How my Tweeps Saved Me

Yesterday, I was talking to a new Twitter friend I've made in the past year. She was sharing some of her struggles with me and venting a bit. I told her that it was okay not to long ago, it was me in her shoes. I started to write this blog yesterday and ran out of time. Something happened this morning that showed me it was time to share.

In order to tell this story right, I need to go back to square one. Four and a half years ago, my friend Di
( notice a common theme her. She is a trouble maker.) told me she need me to "follow" her on Twitter.
 " What is that?" was my first thought. Her and her husband Eric ( the real ringleader) have some friends in the industry and always are finding the "new" social media platforms first. Back then Twitter was really just a bunch of bloggers using the service. We quickly latched on to the idea and loved having a place to share our daily lives with each other. I keet it private and just talked to a small group of friends.

In 2007 when Marty was diagnosed my friends on Twitter would support me through Dr.'s visits, trips to Stanford, waiting to be placed on the list, Marty having surgery and going on dialysis. Everyone else did this too but later it would become something more.

Flash forward to 2008 when I met a lady named Tanya. She told me to follow her on Twitter and quickly introduced me to a bunch of people I didn't know. Through her I made several new acquaintances all over the world. I met Nekol whose husband was also waiting for a transplant who became a great support as our families waited together.

Sometimes when Marty was sick, he couldn't breath at night, spending all night coughing and awake. I could go on Twitter and talk to someone at all hours. They would listen to the really scary things I didn't want to tell my family or friends. When Marty passed out at work they were the first to know and talked to me during the long drive to his work. Marty didn't want our close friends, family or people on Facebook knowing and this was a way for me to vent.

Those were very dark times for our family. I was weary, worn, spun tight, and a bit depressed. Thanks to this lovely group of men and women, I could stay sane.  They talked me through each dialysis treatment and sleepless nights when Marty was so sick. They were there for the call, while I waited alone, in the hospital, and talked me through being away from the kids. They saw some of the very darkest times I have ever lived through.

Recently, I think they are some of the people who see the biggest change in me. They know what I was like before and they see what I am like now. One of them Becca told me that just this morning, she said " Look at you now blooming with positivity".

Recently my role has changed, I am now the person who can support my "tweeps" as I call them, in hard times facing health crisis, joblessness, family difficulties etc. I have been able to minister to a lot of people and relish this role of being able to pay it forward.

One of the people I met along my journey was a young lady named Ally in Perth. Ally was introduced to me because she loves the British Royal family as much as I do. She was struggling with illness when we were introduced during the time Marty was sick. Recently she had been tweeting a lot and I really thought she was recovering. This morning we were told this isn't the case and her prognosis is grim. It was so shocking that I cried for three hours. I've never met her but I cared and she had become a lovely bright spot on my timeline.

I often have wondered how I never had to take any anti-depressants or how I didn't end up going crazy. I truly believe I owe that to this special group of people. Each one of them comes from a different walk in life, with differing beliefs and opinions, yet we always find a common thread to hold us together. They are great secret keepers, sounding boards and most of all friends. We have become a little family. When they are happy, I am happy. When they are sad, I am sad. They are often first to pray for things or offer a encouraging word.  I thank God for them each day because in so many ways, they helped saved me.