- G
I’ve been writing about and teaching the Hero’s Journey for twenty years, and have been through several difficult journeys in my life. This journey was the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. What has kept me going is that I knew I was on yet another Hero’s Journey, and having the roadmap gave me courage.
It’s never been easy for me to ask for help, but this time I’m not able to make it through this challenge on my own. So instead of just telling you about my story, I’ve decided to share it with you using the framework of the Hero’s Journey. This way I can teach the stages of Hero’s Journey as my gift to you. My purpose in life is to bring the Hero’s Journey back into our culture, and I can no longer do this on my own.
Before we begin, let’s take a quick look at the structure of the Hero’s Journey.
The first stage is The Call. This is the beginning of our awareness that we need to take action to overcome our resistance to the journey.
The second stage is The Adventure. This is the main part of the journey, where most of the action takes place. We need to accept that we will be challenged in many ways and we must commit to overcoming the challenges we will face.
The third stage is The Return. We must now rededicate our energy, recognize the changes we have made, and continue to transform from who we have been to who we are becoming so we can return from our journey and share the lessons we have learned with others.
Now let's begin my Hero's Journey story . . . a journey that began in January 2018 and lasted for three years.
THE CALL
1 - Our Ordinary World - Limited Awareness
My partner Greg and I had been living in Ojai, Ca. for many years and had never thought about leaving this wonderful place. But we were both becoming aware of the decline in Greg’s health, and we knew we needed to think about making some changes.
2 - Call to Adventure - Increased Awareness
We began talking about what would be best for Greg and his health. He wanted to live closer to his family, so it was important for us to think about relocating near them.
3 - Refusal of the Call - Reluctance to Change
I knew we needed to move, but I was really struggling with the thought of leaving my friends, of giving up living in our small town that I loved. However, this wasn’t about me. I needed to think about what was best for Greg.
4 - Meeting with the Mentor - Overcoming Resistance
Greg had a discussion with his sister about moving to where she lived, and they came up with a plan that would work for both of us. She owned a nice house that was going to be empty soon and invited us to come down and take a look at it. The house felt very comfortable and it had a lovely trail next to it. Greg could manage the landscaping and create a garden, which would be a perfect activity for him. And I could walk the trails and enjoy the animals that lived there. And so we decided to move further south to Moreno Valley.
THE ADVENTURE
5 - Crossing the Threshold — Committing to Change
The move was difficult but eventually we were able to get settled into our new home. I began looking for doctors for both of us. We made several trips for Greg to see his new doctors, and I found a doctor for me at the same facility.
And then a month later, I hit my foot on a rock as I was running down a hill, so I had to go to the clinic to get a cortisone shot in my heel. Since I was scheduled to see my new doctor the next week, the doctor in the clinic created a list of the tests I would need that I could take downstairs to the lab and get them done before I saw my new doctor.
6 - Tests, Allies, and Enemies - More Change
Later that week the Lab informed me that one of my tests showed a mild Urinary Tract Infection. My new doctor recommended a prescription for a Fluoroquinolone named Ciprofloxacin. I read about Cipro and was concerned about taking it, so I sent a message to my doctor asking why I needed to take it as it felt to me like the UTI had cleared up on its own. The doctor said that to make sure the UTI was gone I only had to take 2 pills a day for 5 days.
Unfortunately, I did what she said and took the pills, thus beginning what would be the most challenging journey of my life.
Within two weeks I began to experience massive pains that were moving around all parts of my body. I created a blank body chart, drew where the pains were located each day and sent the drawings to my doctor. I heard nothing back from her, so I did some more research about Cipro and sought out other doctors at the clinic.
All those doctors dismissed my concern about Cipro, except the orthopedic doctor who had read about the problems it caused, but he had no idea who I should see about this.
Body Chart marked up to show how pain was moving around my body each day.
Then my hair began falling out and I was getting very little sleep due to the pain. By June 2018 I knew I needed to find someone outside the medical profession to help me. I did some research about homeopathy -- and learned about Dr. Manfred Mueller who was very well known for his work with fluoroquinolones around the world. I called his office and scheduled a phone session to learn more about what they could do to help me.
