Speeding up to 2005, I started feeling a lot more fatigued than normal. I went to my primary care physician and had some blood work done. The results showed I was mildly anemic, and there were also some elevated levels that I was unfamiliar with. My doctor advised me not to worry because I was young. At that point, I had complete faith in my doctor and did not feel any reason to question him. So I was prescribed iron supplements for my anemia with no follow up required.

Moving forward. I still felt off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what that feeling was. In early 2009, I fell ill and started to gradually lose weight, felt extreme fatigue, and suffered from a loss of appetite. Already being a thin person, this was quite concerning. Again, I went back to that same doctor I had seen in 2005. He did blood work and noticed I was still anemic, and those same abnormal levels I had in 2005 were still elevated. This time I was not taking his ‘you are young’ response for an answer, and I looked into my abnormal blood results myself.

After researching online, I realized those abnormal results had to do with my kidney function, so I took it upon myself to make an appointment with a nephrologist (kidney specialist). After months of numerous blood tests, kidney ultrasounds, and a kidney biopsy, I was diagnosed with FSGS, a type of chronic kidney disease, and was told it would eventually lead to complete kidney failure. I was told that because of the advancement of the disease at the time of diagnosis, I would be put on medications to try and slow down the progression but complete kidney failure would happen at some point. When I was delivered this news, I had a whirlwind of emotions. I was shocked, angry, terrified, and confused. I did not fall under any of the risk factors for kidney disease, nor does it run in my family. I felt massive amounts of anger towards my doctor who should have diagnosed me years earlier. Being able to provide blood test results as far back as five years to my nephrologist, he was able to confirm that I had kidney disease for at least five years prior. Because I was not getting an answer as to why my kidneys were failing, I started blaming myself. I thought that maybe I did something to cause my kidneys to fail. It was hard to overcome but I had finally gotten to a place of acceptance.

Then in 2011, I fell ill again. I was getting sharp stomach pains, felt sick when I ate, had neurological problems, and had throbbing in my esophagus. So this time I went to a gastroenterologist. In April of 2011, I was diagnosed with celiac disease after my blood results and upper endoscopy came back positive for the disease. I could not believe what was happening! I could not believe I was being diagnosed with another disease! Luckily, celiac disease can be controlled on a gluten free diet. It was very hard to adjust at first, but I realized this is a battle that I will not be able to overcome, as there is no cure for celiac disease. It’s forever. So I used my resources and gained a lot of knowledge on gluten free dieting. Within a few days of eating gluten free I noticed amazing changes in the way I looked and felt.

Unfortunately, my kidneys started to decline faster than expected, and on November 17, 2011, I was notified by my nephrologist that my kidney function had dropped to the point of qualifying for a kidney transplant. I will always remember that day. The emotions I was feeling, the location where I was, and the people who surrounded me. Even though this is what I knew would fix me, I was very scared. I had a lot of anxiety about it and was worrying I wasn’t healthy enough to undergo such an intense surgery. As my kidney disease progressed into end stage rental failure, I was feeling the intense symptoms of this monstrous disease. I started to realize I was fighting a losing battle. It became so hard for me to even wake up in the morning and get moving. I felt swollen and heavy all over, exhausted every day, felt sick to my stomach all the time, I couldn’t eat, and I could barely walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like my body was shutting down. After advising my employer of my need for a kidney transplant, I started getting treated differently. I quickly became aware of what they were doing. They were intentionally putting stress on me and trying to push me to quit. Being the fighter that I am, I kept working, but due to my illness and need for a kidney, I was terminated from my former employer at the end of January of 2012. The following day, I went to the EEOC and filed an EEO and got myself legal representation as well. Dealing with that stress on top of my illness was very stressful for me. Going through the process at the transplant center to make sure I was healthy enough to undergo the surgery, as well as finding a live donor was also very stressful. I was so desperate to find a kidney donor because I was dangerously close to being put on dialysis. I knew that if I could not find a live donor I would end up on dialysis for at least a couple years because of the wait on the transplant list. It’s a miracle that I was able to avoid it, because people with as little kidney function as I had, were most always on dialysis at this point.

Through all the stress of finding a donor, my husband turned out to be a match! It was truly a miracle! We scheduled the date for transplant and on May 11, 2012, at 28 years old, I received the gift of life!! Recovery was hard and long, but it’s now been three months since transplant and I am feeling much better! I even don’t mind at all that I have a big 5 1/2 inch scar down my right front abdomen. I thought it would bother me but I’m proud of it because it’s my battle wound that shows what I went through to make me as strong as I am today. When you’ve been where I have, and have been so incredibly sick, and are given the chance to live life normally again, you learn to appreciate all the small things. Being able to walk up a flight of stairs and not feel out of breathe and exhausted was an unfamiliar feeling that made me incredibly happy! Waking up in the morning without that heavy, swollen feeling is a blessing too.

