I’m so not there yet.

by Kyeli on May 24, 2010

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with a surgeon.

This was supposed to be a post about triumph over fear and regaining hope.

But I’m not there.

I keep hoping I’ll get there. But it’s not happening – not yet. I’m so angry and sad about my situation, and I can’t get past it to get better.

All of it. The pain, the fear, the lack of hope and faith. Having to pee so frequently that I don’t even want to watch a movie or go to parties or go to the store. Waking up a zillion times every single night because I can’t go more than an hour without peeing. I need to pee immediately, as soon as the urge hits, or it starts to hurt really badly – and sometimes, it hurts even then. If I cough or sneeze, it hurts – and makes me feel like my uterus is going to be forcibly ejected, and makes me immediately need to rush to the bathroom to pee. Even if I just fucking did, five minutes ago.

And that’s in addition to the constant hormonal wackiness, the mood swings, and the mild-to-hardcore cramping. And the random cravings for meat and other weird foods, and the raw hunger if I don’t eat every few hours – and not being able to eat even half of what I used to at a time, but still not losing any weight. And being tired all the time, and needing lots of extra sleep. And having little energy for anything.

Emotionally, I’m all over the place. I managed to isolate myself from my friends, because half of them are pregnant and it breaks my heart to hear them talk about baby stuff all the time – and I know I’m a total drag to be around because half the time I’m depressed and the other half I’m stressed. Or in the bathroom.

And then there’s the spiritual side. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with my broken heart and disconnected spirituality for months now. I want to trust, I want to fall – I want to say, “Here I am! I can’t do this anymore! Help!” I want to surrender.

As I said to Mark Silver, I feel like a tiny wooden boat, lost at sea on a stormy night, and the waves are beating me and tossing me about – and I know the answer. I know I need to sink the boat, and let the waves take me, and immerse myself in the great sea.

But I’m so incredibly fucking terrified.

I’ve been there before, when I was raped by my then-partner and wound up pregnant. I felt that the baby was Spirit’s way of saying, “I’m so sorry for your pain. Here is some hope. Have faith.” I even named her Faith.

And then I miscarried. And I spent months – over a year, in fact – in this same dark place of hopelessness and faithlessness and despair. The night I was losing the baby, I laid on the floor of our sanctuary – our holiest of holy places in our home – and begged Spirit not to take her, to no avail. But then, over years of work and finding the Reclaiming community in Chicago, becoming a core member/leader there, and years of self-work, I found my faith again. It’s never been the same, though, to be honest. There’s always been this sense of… “I wish I was more spiritual… but ((insert various reasons here)).”

And now this.

Now, I find myself frantic and desperate for a spiritual connection, to know that there is love and not just an endless series of horrible things that will break me until I fall completely apart… and at the same time, I’m filled with fear just at the thought of reaching out again. Or drilling the hole, as it were.

I don’t even know where to begin to get better.

Maybe tomorrow, maybe making progress toward healing the physical will help the rest of it fall into place. Maybe all I need is time.

I don’t know.


Have you read the Connection Manifesto? It tells the story of why there is so much hurt and sadness in the world, and how we can heal through connection.

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

Claire May 24, 2010 at 11:53 am

Dearest Brave Woman,
Bravo to you for sharing, for staying as open as possible, for feeling honestly and having a gaping hole and not filling it up with crap. Bravo to you for enjoying the parts of your life that are enjoyable and sharing those as well.
We are with you.
Blessings,
Another Brave Woman

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Chris Anthony May 24, 2010 at 12:21 pm

Claire speaks my mind.

I wanted to address one point: “I know I’m a total drag to be around.”

That may be so, but if my experience holds, the people who love you and care about you would rather have you around half-depressed and half-stressed than not have you around at all. You may be a drag, but you’re their drag. (Ever hear “He’s Not Heavy, He’s My Brother”? Same thing.)


.-= Chris Anthony´s last blog ..Three Easy Steps Google Uses to Turn People into Evangelists =-.