We set up biweekly calls and a regime of homeopathy remedies that would often be changed as we learned more about what was happening to me.
Unfortunately, this treatment was not covered by my insurance. Our work could last from four to six months, so the cost could be as much as $5000. I also learned from more research and my discussions with Dr. Mueller that Cipro was capable of affecting my mitochondria and DNA. That motivated me to take these treatments very seriously.
7 - Approaching the Inmost Cave - Preparing for a Big Change
I was also told it was important to get rid of my one Mercury filling. The dentist I found took x-rays and pictures because I mentioned that many of my teeth were feeling loose. When he came back in with the x-rays and pictures, I was devastated and in tears over what I saw. It became clear that I would need to have all my teeth removed and replaced with implants.
We scheduled a visit the next day to remove the Mercury filling, and the dentist also put together a detailed quote for removing all my teeth and putting in implants. He said it would cost at least $53,000.
I knew a hard road awaited me, but I told the dentist I would have to wait because I needed to focus on Greg. I was still teaching my Awakening Your Hero's Journey course online and planned to stop teaching the course when it ended in two weeks.
Greg and I were able to spend five months together before he died of heart failure in January 2019. I miss him so much.
8 - The Ordeal - Attempting a Big Change
Now I had to move forward with the surgical removal of my teeth and the installation of implants, as the pain had become debilitating. I learned about a new dental clinic nearby and went to visit them to see if they might be a better fit for me. They walked me through the whole process and took x-rays and pictures. After this, they gave me a quote of $56,000. I decided to go with them as they were much closer to where I lived and they were more experienced in the processes they were using.
I really wish I had known about GoFundMe back then. My resources were very limited as my business had slowed down so much and I was not bringing in new clients. But I knew I could not put this off any longer, so I used part of my savings and three credit cards to pay for it.
In July 2019 they removed all my teeth, put in temporary structures, and adjusted them monthly. This process was so painful that I had to stop teaching. Finally, I got my new teeth in March 2020 just as Covid-19 hit.
This is what I looked like after they removed all my teeth and put them in a temporary structure.
I was in severe pain for a month before they were able to make adjustments. By May I was able to begin working again at a very limited pace. I wasn't ready for videos yet, so I created my own podcast about the Hero's Journey, which was the basis for all my teachings, and also became a guest on other podcasts to get the word out about the new version of my Awakening Your Hero's Journey course that I thought would be ready in a few months.
By August I was on the mend, but then I was hit with another blow. One of my lenders raised their monthly payment, and my credit cards hit APR so they began charging a heavy fee every month. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to get my new course out in time to bring enough money in to handle this larger debt, so I pushed myself to keep working.
9 - Seizing the Sword - Improvements and Setbacks
Then in November 2020, I became very sick at home for five days. I finally went to the emergency room and was admitted to the hospital. They told me I had serious colon problems and they would need to do a colonoscopy to see what was causing my pain. Two days later, after the colonoscopy and more treatment they told me things were okay for now , but I might need some surgery in the future.
After eight days in the hospital, I came back home, exhausted, alone, and scared about how I could ramp up my business fast enough, as the repayment amounts were now beyond what I could afford to pay.
Then in January 2021, my Mac computer died with all my course material in it. Fortunately, I had a good computer guy who had helped me before, and he was able to save all my materials to a new computer. It cost $950 to get a new Mac, and a week to receive it and get it working. Another big expense and more lost time. And then a friend told me about Go Fund Me, and this gave me hope!
THE RETURN
10 - The Road Back - Rededication to Change
Now I had to overcome my difficulty in asking for help, something which is not easy for me. I'm asking for help so I can pay off my debts, take care of my health, and begin teaching Awakening Your Hero's Journey again. And then get my new Becoming a Resilient Hero course ready to release. This work has been a big part of my mission for many years and I'm grateful that I'm finally healthy and strong enough to be able to get back into it.