I’ve had a few complications along the way, such as a blood clot, and an issue that I have to see a urologist for, but these are all small bumps in the road on the way to my dream destination of a healthy life! The first year following transplant is the most crucial, as that is the time-frame where re-occurrence  rejection, and other complications are more likely to occur. I was told that due to the type of chronic kidney disease I suffered from, I have a 30% higher risk of re-occurrence than transplant recipients who suffered different reasons for kidney failure. I was also told that since I’m young, and the average longevity of a transplanted kidney is about 25-30 years, and in some cases much less, it is likely I will need another kidney transplant in life. I will be on immunosuppressant medications for life to trick my body from recognizing my new kidney because without the medications my body would reject it. So I just have to be more careful about germs with my weakened immune system.

I am thinking very positively, hoping I’m the miracle child who’s kidney can outlive all others! I’ve gained a ridiculous amount of strength from going through this battle. At my age, most people cannot comprehend what something like this feels like emotionally or physically, and I have become such a strong person. I’m thankful for my husband who so willingly gave up his kidney to save my life, as well as my good friend Jess who is battling cancer, and gives me the strength everyday to fight on. I have to add, that organ donation is the most amazing thing you could do for a person, and you can live a perfectly healthy, normal life with one kidney. But my husband and I are both doing well, and even though everyday is still a battle for me, it’s a battle I am proud to fight! Don’t ever give up, because ‘everyday holds the possibility of a miracle’.

Jamie
Maryland
Submitted 8-19-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

Can you imagine the frustration for the doctors and patients because once you are diagnosed, it is trial and error. Unfortunately, for most Lupus patients the treatment is as bad as or sometimes worse than the disease.
I say I am one of the luckier ones; my doctor recognized right away what she suspected to be Lupus and ordered the appropriate tests. However, after positive test results on all the pathology and lab criteria required for an accurate diagnosis I was also told I had a life expectancy of seven years, which is not lucky. Still some people have it for 20 or more years and have just recently being diagnosed.

I was in my “initial flare” for twelve months. Then the battle began with adjusting to the medications, again a trial and error basis. My symptoms started with a rash that literally peeled the skin off my hands. Then came the “butterfly” rash that covered my face. The achy body and a sense of extreme fatigue had started just weeks before the rashes. My joints.especially my hips throbbed. In less than a week the hair loss started. Seizures, short-term memory loss and the blistering rash covering 90% of my body followed in a matter of days.

A biopsy confirmed the rash is discoid lupus. A recent bone density can revealed I am borderline Osteopenia/Osteoporosis. My bones are more like a 50 year old than a 33 year old  I also have fibromyalgia, IBS, Graves Disease, celiacs disease and most recently found 40% hearing loss and I am wearing hearing aids. And this is “just the norm” for a lupus patient.

To say a chronic disease such as lupus is life altering is an understatement! It is life consuming, it has taken the life I once knew. I am now trying to find how to fit in “my new life” and learn to respect each day. My mantra is “Pace Yourself, Pace Yourself”.

I have always been active, energetic, and athletic; I love the outdoors and have participated in sports since I was five years old; soccer, softball, track, swim team, even football on a high school level. I was the first female football player for Mount Airy High School. My senior year I ranked 7th out of 400 high school place kickers. I won the Governor’s Award for Women in Sports in 1997 for my football participation.

I know how to fight for something that is important to me, something worth fighting for and, I don’t even mind the fight. I welcome the challenge; even more so since Corbin was born in 2009. Life, even the smallest of things have become big things. If you could see my Corbin you would understand when I say…the fight is so worth it. Every day with that little boy is my gift. On my worst day, he makes it worth pushing on as I get out of bed and get us ready for the day. So you see, my fight has just changed fields and my challenge has become every breathing moment. I now fight to maintain a “decent quality of life”.

I fight to get out of bed every day. I fight to conquer the flight of 14 steps to my bedroom, knowing some nights I will sleep on the couch because I can’t make it to the top. I fight to stay up most of the day only taking short naps. I fight to keep the hair I have left by only washing it every 3 or 4 days and taking care of my scalp. I fight to control my skin rashes by staying out of the sun, showering in cool water and “patting” dry…not bathing in a tub of warm bubbly water.

