by April Shuler

Created on: May 21, 2009   Last Updated: May 25, 2009

As a child, all I could ever imagine was one day graduating from high school. Dream fulfilled. It seems as if life hands us one milestone after the other. The one thing our dreams doesn't tell us is what's in between the milestones.

When you are twelve years old, your dreams tell you everything is going to be great. What your dreams do not warn you about is what is going to happen before you accomplish them.

Dreams tell you you will walk down the walkway with your head held high at graduation. They do not tell you of the peer pressures that you will face, or the times you will want to give up before you make it there.

I'm not sure why we see everything to perfection, but we do. The peer pressures we endured only makes us stronger.

We are able to grasp life a little stronger. Dreams tell you you will one day get married to a fabulous person. You will walk down the aisle and everyone will see you in a gorgeous dress. They do not tell you that after that day you must come off your fairy tale life and face reality.

This is when life started for me. On the day I got married I stepped into the place of "wife." I also immediately stepped into the role of a mother. I'm not complaining, I thank God for them. I'm just trying to say when you see dreams you do not know what God has in store.

Dreams tell you you will conceive a child, or children. They do not tell you of the complications that can be involved with pregnancy.

I was 20 years old when I found out was pregnant. It was a dream all my life. You know seeing myself in baby stores shopping. All I ever wanted was a baby girl. I was ecstatic. I started shopping immediately for maternity clothes. I brought them home and couldn't wait to get into them. One day after a long day of shopping, and a doctor's appointment, I begin to feel very sick. All pregnant women get this so I was okay with it. My dreams even showed me this part of pregnancy. It's normal. So I thought.

I stopped eating because I was sick, thinking that would help the situation. No. It did not help me. I was constantly vomiting. After visiting the doctor, he sees I am very dehydrated and decides to admit me. I think, "This was not in my dreams." The hospital got some fluids in me and I go home. But the vomiting has not stopped. I remember it as if it was yesterday. "Mrs. Shuler, it appears if you have Hyperemesis gravidarum." What is that? Well, you certainly don't hear that in your dreams. You see I vomited 24 hours a day and ate nothing. My dreams had lied

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>