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Ali Hale May 24, 2010 at 12:23 pm

Oh Kyeli. :-( That sounds so awful and exhausting and terrifying. I can’t say anything trite like I know what you’re going through, because I don’t, I can’t even imagine it. But I just wanted to reach out somehow and say that you’re loved, and that people care, and that I truly hope things will start getting brighter tomorrow. xx
.-= Ali Hale´s last blog ..Screwing Things Up Isn’t So Bad =-.

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Dee May 24, 2010 at 12:44 pm

Oh sweetie! I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. But you WILL get through it. Know that you are loved. *HUGS*

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Sheila May 24, 2010 at 12:57 pm

I hope the surgery will go well for you and you will find the healing you need. Peace be with you.

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Bre May 24, 2010 at 2:27 pm

I have never once, in all my years of knowing you, thought for even a milisecond that you were a drag to be around. And I never will. I love you.

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James | Dancing Geek May 24, 2010 at 3:26 pm

There is nothing I can say. But I need to leave a mark to let you know that I’m connected to you.

I’m the same but different, and you help me. Thank you for that.

If you want it, you have my complete permission to feel like you’re not there. And whilst you’re here, and not there, here is all the love I can send you, like a thin ribbon, it may not look much but it goes on and on and on.
.-= James | Dancing Geek´s last blog ..Antipode =-.

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Michelle May 24, 2010 at 6:42 pm

*hugs* I don’t know what else to say that won’t sound really trite or silly or whatever, but I hope you feel better and I hope the surgery goes well and I offer many hugs.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Marvelous Monday! =-.

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Cab May 24, 2010 at 9:55 pm

Thank you for being the true you. I feel your pain but know not the depth. Weather the storm girl. May your compass be true.
.-= Cab´s last blog ..Hmmm… =-.

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Michael May 25, 2010 at 8:46 am

Hugs, Ky. You are loved.

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Heather the Great May 25, 2010 at 10:48 am

I have for a long time now found you to be a magnificent light in a dim world, and still do, even if you don’t remember it’s within you. I love you very much, Kyeli. And I’ll take you to tea even if you get up every 5 minutes. :)

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Ellie Di May 25, 2010 at 10:54 am

It’s okay not to be there yet. No one is rushing you to be there, so don’t feel guilty on top of everything else you’re sorting out. Loads of people (including me) are thinking warm, fuzzy happy thoughts for you and just want you to be happy. However long that takes. It’s all about you, doll. <3
.-= Ellie Di´s last blog ..Plus-Size Model Angela Jones Tells Her Body Story =-.

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Kylie May 25, 2010 at 12:09 pm

Hugs and support for you right now. I’m glad to see that you’re voicing how you feel. Here, on Twitter, to loved ones. Keep it up. You’re wonderful.
.-= Kylie´s last blog ..the ultimate nineties rock playlist =-.

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Jessica May 25, 2010 at 2:08 pm

Kyeli – {{hugs}} for all the hard in your life right now. Just wanted to be another voice of support for you in this trying time. You are strong and brave even if you don’t feel it right now.
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..Wherein I convince myself that I am not a snake oil salesman even if I’m afraid my Not Right People might think I am =-.

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Rachelle Mee-Chapman May 26, 2010 at 7:50 am

Kyeli –

I’m a firm believer that RAGING is an essential spiritual discipline. Injustice, pain, sorrowful stuff…Anyone who notices that and raises thier voice to the heavens (or the blogsphere), well they are doing some good solid prayer in my book!

Once a sage teacher of mine — Eugene Peterson — said to me “God [or Spirit or the Universe or your-language-here] can handle your anger.” Same with your sorrow. Or your lostness. Being present to those…naming them and acknowledging them like you have here with us…that’s one brave spiritual discipline/practice.

As is the deep desire to create…

As is transparency…

As is community building…

As is solitude…

You seem pretty spiritual to me, love.

In your corner,

Rachelle
.-= Rachelle Mee-Chapman´s last blog ..New Spaces, Reduced Price =-.

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