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Ebony’s Fight Like a Girl Story Part 2 (Chronic Pain)

by 13 Comments
Feb
20
2012
Ebony's Fight Like a Girl Story Part 2 (Rheumatoid Arthritis)

So, I have been here before…sharing my FLAGC story about RA. Since that post, my story has changed. I received a phone call from my doctor that left me in tears, then ready to press on. As of today, I don't have answers as far as my diagnosis, but I'm finding my way back from square one! The following is from a blog post in September; I decided to continue sharing my story so others won't be discouraged by their present situation. " I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders." This was one of the first quotes I clung to when I first made the choice to speak up about my illness. I knew it was going to take a lot of God's guidance, faith, and guts. I have reached many cross roads over the last year: raising my son, getting laid off, losing insurance, my condition getting worse, finding "the right doctor", trying to uncover the best pain management, looking for work, applying for this and that while keeping a smile on my face and saying "I'm okay". This … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chronic Pain Stories, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Stories Tagged With: , , , , ,

Jill’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

by 15 Comments
Dec
12
2011
Jill's Story (Breast Cancer) LR

2010….what a GREAT year for me! I had a beautiful family, I started my own photography business, then I heard the words "you have breast cancer". Okay, so that last part wasn't GREAT…but it did change my life for the BETTER. In September 2010, I felt a lump that seemed to be on my rib, so it was hard for me to determine what it was. So, I ignored it for a month. When it didn't go away, I went to the doctors. The doctor felt it, and said, "I really don't think it's anything to worry about" giving me that look as if to say "you are only 37, you can't have breast cancer". Luckily, I went with my gut. What followed was a mammogram, ultrasound, and a biopsy all within a few days. That following Friday I was told that I had breast cancer, DCIS. PHEW…I thought. That is the best type to have…if you have to have any. I was told I would only need sugery to remove the disease, radiation for 6 weeks, and I would have to take Tamoxafin for 5 years. Okay, I can handle that, at least I can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breast Cancer Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Daphne’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma)

by 6 Comments
Dec
11
2011
Lime Ribbon Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

September of 2007 I had finally had enough. My back had been hurting for a few years, just getting worse- this Dr said this, that one said something else. My primary ordered an MRI after countless CT’s with no answer. Two days later I got a call that I needed to see an oncologist- I had some enlarged lymph nodes. Ok, that scared me a good bit, went to see the oncologist. They did a biopsy and a PET- yup, its non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - slow growing but EVERYWHERE - like too many nodes involved to even count. But ya know thats not when I started fighting like a girl. After a few chemos, I could not take the pain I felt all over my body. Somehow this cancer and chemo threw my body into meltdown. The tumor pain was horrid, the vincristine from the chemo was causing nerve and muscle damage. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis so, compounded, I felt like I had been given a life sentence to that firey place below. I had a grandbaby born the following August.  When I heard I was going … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lymphoma Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nikki’s Fight Like a Girl Story

by 10 Comments
Nov
06
2011
Nikki's Fight Like a Girl Story

Well, I am a fairly new fighter although the doctors have explained that I have had this disease for several years. The MRIs and bone scans indicate that the damage to my hips and spine began approximately 4 years ago. I was blessed to spend those first 3 years fairly pain-free. At least, pain-free enough to forego any type of special appointments for pain or mobility issues. My first appointment for joint pain was with my family physician in February of this year, about 4 months after opening our home to the most adorable set of 2 year old (foster) triplets. I honestly thought the knee pain was caused by crawling around on the floor with the babies and forgetting that I am no longer a teenager. Within days of my visit with "Doc", I tripped over one of the triplets and dislocated my knee causing me to have to wear an immobilizer for several weeks. During that time, I developed a DVT behind my injured knee. And that, folks, is where I got onto the craziest ride of my life. I never … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Power Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Increase of Fibromyalgia/CFS in Young People

by 10 Comments
Oct
31
2011
healKick-big-300x98

Is it just me, or are more and more young people getting diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS?? Both have been stereotyped for so long as being illnesses that only afflict older people, but as someone who is active on twitter, I'm finding so many teens that are already diagnosed with these problems! I can relate to this a lot, as I became very sick at the age of 13. I have no idea why this illness is spreading the way it is, but we need so much more research!  If only we could manage to get out of bed long enough to spread the word!  That's why websites like this are so very important.  The Fight Like A Girl Club lets us get these thoughts out there and hopefully more people will read and learn about these illnesses and want to get involved! There is a Facebook page for young people who are suffering with these illnesses right here:  Young People with Fibromyalgia. Also, Healkick, is a new website for people under 40 with neuro-immune illnesses.  I recommend that if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFS, Fibromyalgia Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Stages of Grief

