How The Traumatic Experiences Influence A Person’s Life

Although you meet many of people in your life, you never truly know or understand the traumatic experiences that some of these people face throughout the course of their life. It is very common to talk about the high points and accomplishments in conversation, but many fail to mention low points and weaknesses.

As I spoke to my neighbor, Tabitha Wofford, she continued to express her vulnerability with stories about her low points in life. She explained how it affected her and how she eventually overcame these obstacles and experiences as time went on. Her struggle with endometriosis, her education, and her battle with a brain tumor are the things that have shaped Tabitha into the strong, independent woman she is today. We were sitting in her living room and I began the interviewing process by asking her about her childhood so that I can have some background information; she started telling me about how she was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 16. Tabitha explained, “Endometriosis is an abnormal growth on the uterus.” At the age of 22, she was scheduled for a hysterectomy. Prior to the procedure, it was required for her to get an ultrasound, but the doctor suggested for her to go home and take a pregnancy test. After hearing this, she exclaimed, “What are you not telling me? I’m due to have a hysterectomy. Is there something I should know?” Due to the doctor only being a technician, he could not disclose any further information. She rushed to go get a pregnancy test, and hurried home; after anxiously waiting for the results, the test came back positive and she was overcome with emotion. The next day, she went back to the hospital confused on what to do next; the doctors told her to take another test and wanted to measure her Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) levels. Although these results would normally begin to double as the hours went on, Tabitha’s HCG levels severely began to drop, confirming the Doctor’s suspicions that she was going to have a miscarriage. This was only the first of three miscarriages that Tabitha had to endure.

In 2010, she finally decided to proceed with the hysterectomy. She then went on to tell me the positive and negative sides of her college career. Ms. Wofford began to tell me about her time in college. She started her first year in college in 1996 at Delgado Community College. She was only there for two semesters due to all of the stress that was put on her. Between working two full-time jobs and juggling her engagement with her fiancé, it caused her to drop out. In 2005, because of Hurricane Katrina, she moved to Ohio. Tabitha later went on to attend the University of Cincinnati and was there for only one semester studying general studies in education. During one of her visits to her hometown in Louisiana, her family stated that they missed having her in their lives and it made Tabitha realize that she wanted to be back home anyway. After she moved back to New Orleans she started to attend Herzing University and majored in design and drafting technology. She graduated in April of 2010, at the top of her class and received her associate’s degree. After this exciting accomplishment, she was offered to work at the company EDG.

For a while, she suffered from chronic migraines. Suspicions started to grow because her headaches began to worsen each day. She had to go to the hospital almost every day because of how much pain she was in. she stated, “My family didn’t believe the severity of my headaches, and the doctor always drugged me up and sent me home.” She felt as if nobody had any sympathy for her. Every time she went to the hospital they prescribed her with a different kind of medication. Ms. Wofford was seen by a neurologist and was told that if the medicine didn’t work to give him a call. After numerous calls to the neurologist, he never answered. She requested to have an MRI, but the doctor assured her that she didn’t need one. He said that she was having hormonal migraines. She still persisted that she would like to have an MRI just in case. The next morning, she received a call from another doctor while she was at work. He informed her that the results came in and that she had a trigeminal schwannoma brain tumor. After she initially panicked by the shocking revelation, she began doing her own research. She discovered that in most cases this particular tumor is usually benign. Three days later she had a consultation with a neurosurgeon and he highly recommended that it would be removed because it was located on her optic nerve. The following week after she was scheduled for the surgery. He told her that it was only going to be a two-inch slit behind her ear but after she was put under they realized that they could not get to it because of the location. Tabitha was left with a full craniotomy starting at her widows’ peak, to the back of her ear towards the top. She was told the surgery took 5 ½ hours, she had 48 staples, and a drain tube behind her head when she woke up. The 34-year-old spent a total of 5 days in ICU, but 6 days in the hospital altogether. Ms. Wofford was out of work for five months and was only making 60% of her salary at the time. Unknowingly her boss and coworkers compensated her with the other 30% she was not receiving. Fast-forwarding six months later she was sadly laid off due to the oil and gas industry dropping. Despite the drastic decline in the oil and gas economy, she was only without a job for less than six months. Tabitha received a new job through a temp agency and then was rewarded a permanent position. Ms. Wofford currently upholds her position at Pellerin Milnor Corporation. Her work ethic at this company has been substantial and has exceeded all expectations. With her salary and raises, along the way she was able to purchase her own place to call home.

Despite all the pain she has suffered she is no longer the home body person she was for years. Tabitha is now living her best life by learning new challenges and loving her everyday life. This interview with Ms. Wofford has taught me that you should not let difficulties stop you from seeing the brighter picture. Tabitha ended the interview by saying, “Although you are not always dealt the most positive cards in life, how you address and overcome the obstacles is what really portrays you as a person.”