Magical Day

Today has been a magical day...

I apologize for not blogging this morning. I didn't do my usual routine this morning since I had a very difficult final this morning and I woke up at 5am to study for it.

My final exam went very well.. meaning that I am officially done with my Masters program and ready to move forward with my life.

The excitement and joy filled my body as I walked from the testing center to my apartment after finishing the exam. Not only that, but I was overjoyed that my mother was on her way to Gainesville for my graduation.

I am writing this after spending the latter half of the day with my mom, reminiscing about the past two times she was in Gainesville.

We worked on packing my apartment when I came across this form from my last hospitalization...

In case you can't read that, it says Patient lacks capacity to sign.

And that's the truth about mental illness...

It can get so bad that one cannot function or do what they need to do.

It's hard to think that 8 months ago, I was in the state where I couldn't even function enough to sign a hospital intake form.

But that's the truth.

But not the whole truth.

I have moved forward in a ton of ways...

I am what my therapist and psychiatrist call a success story. In a few days, I am graduating with my Matsers in Biomedical Engineering, despite 5 hospitalizations and dealing with severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar and PTSD) on a daily basis.

It has been a very hard road, but it has been worth every step of the way...

And it's not over yet.

Just a big step forward...

Let the festivities begin!