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At 22 years of age my days were blissfully packed with household
chores, college course work, playing with my toddlers, volunteer work,
engaging in fun activities (especially anything outdoors) with my
family and thoroughly enjoying my responsibilities as a wife and
mother.
In April of 2007 I started getting frequent migraines
that were non-responsive to medication. After a few months, with the
migraines came short term memory loss, dizziness, muscle weakness and
extreme fatigue. Over time my illness became more problematic as I
developed new symptoms and existing ones grew more intense. Other
symptoms that have developed or have been discovered include iron
deficiency (for which I have had numerous blood infusions), painful
lumps in my abdomen, bladder and kidney function problems and
swelling, and numbness in my legs, feet, arms and hands. I have had
multiple "mini strokes." I have also had many sleepless
nights due to intense pain.
My immune system is compromised so I
am often sick with infections. In addition to the common ones such as
cold and flu, I have been in the hospital with shingles, pneumonia,
H1N1 and several kidney infections.
Over the last seven years I
have been referred to dozens of doctors, have spent countless hours in
the E.R., have had my blood drawn hundreds of times and have endured a
range of diagnostic scans and uncomfortable procedures, including
spinal taps and endoscopies.
Despite all of these tests the
physicians are still baffled. Some of my symptoms are treatable but
the underlying cause is still unknown. Many ideas have been considered
but my test results are "inconclusive".
My illness
forced me to cut back my volunteering and college course load, I
eventually dropped out completely, and soon had to eliminate all
non-essential activities. I was also no longer able to earn an income.
Our drastically reduced income and our multiplying medical expenses
added a new depth of stress to my shaky well being.
Last year
after a particularly difficult case of bronchitis, I developed an
extreme sensitivity to perfumes, scented lotions and air fresheners.
The few activities that I could still attend have dwindled to almost
none. I cannot even go in to the grocery store without having an
EpiPen with me. I can no longer do some of the things that I loved the
most, such as attending church.
I am no longer able to care for
my family and home or self as I did before. Some days I barely have
the energy to talk with my husband and kids. There are times when I am
hurting so much that I can't even get out of bed. For seven years I
have not been physically capable of truly being me.
My primary
care physician has determined that, in an effort to improve my
circumstances, I should go to a team of specialists simultaneously. I
have been assigned an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota. Thankfully, the doctors there have reviewed my file and are
eager to see me rather expediently. Unfortunately our
already-stretched budget allows us no room for the additional costs
that will be associated with the trip. We will have to prepare not
only for childcare and travel accommodations but also for my husband
taking time off work without pay.
I believe that I can be
healthy. I have faith that I will live a long, fulfilling and
purposeful life. My husband deserves the vivacious (occasionally
overbearing) woman he married, my daughters deserve the fanatically
dedicated mother to whom they were gifted and I deserve the
opportunity to do all that I dream to accomplish. None of this will be
possible without first getting the appropriate diagnosis and treatment
plan. I am confident that my appointment at the Mayo Clinic on
September 2, 2014 is the necessary initial step in my journey to wellness.
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