ABOUT ME

When it began…

I was 19 when I started getting really sick. I couldn’t get out of bed. I was nauseas and threw up almost every day. I had fevers, diarrhea, and joint pain so bad I could barely move. Over time more symptoms presented. I started to have neurological problems, seizures, tremors, memory loss and word blocks, numbness in my extremities, super ventricular tachycardia, POTS, loss of consciousness, unexplained rashes, severe hypoglycemia, worsening gastrointestinal symptoms, debilitating fatigue, and unbearable pain. It felt like my body was trying to kill itself. And to be honest, after enduring feeling like that for so long, dying seemed a lot easier than continuing trying to live in my body. I saw doctor after doctor after doctor and no one knew what was wrong with me. I was told it was IBS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Degenerative Discs, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lupus, Parkinson’s, or I might be crazy and making it all up.

Not stopping…

After so many years without answers, there were times when I agreed; maybe I am crazy. Maybe I’m somehow just making all of this up or creating it. But something inside me kept me going. If no one had answers, then I figured I had to find the answers myself. I read books, took classes, learned as much about medicine as possible, tried acupuncture and homeopathy, a million different diets, cleanses and fasts, went to chiropractors, healers, psychics, did yoga, meditation, cried, screamed, gave up and started back again trying something else.

Diagnosis…

It took 20 years to finally get an actual diagnosis. I had Lyme Disease along with the co-infections Babesia and Bartonella. Unfortunately, because I was misdiagnosed for so long, the bacteria had ravaged my body and my illness was systemic. My joints, tendons, heart, pancreas, stomach, brain, adrenal glands, thyroid…essential every part of my body had been affected. I was so happy to have a diagnosis. But little did I know that that was just the start of another crazy journey into the land of treatment. I took multiple combinations of antibiotics, anti-parasitic and herbal remedies. Some of which made me so sick that I ended up in the hospital for weeks. I had ports implanted in my chest and picc lines in my arm for years of IV antibiotics and other treatments. I had 2 back surgeries, 4 hand surgeries, 5 heart surgeries and most recently a TP-AIT (Total Pancreatectomy with Auto Islet Transplant) in which they removed my pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, part of my intestine and stomach and transplanted the islet cells they could harvest from my diseased pancreas into my liver. Because of that surgery I am now a Type 1 Diabetic and have many residual complications.

Baby Steps…

After the TP-AIT, I spent a few weeks in the ICU and then I was transferred to the hospital floor for another couple months of recovery. Once I got my room, the first thing they wanted me to do was to walk. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I didn’t want to, but I knew I had to get up if I was going to survive. So, one small, slow baby step after baby step, I did it. And over time, I got stronger. I walked further. I didn’t need a walker or support; it was just me. But the concept was the same, baby steps.

Keep Going…

It has been two years since my transplant and now I’m a National Board Certified Health Coach and Adapt Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. I use all I have learned from my health journey, and I help other people with their baby steps. The reality is that no one can truly help us besides ourselves. We’re the ones who must make the decision to change, to heal. But along the way it sure is nice to have some support. As your health coach I help you create realistic goals, actionable steps, maintain accountability and give you a safe space to explore what it is that you truly need to thrive. No one besides you knows what it feels like to live in your body. All our experiences are unique. But one thing we do have in common is that we have choice. We can choose to be better. We can choose to keep fighting. We can choose to put one foot after the other and keep going.