I finished IT!

I needed to writed a paper on alittle bit about me, my challenges, goals and what the 2013 West Coast U.S. National PARA-Dressage Traing Sypmposium for a Scholarship tution.  I am so grateful for a great base that I was inspired to write and the help of my loving daughter and husband!  Here is what I submitted today!

My name is Emily Sheffield and I am an up and coming Para rider. I have always had a passion for riding horses and playing soccer.  I knew as a young girl that I was sure I would go to the Olympics in soccer or horse riding.  But as I got older I found myself in a number of difficult family and health situations that derailed my dreams. It was not until my own children were old enough for me to send them to learn horse riding that I realized my passion had only been on hold, and was not gone. It’s funny how life can come back at you like that. 

Unfortunately, my renewed passion had still not come at an ideal time. Around that time I just undergone  three major surgeries on my stomach, esophagus, and gall bladder. I wasn't healing well after my third surgery. I had a sharp Gastrointeroligist doctor that concluded that I needed a brain CT scan.  Doctors’ found a mass in my brain that was operated on.  In that surgery a seven mm tumor was in the center of the brain with hydrocephalus, which would have eventually killed me, was mostly removed. To have the surgery I had left my family, three children ages three to fifteen, to go out of state to where the specialist who performed the operation is located. I stayed a month to recover before I was able to come home. Though I did my best to educate myself and stay positive through this time of challenge, I had to take the surgery option with a leap of faith!  

 I woke up from surgery a different woman. Before surgery my leg had started to buckle regularly beneath me when I walked, but after I was walking again!  I started to rehabilitate, and continued to do better.  But the recovery process after brain surgery is long. Even three years later I was still, to a certain degree, fragile. Which is why when my family and I were in a car crash during that time that they were able to walk away from it with little to no damage; but for me it resulted in a concussion, whip lash, memory loss, dizziness, headaches, balance issues, and contusions all throughout my body.  I had been suffering major vitamin deficiencies before the accident from damages caused by the three stomach surgeries and damage from tumor mentioned before, and this too contributed to the intensity of the injuries I sustained.  Additionally, doctors found that the plate that covered the burr hole cut into my skull for the brain surgery had sunk in and the screws where coming out of my head!  I literally had a few screws loose. This led to my second brain surgery.  It was after this brain surgery that I lost 70% of my balance, had more extensive short term memory challenges, as well as lost more of my comprehension, word retrieval,  organization,  and concentration capabilities. Whether as a result of the physical damages or the mental strain I now also cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, slurring words, depression, and anxiety. 

These, along with the worsening of my balance, my quality of life was steadily decreasing.  I was referred to a Hearing and Balance Center. They found that while most people have a number of ways to balance themselves, I was only able to balance using visual cues.   I was incredibly encouraged that, while there was some damage that can’t be reversed, much of it was that the brain had simply forgotten how to use the equilibrium and connection to brain and feet.  This meant I had to go to work!  I got to the point in my physical therapy that I needed to try to rehabilitate from off the ground.  It was here, finally, that my early and rediscovered passions were able to begin culminating into something real. .  Horse riding was a perfect fit!  I started, and enjoyed, hypo-therapy at a facility called Courage Reins. For three and a half years I worked to rehabilitate and was able to recover about  53% of my balance! One of the therapy techniques included being taught Biomedic dressage. I loved it!   It has been a key to where I am now. Although my other struggles persist, I do have greater balance back in my life, in both senses of the word.

My current trainer suggested Paralympics because she knew my dream of going to the Olympics. I have been thrilled with the idea and both of us haven't looked back! I understand that there is a process to qualify for the Paralympics.  The work that will be required in getting to my ultimate goal is not new to me.  I am excited to be a part of this Symposium because I know that my trainer and I will be able to be taught how to better qualify me as a Para Rider, continued team work with my trainer, where I am in my skills, and what tools I need in my journey.  

I hope you will consider me as a candidate for this scholarship.