by 15 Comments
Oct
28
2011
grief

I'm taking a subject that wasn't what I had originally planned on writing about but the more I thought about it the more I thought that it's something that I need to share with all of you. The subject is grief. When we think of grief we usually associate that with dying, but that’s not the only time grief happens. You go through the stages of grief when you go through something traumatic, when you've lost something of value or when you've been diagnosed with a life changing disease.  Grief comes in five stages, they usually come in an order but sometimes you can be in stage 4 and revert back to stage 1 or something like that but either way you go through them. This past semester in college I had a class and we were discussing the stages of grief and my teacher pointed out that it didn't just mean for people that were dying or that had loved ones die. After I read about it in my textbook I realized that I had been through the grief stages more than once. Stage 1- … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Endometriosis Tagged With: , , ,

Strength

by 7 Comments
Oct
15
2011
Strength

Strength is a powerful word. Physical strength is very obvious to the human eye. Internal strength is something different and more difficult to define. Not only is it difficult to define it is hard to determine where one finds their internal strength. It varies from person to person. When I received my diagnosis last July, I did not feel strong, I felt like a weak and helpless child in the face of this disease. An anonymous quote said: “When on the edge of destiny, you must test your strength”. Breast Cancer put me on the edge of a new destiny – to survive at all costs. To ensure my survival I had to find new sources of strength. Since dying was NOT an option, I decided I would need an extraordinary amount of strength to fight the pink ribbon demon. Thank God I did not fight alone. I have the most amazing family and friends who helped me every step of the way. When my strength failed I could rely on them to push me forward. That's right – I am a thief – a strength stealer. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breast Cancer Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Raven’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus)

by 14 Comments
Oct
14
2011
Raven's Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus)

I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus in September 2010. I spent the entire weekend in the bed, depressed and throwing myself a pity party. Until I thought about it; I have never been a quitter; and I've always led by example. I was only 27 at the time and, you know, it actually felt good to know WHY my body felt like it was falling apart. I still don't understand and I do sometimes doubt the doctor's diagnosis. I'm scared still. I have young children that I can't even throw a ball with because of my 5 shoulder dislocations (ortho says I'm too young to operate on). I also have bad knees, Raynaud's Phenomenon, degenerative disc disease & hyper-elasticity of the joints…. I think. Or it may all be the Lupus. I have so many questions – but my PCP doesn't want to answer. Just a prescription once a month for narcotics. I only recently began prednisone. I WILL BEAT THIS IF IT KILLS ME!!! What makes me the angriest is that I am unable to do anything. This depresses me. It doesn't help … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lupus Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

LaQuanda’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Endometriosis)

by 46 Comments
Oct
04
2011
LaQuanda's Story (Endometriosis)

Greetings ladies. I am LaQuanda Hart. I am a 29-year-old female from Springfield, SC. I was diagnosed with endometriosis well over 15 years ago. I have tirelessly gone through 9 different procedures due to this rare disease. Believe it or not, after all the procedures and surgeries I have had, the pain is STILL here. I dealt with the excruciating pain for so long that I was at the point of throwing in the towel. It felt like I wasn't living a normal life as most young ladies do. When I was in High School I spent a week and 2 days out of school a month because of the excruciating pain that I was experiencing. I was at the hospital the entire time getting morphine or dilaudid injections to try and suppress the pain. In my 15 years of dealing with this I have had recurring cancer cells and a hemorrhagic ovary that bled out into my stomach area. Just recently my urologist told me that the endometriosis had spread to my bladder. I am now suffering back issues that endometriosis may have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Endometriosis Stories Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Helen’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Addison’s Disease)

by 11 Comments
Oct
04
2011
Addison's Disease Ribbon

I had been ill for about 8 months and gradually getting worse. The doctors just thought I had a thyroid problem and gave me medication for that. In the end, I could hardly eat, got a strange tan, and then I went on holiday in May this year where I got very ill with vomiting, feeling very cold when it was 90 degrees outside, and having bad back pain. I was very dehydrated and could hardly walk by the time we arrived back in England. My husband took me to A and E the following morning. Luckily, the doctors there were really good and diagnosed my condition quickly which I later found out was adrenal failure, otherwise known as Addison's Disease - which is a life threatening illness. I was so lucky I reached the hospital in time and they injected the needed cortisone steriod into me. Now I have to take the medication daily for the rest of my life as without it I would not be here today. I now realize I need to make the most of every day. Helen England Submitted 7-18-11 The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Addison's Disease Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,