Do you know how lucky you are to be able to sink down in the warm water and not come out with blisters? I fight to remember simple things, like…have I talked with my family today or did I have an appointment today, or by challenging myself with Sudoku and crossword puzzles. I fight to manage the lupus by taking the only medications available, which cause side effects that are as bad as the lupus. I fight for some balance in my life. I fight for relief from the pain. I fight for the opportunity to be a good mom and be sure Corbin realizes how much he is loved. I fight to hold on to my dignity. I fight to remember I am worthy. I fight…everyday.

The cycle of a lupus patient is endless. You present with a symptom; you are treated usually with drugs FDA approved for another disease. Before you become “normal,” whatever that is, the cycle starts again and a new symptom arises and the cycle begins anew. However, the new symptom does not replace the previous one it, it just adds to it.

A lupus patient should not have to choose between washing your hair and cooking a meal, taking a cool shower or grocery shopping, visiting your family or cleaning just one room in your house. The extreme fatigue restricts your activity and you must learn to pace yourself, otherwise you will pay dearly for it and the next three or four days will be spent in bed with pain from your head to your toes. You may see me in the community and say, “But you don’t look sick,” but you just don’t know how hard it was to get ready and how much preparation beforehand I must take into consideration before going outside my door.

National registers were not being consistently kept of Lupus diagnosis until recently. Therefore, the number of people suffering from Lupus was not accurately recorded. It is now known via the National Registry that over 2 million people have been clinical diagnosed with some form of Lupus. The treatment for a chronic disease such as lupus should not be as bad as or worse than the disease itself. Lack of funds and education has left the doctors with limited knowledge about testing, signs, symptoms and early diagnostic tools.

I can speak firsthand about the shortage of funds, research and diagnostic tools. I was in a clinical trial at Duke Medical Hospital receiving an infusion treatment every four weeks. The drug was in the second B stage of FDA approval but unfortunately didn’t meet the needed requirements and was terminated due to lack of funds. I was thrilled with my exceptional results in this trial and am devastated that I am back at square one. I had been able to eliminate most of my other medication and felt wonderful. I have now been off all meds with the exception of a low dose pain management drug for 60 days. I have 30 more days before I am eligible to be placed in a new clinical trial. My body feels like it did five years ago and I have made no progress in my treatment. My hope, my prayer is I will meet the requirements for the new clinical trial and it will at least get me back to where I was 90 days ago. I must hold on to my HOPE…hope for me and for others.

After you find the right doctor and adjust to the appropriate treatment, SUPPORT is critical to a lupus patient. Loving, caring support and understanding are key in keeping your “flares” under control. Unfortunately, my husband never understood how desperately I needed his support almost as much as I needed my treatment. Friendships are also hard to maintain because regardless of your good intentions, sometimes a lupus patient has to change plans at the last minute. My marriage ended in divorce and sadly to say many friendships ended because they “just didn’t understand.” Lupus steals many of those “little things” that are taken for granted. But God never closes one door without opening another. Now, I have a strong, courageous support team of my family, understanding friends and brilliant doctors. Every day they help me meet the challenge ahead of me and conquer my new field.

On the football field I learned early on to stay out of the penalty zone, watch for pass interference, and avoid those blocks. Lupus should not place me in a permanent penalty zone for LIFE, blocking me from living without taking horrible treatments and interfering with my ability to embrace life. I am ready for the challenge and fight ahead of me to improve my quality of life. I am an active activist for the National Lupus Foundation of America. I have participated in Lupus Advocacy day in Washington, DC, speaking to our Congress on the effects of Lupus and requesting increased funding for research, education and support for the 2 million people suffering from Lupus. I need your help in this fight to maintain some degree of dignity while managing the Lupus.

So grab you helmet, suit up and join me on the lipus battlefield, along with the 2 million Lupus patients who desperately need your support: financially, mentally, physically and spiritually. We have to find the cause…we have to find the CURE…we have to FIGHT!!! I may have Lupus, but it DOES NOT have me. Help me score the Touchdown of a Lifetime and find a CURE FOR LUPUS.

Barbi
North Carolina
Submitted 8-15-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

I went to another doctor and they did a mri on my brain and said that I had brain cancer and that is was growing so fast that I needed surgery right away. I went to Cedar Rapids and had the surgery done. The doctors said it was really big; like the a size of a walnut.

