Healing the Heart

This collection of poetry represents my journey of the last twelve years. Having Vasculitis, a rare illness, made me appreciate life even more. I never thought I would be the one fighting a battle as a young mother. I took so much for granted; I was never thankful enough for basic skills such as walking, brushing teeth, or even standing. I started writing poetry as a way to validate my feelings and emotions. The world around me was starting to change. It was crumbling so fast, and it would not stop. I needed to see the light, not the darkness. Knowing the cure did not exist, I focused on healing.

The book has four sections: each one identifying a different time period during the journey. The first, Darkness, was the pre-diagnosis and early diagnosis stage. The second, Metamorphosis, was going through the diagnosis process. The third, Allure of the Light, was the acceptance stage. The last, Celebrating Life, was when the illness went dormant.