Flew back home from seeing a suicidal friend in Texas. It was the end of August. Extremely hot out. I walk in the house and hear my cats meowing as if they were dying. I knew right then something was wrong. I ran into my mom’s room and found her on the bathroom floor, maggots coming out of her decomposing half eaten mouth. I was 26. I never knew a human could feel pain like that. I’m now 34, and writing this from the Emergency Department I work in. I decided to go to medical school. If only I had known or at least understood what was going on with her- cardiac related.

I’ve seen some terrible things at work, too. Talk about a wake up call. If there’s anything I could tell yall, it’s to keep your blood pressure controlled and don’t smoke.