They also told me that if I hadn’t said anything about it when I did, then I would have been dead in 2 weeks because the tumor was growing so big. I went through chemotherapy and had to have radiation done for 6 weeks. They shrunk the tumor as small as they could. I was really sick after that, but it is doing better now. I now see my chemotherapy doctor every 6 months because the tumor is not growing at all, which is good, but I still have to fight with it. I will never give up, either!

Alicia
Iowa
Submitted 8-18-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

I was diagnosed first with diabetes at age 7. I have had diabetes for 32 years now. I went through those teenage years trying to be like everyone else and making myself sick in the process and ultimately ended up taking six 6 injections per day until I got on the insulin pump (I love it!). I have also had six 6 different eye surgeries for retinopathy, which is caused by the diabetes. Part of my left eye is artificial but I can still see in both eyes.

Ten years ago, after extreme swelling and joint pain, I found out that I also have chronic kidney disease. Yes, you might think that I would get down and give up by now, but I believe that there is a reason for everything.

I have now, as of April 2012, been diagnosed with breast cancer. I found out after a lump came up in my armpit. I kept saying that I would get it checked out but then my arm and fingers started going numb and tingling. It was breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes and the tumor under my arm was pressing on a nerve. I was shocked at first but at the end of the day, I am a strong person and I will not give up. It’s just not in me! I would rather fight! I have been undergoing chemo and the tumors are at least half the size that they were. I will be having surgery in the next couple of months but I am sure I will be fine. We are all unique and we can all do one thing together and that’s FIGHT. NEVER give up or give in!

I would like to mention my best friend who helps me everyday to fight. Her name is Mandy and she lifts my spirits and reminds me that I am not alone. Please be a friend or make a friend that you can share everything with, it will really help. Best of luck to all.

Tracy
Georgia
Submitted 8-14-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

The unpredictability that comes with MS really spiked my anxiety issues. I attempted to deal with my anxiety by smoking more cigarettes and drinking more alcohol than I normally would. After a while of going down the obviously wrong path, I decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and do what I needed to do.

I started doing yoga as a way to calm my anxiety, and I found out later on that yoga can also help minimize the physical symptoms! This was a huge revelation for me. From that point I started working out more and quit smoking cigarettes after 8 years! As of now, all of my previous symptoms lie dormant, and I look forward to a bright and happy future. Although my MS will never go away, but  it will also never get me down again!

Darcie D
Tennessee
Submitted 8-10-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

She has refocused her efforts on family, friends and making beautiful jewelry. She doesn’t always feel great, but most days she is able to ignore the pain and just be grateful for what she has.

Her doctors adore her and even the cancer center psychologist is asking her to attend support groups to help others.

I love her and respect her now,more than ever! She so rocks!

Debra
Colorado
Submitted 8-11-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

My first experience with heart disease came about 8 months after the birth of my first daughter Emily in 1980. After suffering for several months with severe stomach pain and edema, my doctors concluded that I suffered from post-partum cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure and to make matters worse, a congenital defect which was a silver dollar sized hole between the upper chambers of my heart otherwise known as an Atrial-Septal Defect (ASD). I was barely 25 years old and facing my first heart surgery. Scary to say the least. However, I knew that I was not in this alone. I knew that the Lord God Almighty held me in His hands and that I would not walk this scary path alone.

On June 6, 1981, I went in for open heart surgery to close the hole. Upon getting a good look inside, the doctors discovered that at some point in time, I had suffered some type of illness that had infected the pericardium. They used part of the pericardium to close the hole and ended up stripping part of the diseased pericardium off. The plan was to make me good as new! Well, it worked ….for a few days anyway. My stay in the hospital became grueling and I couldn’t wait to go home to my darling baby girl but two days before release, my heart decided to pause and well…stop occasionally  Back into the CCU/ICU I went for several more days. It became apparent that a pacemaker would be required. It would take care of the rhythm problems and give the assurance that I needed in case my heart continued pausing and/or stop. So, once again, my faith covered my fear and I got through another frightening experience.

The years went by and I was blessed with three more beautiful daughters. To all of our surprise, I led a very normal life. Other than the every three month pacer checks and going through 3 more pacers, my heart ran pretty smoothly. As it turned out, for over 20 years, I only really used my pacer about 2% of the time; the rest of the time my own heart did the rest. I remember praying to God when I was in the hospital, ‘Please God….just give me 25 more years’. God honored my request and gave me more, oh….so much more!