My goal for this campaign is $36,000 to help pay off my medical debts, and use a portion of these funds to hire someone part-time to help me get my business going again, as I know now that I can't do all this by myself. I’m grateful that my health is better, but I need to take care of myself to keep it that way.
11 - The Transformation - Final Attempt at a Big Change
This big change is more than a change focused on getting help in paying back all the debt I had to incur to get well. I also have to make a big change myself, to learn to accept that there are times when I need to ask for help.
12 - Returning With The Elixir - Final Mastery of the Problem
I love being a teacher and coach, helping the people I teach become their own heroes and become able to put their challenges into perspective. And now I’m learning how to ask for help rather than doing everything on my own. As a teacher, I’m great at giving. As a human being, I need to be open to receiving.
Thank you for joining me on my three-year journey, which has truly been a Hero's Journey. Your donation means the world to me. I'm not finished with my work here and it has become obvious to me that I can't do it alone. I'm looking forward to getting back into the world and being able to help more people with their own Hero's Journeys.
Kat Tansey is a change agent, author, educator & coach who has helped companies & individuals implement change for over forty-five years.
The Hero's Journey became part of my life my freshman year of college when I serendipitously stumbled into a course in Mythology.
When I was teaching my Choosing To Be Fit course in 2013, and again when teaching my Unshakable Self-Compassion course in 2015, I was constantly being reminded that no matter what achievement or change we were undertaking, the act of attempting this was often a Hero's Journey. I realized that I took this for granted because I intuitively knew they were Hero's Journeys and I had a roadmap and realistic expectations.
The light bulb went on when I finally realized that teaching someone how to undertake any change or project or adventure would be much easier if they first learned and internalized the Hero's Journey.
So I developed the Awakening Your Hero's Journey online course and began teaching it in 2016. Then the world changed dramatically in 2020. I knew it was time to create a course that would become the second part of the Hero's Journey program, one which would focus on how to become more resilient. Becoming a Resilient Hero is in development and will be released at a future date.
If you would like to learn more about the Hero's Journey Program, you can visit my Awakening Your Hero's Journey page on Facebook. Or you can use the Contact button under Donations if you have a question.
Thank you for your donation,
Kat Tansey
It’s never been easy for me to ask for help, but this time I’m not able to make it through this challenge on my own. So instead of just telling you about my story, I’ve decided to share it with you using the framework of the Hero’s Journey. This way I can teach the stages of Hero’s Journey as my gift to you. My purpose in life is to bring the Hero’s Journey back into our culture, and I can no longer do this on my own.
Before we begin, let’s take a quick look at the structure of the Hero’s Journey.
The first stage is The Call. This is the beginning of our awareness that we need to take action to overcome our resistance to the journey.
The second stage is The Adventure. This is the main part of the journey, where most of the action takes place. We need to accept that we will be challenged in many ways and we must commit to overcoming the challenges we will face.
The third stage is The Return. We must now rededicate our energy, recognize the changes we have made, and continue to transform from who we have been to who we are becoming so we can return from our journey and share the lessons we have learned with others.
Now let's begin my Hero's Journey story . . . a journey that began in January 2018 and lasted for three years.
THE CALL
1 - Our Ordinary World - Limited Awareness
My partner Greg and I had been living in Ojai, Ca. for many years and had never thought about leaving this wonderful place. But we were both becoming aware of the decline in Greg’s health, and we knew we needed to think about making some changes.
2 - Call to Adventure - Increased Awareness
We began talking about what would be best for Greg and his health. He wanted to live closer to his family, so it was important for us to think about relocating near them.
3 - Refusal of the Call - Reluctance to Change
I knew we needed to move, but I was really struggling with the thought of leaving my friends, of giving up living in our small town that I loved. However, this wasn’t about me. I needed to think about what was best for Greg.
4 - Meeting with the Mentor - Overcoming Resistance
Greg had a discussion with his sister about moving to where she lived, and they came up with a plan that would work for both of us. She owned a nice house that was going to be empty soon and invited us to come down and take a look at it. The house felt very comfortable and it had a lovely trail next to it. Greg could manage the landscaping and create a garden, which would be a perfect activity for him. And I could walk the trails and enjoy the animals that lived there. And so we decided to move further south to Moreno Valley.
