more like a MASH unit.
I'm glad you're OK
Your story brought up a memory for me of having a procedure done by a gynecologist, a woman btw. It hurt like hell and for the first time I understood how important the emotional part of healing is. I wished my husband was with me or a good friend. Just someone to hold my hand and reassure me that I'm not alone. We treat medicine the way we treat fixing cars but human beings are not cars. Even my cats are treated with more kindness when I take them to the vet.
Not criticizing the people in the ER. I've no doubt they're doing their best and they're probably understaffed. My comment is a more general observation on how we think about health care in our country.
Last point: you ARE healing and if only by intention. May 2026 be a year that includes fun and joy for you.
Judy, that's such a great point about how cats are treated with more kindness when we take them to the Vet. I just did that yesterday, in fact, and my cat, Chitta, received so much loving assurance. The ER staff are not bad people. Many are just overwhelmed by the workload; some are working 12-hour shifts. I'm grateful the news was positive, and I learned many lessons during this experience, even if many were practical, like bringing warmer clothes. Thank you for the reminder that I am healing! My whole life is about healing and going deeper spiritually. Thanks for the good wishes for 2026, and wishing the same for you! 🥂
Sandra, I just want to say how moved I was by this—and how much I admire the calm, grounded way you held such an unsettling experience. Your ability to stay curious, compassionate, and hopeful in the face of real uncertainty says so much about the inner work you’ve clearly done over time.
Thank you for sharing this so openly. I know it will help others feel less alone and more trusting of their own capacity to meet whatever arises. Wishing you continued steadiness, gentle healing, and ease as you move forward. 💛
Debbie, thank you so much for acknowledging how much it took to go through this unsettling experience. Last year, it felt like layer after layer was being peeled off. Will see how it goes in 2026. I wouldn't mind a few easier months this year!
I hope this will help others meet whatever rises. We can't escape uncertainty or unsettling experiences; at some point, they will confront us. We can only do our best.
Thank you for your good wishes. I appreciate you and how you've managed to thrive after the most difficult circumstances. Wishing you the very best in 2026. 🥂
Thank you, Gayle! I appreciate your support. For me, it always comes down to the lessons learned, even if they're practical, like what to wear to the ER! Thank you for connecting! 🙏
Oh Sandra, your year has started off with a jolt! But it appears you are adjusting well. 🙏You’re the 4th person I know who’s been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I’d only early heard of them before, and usually through the news media. How odd this seams to me …🤷♀️
Prayers lifted that your health journey improves along with your overall recovery.
The monks from Walk for Peace are nearby today so I may try and visit them this evening during their night stay. They live steam some of their journey, if you’re interested.
Kat, that was quite a jolt! I'm so grateful the brain tumor is benign and also not affecting any functions in my brain. How unusual that you know four people who have been diagnosed with brain tumors! Thanks for your prayers and well wishes!
I've seen images of the monks on Facebook. How wonderful that you may be able to visit them this evening!
I'm so grateful for your presence here! Wishing you a beautiful year! 🌺
As the Greatful Dead sang, "What a long strange trip it's been." Experiences in the ER are always intense, and the staff don't seem to mind the chaos nor are they mindful of our fears. May you thrive for many, many years in good health.
Bonnie, the Greatful Dead got that right! It's amazing how some people can thrive in that adrenaline-filled environment. Thank you for your good wishes! Wishing you a beautiful year! 🌺
Good Lord this was a bit of a harrowing read. Damn you Pema! Sandra, I'm glad you are okay enough? - and sending you all the kind, loving vibes I can muster.
Bronte, Thanks for sticking it through! I seem to have various symptoms continuing to pop up, but acupuncture helps, and yes, I am good. Thank you for those kind, loving vibes. Wishing you the best year possible! 🙏
Oh Sandra, this was so intense for you. As one who also had a recent brush with my mortality, I read every word with extreme interest. I'm so glad for the outcome. And I related to being freezing cold. Those heated blankets are the best.
Charlotte, it sounds like you've also had a recent ER visit. I'm sorry to hear that and hope it wasn't too awful and that you are doing okay now. We survived and have a new year ahead of us for more writing, more love, and being! Wishing you a long life and the very best this year. ❤️
I did land in the ER and my experience was a bit different than yours. I was having chest pains and when that is the case they deal with you immediately. Turns out I was having a heart attack (I was convinced it was gas) and ended up having stents put in. I was lucky to have incredible nurses in the ICU. And I feel so lucky and blessed to be alive. Again, I love those heated blankets! When I was in the OR my lips were chattering I was so cold so I feel for you that you were freezing for hours. And I'm so glad we are both here to tell the tale.