In September of 2005, while taking a shower, my left arm became extremely weak and numb. Never experiencing anything like this before, I just pushed it out of my mind and chalked it up to the fact that I had done a lot of extra cleaning the day before thinking it was a muscle spasm. After getting dressed and attempting to get ready for the day, my left arm became more weakened and numb with every task I tried to accomplish. Still not wanting to admit that there was anything really wrong, my husband and I went off to the home and garden store. It wasn’t until I tried to grip the pen in the checkout line to sign the debit receipt, that I realized I couldn’t feel my fingers. THAT is when I knew that this was not some muscle spasm, this was more than that. But again, DENIAL. I dropped my husband off at home and drove myself to the hospital because I still thought it was just a pinched nerve or muscle spasm. What I discovered was that I had 3 clots in the underside of my arm where it bends and it had cut off the blood supply to my lower arm and if I had waited much longer, I could have lost my lower arm and hand all together! I immediately was taken in for emergency surgery to remove the clots. After successful surgery, the surgeon asked me how long I had been in Atrial Fib. I was surprised to have been asked that question because as far as I knew, I had never been in Atrial Fib. Every time I went to an emergency room, they noted my heart rhythm as sporadic, but not in A-Fib. This turned out to be the beginning of my road to transplant. From that September day in 2005, I continued to be in A-Fib with noticeable changes including the onset of CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) and cardiomyopathy. Over the next three years, we tried various combinations of medications; I went from a full time job to a half time job and tried hard to keep positive. I continued to pray for divine healing and trusted God to bring me to wholeness. As I declined in energy and increased in symptoms, it became apparent that something else besides medication management needed to happen. Because of my past surgery, the doctors thought that a large part of the problem might be that my pericardium had scarred so severely, that my heart could no longer pump efficiently. The hope was that by stripping off the pericardium, it would release the heart to beat more freely and alleviate some of those symptoms, thus giving me back my life again.

In June of 2008, my husband, one of my best friends and I boarded a plane and headed for the Mayo clinic in Rochester MN for a ‘pericardial stripping’ otherwise known as a complete pericardectomy. The outlook was good; the surgeon told us that this would get me back to my old self again. Earlier in April, two of my best friends and I went for a consultation to the Mayo clinic. We prayed that God would give us a definitive answer during this meeting whether or not I should go ahead with the surgery and during that day of testing, it became very apparent that this was to be my next move. It’s funny that sometimes when we pray for healing, we expect it to be immediate. I expected that this surgery was to the answer to all my physical problems. I believed I would leave Rochester, with a whole new outlook on life and a healthier heart. What we as Christians don’t always understand is that healing is not always immediate nor does it always come in the way we want it to come. Surgery did not turn out to be my end all to end all answer. In fact, the next morning after a successful surgery, I arrested twice and found myself on a machine called ECMO or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ECMO is used when long-term cardiopulmonary bypass is necessary. While cardiopulmonary bypass is used for short-term support and measured in hours, ECMO’s support can range from 3 – 10 days. The purpose of ECMO is to allow time for the heart and lungs to recover from trauma. My heart, due to two episodes of cardiac arrest, needed to recover and ECMO became my life saver for several days. The time spent while in ECMO was amazing. Although I was fully sedated, I was fully aware that God was with me in every way. During those days, while my family was in turmoil wondering if I would ever wake up, I was resting on a ‘bed of prayer’ knowing that friends and family and even people I had never met, were continuing to pray for my recovery. I could feel the power of those prayers. I even heard my best friend Linda calling my name and re-assuring me that she was praying for me. I remember waking up and calling for her during one of the times when they would take me off of sedation to make sure I could still wiggle my toes and fingers….I was confident that my life was not over yet and that I was in good hands, in my Almighty Father’s hands.

Somewhere on the fourth or fifth day, I awoke to my girls standing beside my bed. My oldest daughter had her head on my chest, stroking my hair softly and my other three daughters along with my husband were standing around the bed with concerned looks on their faces. My youngest daughter was barely 16 and showed very much that she was frightened. During the first couple of days, she would not even touch my hand. I think she was afraid that something else awful could happen. Upon waking, the first words out of my mouth were ‘why are you guys here?’ They tried hard to make me believe that they came to surprise me but I knew better. Eventually the nurses told me what had happened and I knew that I had been rescued and held in the palm of the Lord’s hand. Once again, I had escaped death and once again, I would continue to fight on for ‘The Battle is the Lord and I am just a soldier in His army!’

