It just wouldn’t be a picnic without the ants. ~Author Unknown

The above quote was something over the past 2-3 weeks I experienced when it came to my internship.

During this time period I suffered with gallstone pancreatitis flare-ups. For those who don’t know pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. Inflammation is a very apt description for a portion of the symptoms of pancreatitis as you literally feel as if your insides are on fire. In addition it also brings debilitating pain in the back, stomach and chest pressure making breathing difficult, along with nausea and an overall sense of malaise.

During this time I did my best to work through the milder symptom days to complete tasks related to my internship but also my regular job. To say that it was a challenge was an understatement there were some days where I just couldn’t function and even my normal medical remedies were of no help which gave me a sense of frustration of the highest order.

Despite these roadblocks the one thing I realized is that my mind in the moments of not being focused on pain relief was miraculously able to think of various ideas to enhance my current assignment and figure out new ways to help my team.

I was not the only one experiencing roadblocks as my internship team also experienced them as the date for the concert had to be pushed back a month due to the inability to secure a headliner especially not in time for our original May date.

This definitely created a sense of despondency for a bit within the team. But in spite of my health issues I did my best to be a cheerleader for my team in regards to the current situation. I feel as if it worked as the team and I are now back in full force trying to secure a headliner and sponsors for our now June date for the concert.

This has underscored for me how important it is to try to always remain positive and to have a fighters attitude. Giving up should NEVER be an option.