Charlotte, OMG, that sounds 10x worse than my 7 hours in ER. I’m so glad you got yourself to the ER, and you received medical care immediately. That is surely a real brush with mortality. I’m so glad you survived and will continue to bless us with your writing and the world with your goodness. How amazing that we have medical procedures like stents that keep us going. My sister had one put in last year. Prayers for your long life! 🙏
Oh jeeze Sandra, this sounds like a brutal experience. And as ever, you are treating it as a learning. I'm in awe of you x
May you be free from mental and physical suffering. Glad you shared this story - old age, sickness, death — sometimes doesn’t seem real. Until it is.
Kimberly, thank you for your good wishes. It can be challenging to go through an experience like this, but it's a wake-up call. As you said, most of the time, we're just sleepwalking through life, never recognizing its true potential. Thank you for your kindness, Kimberly! 🌺
Sandra, this sounds frightening and exhausting, and I admire how calmly you stayed present through it all. Encounters like this have a way of stripping things back to what actually matters. I’m glad you’re feeling steadier now and listening closely to what your body is asking for.
George, thank you. As you say, experiences like this can be pivotal wake-up calls if we don't just return to cozy normal! I hope it will be for me. I appreciate your steady support!
Oh Wow ...Sandra... never a dull moment going down that bumpy road...except between the two points of when you arrive and when you get to leave ( the ER ) ... a surreal world ...yet somehow calming even in the chaos ... when you know you are in good hands....but I can`t yet imagine... how it felt for you.... the exact moment they told you ... you need a MRI because they found something " concerning" ....like we all know what that means ....to me ...that would feel like facing a firing squad....but yet it`s our own bodies .....
I also have just embarked on a similar journey ....one that I have been putting off since the fall --but moved like a tsunami today.... my breath....any exertion .. and I loose it... I thought I was just out of shape....you know...then we got a pretty nasty winter storm last week .. that left me hanging over my grocery cart in the middle of the parking lot..trying to catch my breath... any breath... ..felt like I was climbing Mt Everest with no oxygen ...
Met some really awesome people out there today on my rounds of blood work and also an EKG.... grateful for all those amazing souls out there ...we are very blessed indeed....
I`m glad your headaches are manageable... and surgery optional ...
Please keep us in the loop and Tx for sharing Sandra
Brenda, your trouble breathing sounds so scary! I'm glad you are finding awesome people as you explore what might be causing your trouble. Wishing you the best outcome and hoping you find relief soon.
My headaches are mostly gone, thank goodness! Thank you for your support and understanding. Yes, that moment when the nurse told me something concerning was found on the CT scan was when I went sideways for a short while. I can imagine how you must feel with the intensity of your symptoms and as you seek help. Sending love and prayers! ❤️🙏
Tx so much Sandra... ya .. there is a definitely a line you cross when your looking down the barrel of what feels like own mortality.... everything shifts... sideways -- exactly.....
Actually was feelin a whole lot better today... ( maybe my little 6 mg iron gummies are starting to do some heavy lifting..) managed to shovel driveway twice today and that was unheard of last week....
Brenda, I'm thrilled to hear you're doing better, even shoveling the driveway. Yay, iron gummies.
Oh, Sandra, I'm so sorry you had such a scare. And I'm relieved to hear that, overall, you're doing so much better and that you are indeed taking care of yourself and healing.
Paulette, Thanks for your kindness and support. We never know what's going to happen next in life! Wishing you a wonderful year!
And to you, Sandra.
Scary. I like how you keep your fear under control through awareness of the meaningful aspects of what you're going through. With any luck, I've picked up some tips from you that will help me through my next medical episode.
Tahm, thank you! I hope it can help if you go through a medical episode. I wish you wouldn't suffer one, but having a human body makes that unlikely for most of us. All the best to you in the coming year! 🙏
Do you know how to close out a year or what?! 😉 I am so sorry you went through all of this, Sandra! The fact that you could stay relatively calm over your 7 hours in the hospital speaks volumes of the healing work you have done. I hope you recognize that. 💝
Cathy, that gave me a good laugh! Humor can be the best medicine. Honestly, I'm surprised by how calm I remained because anxiety has become so big over the last year. But I've been learning how to be present when it visits, and that has indeed been part of my healing work! Grateful for our connection here on Substack. 🙏
So happy I could bring a laugh. We need more laughter!! I am grateful for our connection here, as well!
This sounds scary as hell Sandra and the emergency area environment sure didn't help. It sounds more like a MASH unit.
I'm glad you're OK
Your story brought up a memory for me of having a procedure done by a gynecologist, a woman btw. It hurt like hell and for the first time I understood how important the emotional part of healing is. I wished my husband was with me or a good friend. Just someone to hold my hand and reassure me that I'm not alone. We treat medicine the way we treat fixing cars but human beings are not cars. Even my cats are treated with more kindness when I take them to the vet.
Not criticizing the people in the ER. I've no doubt they're doing their best and they're probably understaffed. My comment is a more general observation on how we think about health care in our country.
Last point: you ARE healing and if only by intention. May 2026 be a year that includes fun and joy for you.
