The Secret of My Success/How Kathy Got Her Groove Back.....
Those of you who are close to me already know most of my story, but I am so excited that I want to share what's going on with everyone.
How my story began:
Lots and lots of pain, followed by more pain and suffering with no end in sight. I have an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis that causes extreme pain, inflammation, joint/spine damage and can fuse your joints together when it has done enough damage. Basically, my body sees my joints and connective tissues as the enemy and attacks. There were many days when I couldn't walk, migraines that lasted 5-7 days, muscle spasms so hard that it would pull my ribs out of place. It took over 10 years to find out what was wrong with me and then the real fun began. I have been on almost every drug the medical doctors have to treat this with. Some of the drugs have ruined my stomach and caused problems with my liver and kidneys. Some have side effects listed like "may cause lymphoma and fatal lung infections". Great....I think I'll sign up for that one! I have tried a lot of alternatives like natural medicine and herbs without much help. I was at the point that my rheumatologist told me I was on the last medical option out there and he was considering sending me to the pain management clinic to at least control the pain levels. I was no longer able to sit for more than an hour, wear most normal shoes, go hiking, exercise, sleep more than two hours without pain. I started to distance myself from my friends and was giving up on life as a normal person. My husband and I started to think about when I should go on disability. It was at this point that I met someone who had Fibromyalgia (another autoimmune disease) so bad that she couldn't work and was in constant pain who found a way to get well. Since this wasn't some infomercial on TV and I knew this person, I decided to try what she was doing. The first day I started taking the vitamins and supplements, I noticed a big difference. Over the next few weeks, things dramatically improved for me. Now I have no pain or inflammation, I bike to work now (3.5 miles each way with some hills), I have lost over 20 pounds, I actually sleep all night and I feel HAPPY. We went on some road trips and it didn't cause me pain for once. I feel better than I have felt for the last 20 years. I thought a long time about posting my story with so much personal information, but if it helps even one person who needs help it is worth it to me.
