Me, Mom & brother, Nick :: Me & Dad :: Me & Brent :: Just Me
{Me}
My name is Chelsea and my life can be separated into two major time periods, with the dividing moment my diagnosis of Leukemia on January 13, 2000. Everything following that day has been drastically different than the 12 preceding years. Since my diagnosis I have endured 15 surgeries, 4 of which were knee surgeries, total body irradiation, chemotherapy, hair loss, a cord blood transplant, and many, many resulting complications and procedures.
In 2005, I was able to graduate high school on track and attended San Francisco State University as a pre-nursing major. The city provided a haven of friends, culture, new experiences, much needed independence, and the delayed and missed experiences of someone my age.
In June 2008 I moved from San Francisco to Southern California for another knee surgery. Living with my aunt and uncle in San Clemente, this surgery has delivered both extreme pain and joy, both unexpected in different respects. But to focus on the joy, after 3 months of physical therapy I began dating my physical therapist. I couldn't do it without Brent, my friends and my family by my side.
{The Blog - Hearts & Scars}
Scars hold a connotation of ugliness, suffering, and pain. For me, each of the many scars from my various surgeries tells its own story of the source and circumstance through which it was formed, representative of my strength through adversity. In contrast, hearts provoke thoughts of beauty, love, and the more tangible representation of pumping life through our bodies. I have found a myriad of joy and love through the relationships and experiences formed throughout the adversity I have faced.
This blog is a medium through which I can express the the hearts and the scars - the good & the bad, the pretty & the ugly - the yin & yang of my life. These seemingly disjunct, opposite ideas are interconnected, forming my day-to-day experiences and making me who I am.
To contact me, email me at clchamness@gmail.com
