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Do you believe in fate? Some people believe in fate, that no matter what we do, what is meant to happen will happen. I never believed in fate. I always felt that we are responsible for our own futures. In 2008, that changed for me. My mother was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in 2006. She found out by accident. She got ill and went to the hospital and one of the tests showed she had one. The symptoms she had were unrelated. Anyhow they said given she was in her 80s, to wait and see. Almost immediately she had walking issues so she had to use a walker. Suddenly, about 2 years later, she rapidly declined. Over a 6 week period she went from walking with a walker to bedridden, having trouble moving her hands to eat. It was the scariest thing I ever saw. The reason I am bringing this up is that for things to turn out the way they have, many things had to fall into place: 1. She had to have been healthy enough until 2008 or close, to get the doctor she ended up with. That doctor removed the tumor and my mother learned to walk again. Again, we are talking about a woman who had lost her ability to walk and had to go to rehab to learn to walk again. Rehab gave up on her and said even though we'd like her to walk, she most likely won't. My sister cried. I said why are you crying? Ma WILL walk again. Her surgeon said she would and I knew my mother. It was at that moment I decided that things would change. We started having her do exercises during some of our visits. She went from doing 1.5 hours a week at rehab, to getting exercise done in the weekends as well, by us. The rehab facility admitted the extra exercise made the difference. She improved and when they let her leave, she had rehab at home. Her therapist was wonderful and had faith in her too. My mom has strength of mind like nobody else I've seen. By early 2009 she was walking again. I couldn't be more proud. The point of this part is to tell you that doctors AREN'T always right. She had a 2nd and 3rd opinion, both of which said to NOT have the operation that gave her back her life. We trusted the 1st opinion and her "super" doctor. Sorry for going on about all this but I really admire my mother's courage. 2. The doctor she went to in 2006, the one who said to wait, retired in 2008. 3. She went to another doctor in 2006 (her initial 2nd opinion about waiting and seeing) who was away during the 6 weeks my mother's condition rapidly worsened. My sister didn't accept being told to wait until he came back, so she was referred to one of his staff. 4. The doctor that performed her surgery was the best doctor one could have. She was working in London, England and came to Toronto only a year or so before. So, if my mother couldn't have waited until 2008, she would not have had this great neurosurgeon. So, everything fell into place and my mother is walking and happy. She does have memory loss from the brain surgery but outside of needing reminders due to that, she's doing well. She got her life back. If this wasn't fate, what is? Let's hear your stories and opinions. Elaine Shuel |
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It's never fate...it boils down to coincidence and God.  Elaine Shuel
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Like you say, this reads a lot like being an act of fate. I would side with fate rather than just a coincidence. Alfie...
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This is a difficult question. If you work hard and look after your health, your life is influenced by that. Is it fate? If you don't work hard or don't look after your health, your life is influenced by that. Is it fate? ....or am I missing something in your question?
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Like you say, this reads a lot like being an act of fate. I would side with fate rather than just a coincidence. Alfie... Elaine Shuel
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This is a difficult question. If you work hard and look after your health, your life is influenced by that. Is it fate? If you don't work hard or don't look after your health, your life is influenced by that. Is it fate? ....or am I missing something in your question? Elaine Shuel
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I agree with you, MySeek2day. Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it. Elaine Shuel
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If you find this subject interesting, and like airplanes, and old movies... checkout "Fate is the Hunter (1964)" on Youtube. Last weekend I saw "Jupiter Ascending" by invitation at a Theater in SF at a major sound lab. Personally I like Fate is the Hunter better. Favorite author too. Don't know if this is a true story, but even today in cockpits (yes I said it) worldwide the custom of handing pilots a drink of water or coffee around the outside of their seats makes sense after seeing this old movie. John Ford, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette & more! tim
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Sorry to hear about this happening to your mom, but I am really happy she is doing well. I don't know if it's fate, maybe just cases of being in the right place at the right time. As you know, if you read my first blog, my sister died from cancer, had surgery on her brain tumor and got a staph infection in the brain. I won't go into detail but staph is hard to cure because antibiotics can't break the blood/brain barrier, she had four more brain surgeries after that, and high doses of antibiotics as well, which weakened her immune system, along with chemo treatments. She was also a health nut, exercised, ate right, the whole nine yards, died anyway. I believe when it's our time to go, we go, and when that time comes for me, I'm not going to go through what she did.
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Thanks Pat, I guess it varies what one calls it. Some call it fate, as I do in my mother's case. Others call it the act of God. Either way I am so grateful that she's alright. I was amazed by her courage and I'm proud she's my mother. Elaine Shuel
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If you find this subject interesting, and like airplanes, and old movies... checkout "Fate is the Hunter (1964)" on Youtube. Last weekend I saw "Jupiter Ascending" by invitation at a Theater in SF at a major sound lab. Personally I like Fate is the Hunter better. Favorite author too. Don't know if this is a true story, but even today in cockpits (yes I said it) worldwide the custom of handing pilots a drink of water or coffee around the outside of their seats makes sense after seeing this old movie. John Ford, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette & more! tim I'm actually terrified of flying so airplane movies aren't really my cup of tea. For those that do enjoy it, thanks for telling them about this movie.  Elaine Shuel
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I can't speak for others boogie, but to me that's not fate. I think when things seem to mysteriously fall into place, to me that's fate. Thanks for participating in this post. Elaine Shuel
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Sorry to hear about this happening to your mom, but I am really happy she is doing well. I don't know if it's fate, maybe just cases of being in the right place at the right time. As you know, if you read my first blog, my sister died from cancer, had surgery on her brain tumor and got a staph infection in the brain. I won't go into detail but staph is hard to cure because antibiotics can't break the blood/brain barrier, she had four more brain surgeries after that, and high doses of antibiotics as well, which weakened her immune system, along with chemo treatments. She was also a health nut, exercised, ate right, the whole nine yards, died anyway. I believe when it's our time to go, we go, and when that time comes for me, I'm not going to go through what she did. My dad believed the same as you. When it's your time, it's your time and nothing you could do to stop it. Elaine Shuel
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Fair enough, Bill. Thanks for your comment. Elaine Shuel
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Sorry to hear about this happening to your mom, but I am really happy she is doing well. I don't know if it's fate, maybe just cases of being in the right place at the right time. As you know, if you read my first blog, my sister died from cancer, had surgery on her brain tumor and got a staph infection in the brain. I won't go into detail but staph is hard to cure because antibiotics can't break the blood/brain barrier, she had four more brain surgeries after that, and high doses of antibiotics as well, which weakened her immune system, along with chemo treatments. She was also a health nut, exercised, ate right, the whole nine yards, died anyway. I believe when it's our time to go, we go, and when that time comes for me, I'm not going to go through what she did. Elaine Shuel
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