In 2017, November 20th to be exact, God stopped me in my tracks.  He put me on a path of hardship and perseverance that I didn't know I needed and am ever so grateful for Him and what He has given to me.

 

Until November 20, I thought I was living my best life.  I owned my own business, I had two amazing boys and a wedding in the horizon to a man I had waited a lifetime to meet.  I was always busy and on the go.  Kids, work, school, practice, homework, dishes, bed, repeat.  Can anyone say auto pilot?

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Just a few short months after the wedding, while at my parents house for Thanksgiving, my family watched as I collapsed onto the living room floor.  I was completely paralyzed on the left side of my body for the now second time.  Unable to move, my husband picked me off the floor and off to the emergency room we went.

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The next morning, I was sent for an MRI.  We left the hospital, grabbed a pizza and a milk shake and went home to wait for the results.  Funny thing is, NO ONE called.  I couldn't stand it anymore and at 7:30 pm, I called and asked for the results. I was told I needed surgery for an entanglement of the veins and arteries in my brain and to pack a bag as I would be admitted.  This is the moment that God had my undivided attention.  It was truly an out-of-body experience.  I looked around my home at all the "stuff" we had and I remember thinking, "None of this shit matters."  

 

The next day, I was taken by ambulance to a more specialized hospital and fortunately, they determined I, in fact, did not have an entanglement and did not need surgery.

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The next six months were difficult, to say the least, as we had no answers for the paralysis that continued to terrify me, my boys and family.  I saw multiple specialists and every kind of "oligist" I could get referred to and every single one of them were more than happy to give me a prescription but without telling me what we were dealing with and why.  I had prescriptions for seizures, high blood pressure, migraines and steroids and I took some of them out of pure fear.  But the challenge was that I felt worse than ever.  I couldn't think, I was exhausted, sometimes I could barely even talk.  I needed to know WHY this was happening to me.

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I finally found answers at the Mayo Clinic.  I was diagnosed with 6 different autoimmune diseases and the one that caused the stroke finally had a name. Vasculitis. Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease that causes blood vessel walls to thicken and narrow, cutting off vital blood supply to tissues and organs and in my case, my brain. The doctors recommended that I consider a round of chemotherapy to stabilize everything, but I just didn’t feel like that was my answer.  

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There is so much irony in a diagnosis.  You think your life is miserable because you don't know why your body is failing you, and you just need answers.  Then you get the answers and another wave of emotions take over.   How did I get here? I was young. I worked out.  I wasn't overweight.  I didn't smoke.  I had checkups with my doctor....  How did I have 6 autoimmune diseases?

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In the Spring of 2018, I sought out a functional medicine doctor who helped get to the cause of my health issues instead of just masking my symptoms with prescriptions. This made an incredible difference in my life and health. By working on my diet alone, I was able to eliminate three autoimmune diseases and I continue to work to put all my autoimmune in remission. Today, I am healthier and more whole than ever before, and I am committed to helping others on their journey to experiencing a happy, whole life!