Amazingly, I went home about three weeks later and miraculously; I attended and even danced at my daughter’s wedding six weeks later. I was weak, tired and very glad to be alive. To think, the enemy did not want me to dance at that wedding. But it was in my destiny to not only attend her wedding but attend the wedding of my other daughter Jessica, attend the graduations of my youngest daughter Ashley from high school, my oldest daughter Emily from college and my second oldest Jessica also from college. To all of our amazement, I have had three and a half more years. It has not been easy. Many trips to the emergency room, many hospital visits, hundreds of doctors’ visits and tests. All leading up to the answer to my prayer for a healthy heart. As I mentioned before, our answers don’t always come in what we would consider to be a timely manner and they don’t always take the shape that we expect them to. But it is our faith that carries us through. Remembering that FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Even though I am still awaiting my healthy heart, even though my heart may be failing and my body with it…..God is my strength and my portion forever (Psalms 73:26).

This is why I am where I am. I have the faith to believe that I will once again be able to visit places I’ve never been, run with my grandbabies, walk on the beach, and sing without losing my breath. Transplant is not my last option; it is my final option here on earth. I have no doubt that I will get to walk on the beach play with my grandchildren and visit all those places, I am a child of God and He has promised me wholeness. BY HIS STRIPES…I am healed! I can’t feel it yet….I can’t see it yet….BUT I AM HEALED!

I wrote this back in April of 2012. I am proud and blessed to say that on Father’s Day, June 17, 2012, I received my new heart! I received that lifesaving call at 4:30 pm on Saturday the 16th and my family joined me up at OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University) where the lifesaving surgery was performed the very next day. After spending nearly 3 weeks in the hospital, I was released to go home. I am still recovering and dealing with many side effects to the multiple medicines I am on but I am alive and have a strong beating heart because my faith carried me through. Being a post-transplant patient is not going to be an easy road, but I will live on to see my grandchildren and they will get to know me. I will continue to forge on and face each day with the hope and faith that I can make a difference in someone else’s life. The best way to recover is to focus on others. It is my mission to continue my fight against heart disease by helping to education women on the symptoms and dangers of heart disease and to raise awareness on the importance of becoming an organ donor. In addition, I hope to someday soon be a helping hand and an encouragement to someone else walking down the same path I walked. Blessings to all of us fighting for our lives and for giving us the strength, faith and hope to put one foot in front of the other and carry on!

Terri
Oregon
Submitted 8-10-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

I was diagnosed in March of 2010 with 2 types of breast cancer, both were stage 3. I had a modified radical mastectomy, 27 chemo treatments and 30 radiation treatments.

Cancer took part of my body, took my hair, took a year and a half of my time but it did not take my life.

If you are battling cancer you CAN win!! I DID!! I had lots of prayer, and a wonderful support group of family and friends. Keep a positive attitude and keep smiling. There is light at the end of the battle.

God bless each and every one of you.

Donice P
Oklahoma
Submitted 7-3-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

The thing is my father died in March 2009 of lung cancer, which of course spread everywhere else. When he was fighting cancer, he was always optimist! But, I believe that he knew it would eventually take his life. After his death I believe that she just gave up and really wanted to die also! I am just so sad that I lost them both in the same year!!

As my birthday nears, I dread the date to come and go, with all the feelings and fear of a future without them!! I drove by there old homes this week. I decided that am going to spend this weekend at the beach, where I grew up with my Father! I know they are watching over me, but I miss them so very much, even at 47!!!!

Johnsie L
North Carolina
Submitted 8-2-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

My doctors pushed for a hysterectomy, but my mother and I both said no. I wanted to try for my own kids at some point in my life. They also told me my chances of being able to carry a baby were very slim. So I had the laproscopic surgery and was told afterwards that I had all 4 stages of endometriosis. My doctor told me I was lucky to find it when I did because otherwise, I may not have lasted 5 years.

After the surgery, I still had irregular cycles and my pain wasn’t as bad, but I still had pretty bad cramps. A few years later I tried getting pregnant with my 1st husband and no luck! We later ended up parting ways. I reconnected with my high school sweetheart (we are currently married) and in the summer of 2010, I became pregnant. My pregnancy was really wonderful except for the first trimester.  I was low in progesterone so had to take medications during that time. I don’t know if this was due to endometriosis though.

I now can say that I have a BEAUTIFUL healthy 16 month old daughter! She is truly our miracle baby! I had to have a C-Section and my doctor saw on my charts that I have endo, so during that surgery she checked for any signs of more endometriosis and she said she coudn’t see any visible ones. I still have irregular periods and mild cramping but nothing too bad! We will be trying for our next baby in 2013!!

My advice to people is NEVER EVER give up!!

Kristin
Texas
Submitted 7-27-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.