I would like to start off and let everybody know that I chose to make this in this thread because some of you I know and started a journey and some of you I don't know but we'll meet you on my new. In September of 2016 I was surfing the internet and ran across the site call Reef2Reef I was so excited I instantly logged on and I felt like a nerd and mounds and mounds of information I was so excited I had so many questions so many things unanswered and I found a place to ask them. some of you know... I even got an award for posting 100 post within 24 hours of logging on to the site. I was a little kid heaven in an adult body. I started my journey there I was acquiring tanks, building stands, learning what I needed, asking questions having so many people help me with the knowledge and the patience to guide a new saltwater person into the Salt Water World. This was my new heaven my adult children moved away from home and I jumped in with both feet I wanted to know everything I wanted to build what I thought would be amazing for me. I was so excited I would spend hours upon hours everyday reading threads I would make it my daily goal to greet new people that signed on with a warm and welcoming greeting telling them what an amazing place and devoted the people on this site were. And I was happy to welcome them to their new home on reef2reef. At this point this story will get emotional but I feel that God helped me with this and it needed to be said. So if you are still reading this hold on to your seat and then you will understand why I am new still but starting again with needing those kind people that slowly thought me the mechanics and chemistry to bark on my new journey. At this point it was early December of 2016 I was in everything full force, I wanted to help others like I had been shown my many here at reef2reef. Some of the friends I had made were very amazing and I had told them that I was retired but had MS. I had had it for about 11 years at that point so it was nothing big to me. I was just so happy with learning about reef2reef that I found my happy place I guess you would say. Well get a box of kleenex because you will need it. Just a couple of weeks till Christmas I'm on the site more then ever now. Getting my Secret Santa stuff going working with toys 4 tots. I was in total bliss. This is where you learn that God places things in your path for a reason. 11 days till Christmas I was not feeling well, hey I'm a tough Ole lady I can push through, that was not my case......within 4 days I was placed in the hospital unsure what was going on but loving reef2reef as much as I did I had it on my phone....lol ya it's a girl thing I had to have my nose there. We'll a few days passed and to my suprise things just got worse and worse, when dealing with a person's central nervous system I had Dr's waiting in lines. The unthinkable was happening.....2 almost 3 weeks in the hospital my nervous system was starting to shut my organs down, I struggled but I had my phone and I was able to see my favourite thread on ID ing things. Well at week 4 there was little hope it was being addressed that my life was coming to a close, I have seen pictures of my children at my bedside with me hooked up to everything your mind could imagine at this point. I would come in and out briefly, I was slowly fading. I do remember a few things but not much. My night nurse had learned about my obsession and the friends I had made at reef2reef so I have stories that she and my son's would take turns reading me threads on this sight to hoping it would give my brain stimulation. SEE NOW I'M CRYING.....it was week 5, only my mother and children and grandchildren were allowed in my room it was that time they felt that they needed to say what only Thier hearts felt. See being new on this site reef2reef my children didn't know how to let anybody know what had happened... I believe that I have friends here that wondered it was as if I disappeared. Well I can tell you this......I woke for a moment and I remember somebody talking about Brissel worms but then I faded out. Week 6. I could hear the ticking of machines but I remember very vividly.....I was starting to wake but my vision was gone, I laid there thinking about all the amazing people that were trying to help me understand the chemistry of saltwater aquariums. Now really think about it. For some reason God placed reef2reef in my mind...I was laughing in my mind about silly comments in different threads. All I can remember is grasping for air but all I grabbed were tubes. My son was yelling, people were flying around, BUT a very wise man from this site told me one time. " I know you are new to saltwater but take it in one breath at a time. It will not overwhelm you at that point" that is all I remember in my mind. I woke. 6 weeks and 4 days my organs were starting to slowly function, I had every doctor under the sun in my room when I opened my eyes after 3 weeks of being unconscious. Week 7 I walked on my 2 feet out of the hospital not knowing how it all happened but I can tell you this......I was new here once and by the grace of God and family, I am back. I was able to make my first outing from this mess to the post office to mail a gift to a member on reef2reef. It was the best feeling ever. Now I do have some mild memory issues so this is where I am new again. I have spent the last 2 weeks reading every post I made on reef2reef, every comment made. I believe in my heart that this site reef2reef and the amazing wonderful people here helped pull me through the hardest challenge of my life. BUT I AM Back with 102 questions, so I am here again to learn and restart my saltwater journey again. I have a special thanks you to everyone here at reef2reef I hope you understand that the things you do here go so much further then a post.
This is where I will stop and say to every newcomer.......Welcome to your new home it will find a place in your heart.
All my thoughts and yes I'm still going to talk a lot. Vanessa.
This is where I will stop and say to every newcomer.......Welcome to your new home it will find a place in your heart.
All my thoughts and yes I'm still going to talk a lot. Vanessa.
Christmas Diesel blue LED flashlight that so many ppl awarded you for it.
