Nothing could have prepared me for all this sudden change. As scary as change has always been for me, now I welcome it. I’m reaping the benefits of living in a constant state of uncertainty and have learned that the road to getting well emotionally and physically is always bumpy.

All the bumps, potholes, turns, curves and bridges on the road have worked my resilience muscle. We become more and more resilient with age, and the bumpier the road, the stronger the muscle gets. I have therefore become better at improvising, at taking things in stride because I also had no other option. I had to make decisions fast and in the moment, and so far, so good.

I’ve also exercised my gut muscle, the one that tells me when something is just not right. I can almost smell trouble before it gets to me. And all this, thanks to the bumps on the road.