I still feel weird about sharing it, but there are people stepping into this road for the first time feeling the same things that I felt. I want to be honest. It's going to be hard. Your body will do gross, painful things, but you can take it. You will amaze yourself by how much you can take. Make sure to give yourself the grace to break on occasion without shame. You will want to be strong for those around you, but they want to help you. Let them help you by crying with them instead of alone in your room. Don't shoulder this alone.
I also want to give you hope. What you are about to experience, while it will never leave you, can soon be a distant memory. And it can be a good one in many ways. You will make new friendships, deepen old ones, and come to a new and deeper respect and understanding of yourself. And I pray most of all, that the most healing of all relationships becomes stronger as well as you lean on and come to a better communication, trust, and understanding of your Father and Creator who promises to never leave or forsake you. He can and will comfort you even when you walk through the darkest, scariest, and hardest of places. His plan for your life may not be one that is easy to understand in the hard times, but He has one. And it's a good one. He can turn what should be the scariest thing into joy and beauty.