THE ADVENTURE
5 - Crossing the Threshold — Committing to Change
The move was difficult but eventually we were able to get settled into our new home. I began looking for doctors for both of us. We made several trips for Greg to see his new doctors, and I found a doctor for me at the same facility.
And then a month later, I hit my foot on a rock as I was running down a hill, so I had to go to the clinic to get a cortisone shot in my heel. Since I was scheduled to see my new doctor the next week, the doctor in the clinic created a list of the tests I would need that I could take downstairs to the lab and get them done before I saw my new doctor.
6 - Tests, Allies, and Enemies - More Change
Later that week the Lab informed me that one of my tests showed a mild Urinary Tract Infection. My new doctor recommended a prescription for a Fluoroquinolone named Ciprofloxacin. I read about Cipro and was concerned about taking it, so I sent a message to my doctor asking why I needed to take it as it felt to me like the UTI had cleared up on its own. The doctor said that to make sure the UTI was gone I only had to take 2 pills a day for 5 days.
Unfortunately, I did what she said and took the pills, thus beginning what would be the most challenging journey of my life.
Within two weeks I began to experience massive pains that were moving around all parts of my body. I created a blank body chart, drew where the pains were located each day and sent the drawings to my doctor. I heard nothing back from her, so I did some more research about Cipro and sought out other doctors at the clinic.
All those doctors dismissed my concern about Cipro, except the orthopedic doctor who had read about the problems it caused, but he had no idea who I should see about this.
Body Chart marked up to show how pain was moving around my body each day.Then my hair began falling out and I was getting very little sleep due to the pain. By June 2018 I knew I needed to find someone outside the medical profession to help me. I did some research about homeopathy -- and learned about Dr. Manfred Mueller who was very well known for his work with fluoroquinolones around the world. I called his office and scheduled a phone session to learn more about what they could do to help me.
We set up biweekly calls and a regime of homeopathy remedies that would often be changed as we learned more about what was happening to me.
Unfortunately, this treatment was not covered by my insurance. Our work could last from four to six months, so the cost could be as much as $5000. I also learned from more research and my discussions with Dr. Mueller that Cipro was capable of affecting my mitochondria and DNA. That motivated me to take these treatments very seriously.
7 - Approaching the Inmost Cave - Preparing for a Big Change
I was also told it was important to get rid of my one Mercury filling. The dentist I found took x-rays and pictures because I mentioned that many of my teeth were feeling loose. When he came back in with the x-rays and pictures, I was devastated and in tears over what I saw. It became clear that I would need to have all my teeth removed and replaced with implants.
We scheduled a visit the next day to remove the Mercury filling, and the dentist also put together a detailed quote for removing all my teeth and putting in implants. He said it would cost at least $53,000.
I knew a hard road awaited me, but I told the dentist I would have to wait because I needed to focus on Greg. I was still teaching my Awakening Your Hero's Journey course online and planned to stop teaching the course when it ended in two weeks.
Greg and I were able to spend five months together before he died of heart failure in January 2019. I miss him so much.
8 - The Ordeal - Attempting a Big Change
Now I had to move forward with the surgical removal of my teeth and the installation of implants, as the pain had become debilitating. I learned about a new dental clinic nearby and went to visit them to see if they might be a better fit for me. They walked me through the whole process and took x-rays and pictures. After this, they gave me a quote of $56,000. I decided to go with them as they were much closer to where I lived and they were more experienced in the processes they were using.
I really wish I had known about GoFundMe back then. My resources were very limited as my business had slowed down so much and I was not bringing in new clients. But I knew I could not put this off any longer, so I used part of my savings and three credit cards to pay for it.
In July 2019 they removed all my teeth, put in temporary structures, and adjusted them monthly. This process was so painful that I had to stop teaching. Finally, I got my new teeth in March 2020 just as Covid-19 hit.
