Date of Defense

12-3-2007

Department

English

First Advisor

Marin Heinritz

Second Advisor

Kathleen Wong

Abstract

When I was diagnosed with a brain tumor two and a half years ago, I was already living a story. That story got interrupted and for the longest time, I struggled to understand how I would be able to pick up where I left off. The truth is I would never be able to go back and be the person I was before my surgery. Whether I was ready for it or not, I was handed a new map and a new destination. But, I was not ready to claim it as my own just yet; there was still much repair work to be done.

The repair work was accomplished through the writing of this memoir. Writing about my experience forced me to confront the things that were broken within me. That recognition was difficult for me to accept at times, but it was necessary. How else was I going to reclaim my body, let alone, my life? However, writing about my experience allowed me to recognize something else within me that for so long, I have been reluctant to see. Strength. As the words flowed from my fingers to the keys of the computer, my strength revealed itself to me for the first time. Any qualms that I had, regarding whether or not my own story was legitimate for a memoir, were quieted. I discovered that I had the strength, the last necessary tool, to complete the repair work on my shipwreck. Now that it's done, I am ready to take a look at that new map I was handed, and begin my journey forward to whatever destination it brings me to.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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