As I fell asleep last night, I realized it had been exactly one year since I boarded a plane with my parents, wobbly balance, in nearly unmanageable pain, destined for Delhi....and an entirely new life I didn't know existed.

Today I woke up to the one year mark of my very first embryonic stem cell injection which was administered by Dr. Ashish Verma at Nu Tech Mediworld.

One year ago today, I met that man whom I respect whole-heartidly and have shared so many wonderful moments with since then. He became one of my all time favorite doctors and my friend in an instant.

One year ago today, Dr. Geeta Shroff walked into my hospital room and my life like an angel; a woman who has changed my world in so many ways, I cannot even count.

One year ago today, I became the first Chronic Lyme patient in the world to receive Dr. Geeta Shroff's treatment, because I lived with the simple premise -- "somebody has to be first and that somebody might as well be me." Sometimes now, I laugh, and think I was crazy (but the good kind).

One year today, I was not only injected with pure human embryonic stem cells, but I was given the amazing gift of lighting the way for others, hopefully making their road to wellness just a little less bumpy and a little more hopeful.

One year ago today, I fell in love with another country and its people; and was enveloped so tightly in its spirit, it has literally become part of me.

One year ago today, my body stopped dying, and re-started the process of living.

On this one year anniversary of sorts, I am ironically scheduled to speak to a small group at Stanford about my experience. I don't ever prepare for these kinds of talks, although I usually have a few things I know I want to say.

I want them to know how I used to be; how it hurt to step on my own two feet, how my balance was so bad that I tripped and fell, how my joints were so swollen and painful that even resting on them at night was misery, how I was losing bladder control. And how at 28 years old, I was silently scared I would live through this disease and suffer forever, even though I never lost sight of trying to get well.

But right now, just hours before I am set to speak, everything in my past seems so hard to accurately convey.

There is only one thing I can think of to tell them when I stand up there that could even come close to helping them understand my long journey.

I wish they would have known me one year ago today.