This is what I looked like after they removed all my teeth and put them in a temporary structure. I was in severe pain for a month before they were able to make adjustments. By May I was able to begin working again at a very limited pace. I wasn't ready for videos yet, so I created my own podcast about the Hero's Journey, which was the basis for all my teachings, and also became a guest on other podcasts to get the word out about the new version of my Awakening Your Hero's Journey course that I thought would be ready in a few months.
By August I was on the mend, but then I was hit with another blow. One of my lenders raised their monthly payment, and my credit cards hit APR so they began charging a heavy fee every month. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to get my new course out in time to bring enough money in to handle this larger debt, so I pushed myself to keep working.
9 - Seizing the Sword - Improvements and Setbacks
Then in November 2020, I became very sick at home for five days. I finally went to the emergency room and was admitted to the hospital. They told me I had serious colon problems and they would need to do a colonoscopy to see what was causing my pain. Two days later, after the colonoscopy and more treatment they told me things were okay for now , but I might need some surgery in the future.
After eight days in the hospital, I came back home, exhausted, alone, and scared about how I could ramp up my business fast enough, as the repayment amounts were now beyond what I could afford to pay.
Then in January 2021, my Mac computer died with all my course material in it. Fortunately, I had a good computer guy who had helped me before, and he was able to save all my materials to a new computer. It cost $950 to get a new Mac, and a week to receive it and get it working. Another big expense and more lost time. And then a friend told me about Go Fund Me, and this gave me hope!
THE RETURN
10 - The Road Back - Rededication to Change
Now I had to overcome my difficulty in asking for help, something which is not easy for me. I'm asking for help so I can pay off my debts, take care of my health, and begin teaching Awakening Your Hero's Journey again. And then get my new Becoming a Resilient Hero course ready to release. This work has been a big part of my mission for many years and I'm grateful that I'm finally healthy and strong enough to be able to get back into it.
My goal for this campaign is $36,000 to help pay off my medical debts, and use a portion of these funds to hire someone part-time to help me get my business going again, as I know now that I can't do all this by myself. I’m grateful that my health is better, but I need to take care of myself to keep it that way.
11 - The Transformation - Final Attempt at a Big Change
This big change is more than a change focused on getting help in paying back all the debt I had to incur to get well. I also have to make a big change myself, to learn to accept that there are times when I need to ask for help.
12 - Returning With The Elixir - Final Mastery of the Problem
I love being a teacher and coach, helping the people I teach become their own heroes and become able to put their challenges into perspective. And now I’m learning how to ask for help rather than doing everything on my own. As a teacher, I’m great at giving. As a human being, I need to be open to receiving.
Thank you for joining me on my three-year journey, which has truly been a Hero's Journey. Your donation means the world to me. I'm not finished with my work here and it has become obvious to me that I can't do it alone. I'm looking forward to getting back into the world and being able to help more people with their own Hero's Journeys.
Kat Tansey is a change agent, author, educator & coach who has helped companies & individuals implement change for over forty-five years.
The Hero's Journey became part of my life my freshman year of college when I serendipitously stumbled into a course in Mythology.
When I was teaching my Choosing To Be Fit course in 2013, and again when teaching my Unshakable Self-Compassion course in 2015, I was constantly being reminded that no matter what achievement or change we were undertaking, the act of attempting this was often a Hero's Journey. I realized that I took this for granted because I intuitively knew they were Hero's Journeys and I had a roadmap and realistic expectations.
The light bulb went on when I finally realized that teaching someone how to undertake any change or project or adventure would be much easier if they first learned and internalized the Hero's Journey.
So I developed the Awakening Your Hero's Journey online course and began teaching it in 2016. Then the world changed dramatically in 2020. I knew it was time to create a course that would become the second part of the Hero's Journey program, one which would focus on how to become more resilient. Becoming a Resilient Hero is in development and will be released at a future date.
If you would like to learn more about the Hero's Journey Program, you can visit my Awakening Your Hero's Journey page on Facebook. Or you can use the Contact button under Donations if you have a question.
Thank you for your donation,
Kat Tansey