Judy, that's such a great point about how cats are treated with more kindness when we take them to the Vet. I just did that yesterday, in fact, and my cat, Chitta, received so much loving assurance. The ER staff are not bad people. Many are just overwhelmed by the workload; some are working 12-hour shifts. I'm grateful the news was positive, and I learned many lessons during this experience, even if many were practical, like bringing warmer clothes. Thank you for the reminder that I am healing! My whole life is about healing and going deeper spiritually. Thanks for the good wishes for 2026, and wishing the same for you! 🥂
Sandra, I just want to say how moved I was by this—and how much I admire the calm, grounded way you held such an unsettling experience. Your ability to stay curious, compassionate, and hopeful in the face of real uncertainty says so much about the inner work you’ve clearly done over time.
Thank you for sharing this so openly. I know it will help others feel less alone and more trusting of their own capacity to meet whatever arises. Wishing you continued steadiness, gentle healing, and ease as you move forward. 💛
Debbie, thank you so much for acknowledging how much it took to go through this unsettling experience. Last year, it felt like layer after layer was being peeled off. Will see how it goes in 2026. I wouldn't mind a few easier months this year!
I hope this will help others meet whatever rises. We can't escape uncertainty or unsettling experiences; at some point, they will confront us. We can only do our best.
Thank you for your good wishes. I appreciate you and how you've managed to thrive after the most difficult circumstances. Wishing you the very best in 2026. 🥂
So scary, Sandra! I’m glad you’re okay and that you learned a lot of helpful things from the experience, at least. This will help others, too!
Thank you, Gayle! I appreciate your support. For me, it always comes down to the lessons learned, even if they're practical, like what to wear to the ER! Thank you for connecting! 🙏
Oh Sandra, your year has started off with a jolt! But it appears you are adjusting well. 🙏You’re the 4th person I know who’s been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I’d only early heard of them before, and usually through the news media. How odd this seams to me …🤷♀️
Prayers lifted that your health journey improves along with your overall recovery.
The monks from Walk for Peace are nearby today so I may try and visit them this evening during their night stay. They live steam some of their journey, if you’re interested.
Walk for Peace, check it out.
Well wishes and big hugs!
Kat, that was quite a jolt! I'm so grateful the brain tumor is benign and also not affecting any functions in my brain. How unusual that you know four people who have been diagnosed with brain tumors! Thanks for your prayers and well wishes!
I've seen images of the monks on Facebook. How wonderful that you may be able to visit them this evening!
I'm so grateful for your presence here! Wishing you a beautiful year! 🌺
As the Greatful Dead sang, "What a long strange trip it's been." Experiences in the ER are always intense, and the staff don't seem to mind the chaos nor are they mindful of our fears. May you thrive for many, many years in good health.
Bonnie, the Greatful Dead got that right! It's amazing how some people can thrive in that adrenaline-filled environment. Thank you for your good wishes! Wishing you a beautiful year! 🌺
You as well!
Good Lord this was a bit of a harrowing read. Damn you Pema! Sandra, I'm glad you are okay enough? - and sending you all the kind, loving vibes I can muster.
Bronte, Thanks for sticking it through! I seem to have various symptoms continuing to pop up, but acupuncture helps, and yes, I am good. Thank you for those kind, loving vibes. Wishing you the best year possible! 🙏
Oh Sandra, this was so intense for you. As one who also had a recent brush with my mortality, I read every word with extreme interest. I'm so glad for the outcome. And I related to being freezing cold. Those heated blankets are the best.
Charlotte, it sounds like you've also had a recent ER visit. I'm sorry to hear that and hope it wasn't too awful and that you are doing okay now. We survived and have a new year ahead of us for more writing, more love, and being! Wishing you a long life and the very best this year. ❤️
I did land in the ER and my experience was a bit different than yours. I was having chest pains and when that is the case they deal with you immediately. Turns out I was having a heart attack (I was convinced it was gas) and ended up having stents put in. I was lucky to have incredible nurses in the ICU. And I feel so lucky and blessed to be alive. Again, I love those heated blankets! When I was in the OR my lips were chattering I was so cold so I feel for you that you were freezing for hours. And I'm so glad we are both here to tell the tale.
Charlotte, OMG, that sounds 10x worse than my 7 hours in ER. I’m so glad you got yourself to the ER, and you received medical care immediately. That is surely a real brush with mortality. I’m so glad you survived and will continue to bless us with your writing and the world with your goodness. How amazing that we have medical procedures like stents that keep us going. My sister had one put in last year. Prayers for your long life! 🙏
Every day now I repeat--modern medicine is a miracle. It really is! And I'm so happy for your sister. Thank you for your prayers!
Welcome back! How regular will you be posting free content here now?
Claire, Thanks for the warm welcome! I'll be posting every two weeks, and all my content will be free for now.