Perhaps this experience is meant to teach all of us to appreciate our emotions and the freedom to express them. I realize now how carefree I was before all of this happened—getting involved with the wrong people and placing my trust in those who didn't deserve it. Looking back, I think I would have been the happiest person in the world simply living a quiet, peaceful life. Back then, I had no idea how precious it was just to be healthy, not to spend months waiting to recover. I was so happy, and it's heartbreaking to realize that I didn't truly understand or appreciate it. Instead, I wasted my energy worrying about trivial things. I guess you only truly understand the value of something when you have something to compare it to. This has been the most painful lesson I could have learned