Friday July 10, 2009 Good Morning

Good Morning, almost afternoon! Well I went to bed at 8:00pm and woke up at 11:00 am. Yikes! I just haven't been feeling very well, and have had a hard time sleeping. Well my body is trying to play catch-up. I know many of my friends know I am not scared to speak of my illness. I spent 5 years of my life living as a mystery diagnosis patient. Never knowing what was wrong. I believe in speaking openly about it, because how else would people know. I have fibromyalgia, which is actually a sleep disorder that results in my body not going into the final stage of sleep. I was mis-diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I have undergone at least 20 MRI's, tested for everything from HIV, TB, Liver diseases, RA, Neuro-Sarcodosis, West Nile, Lyme Disease, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis all coming back negative. However it has to be one of 7 diseases due to findings in my spinal fluid. Said the head of Neuro-Infectious disease at Mayo Clinic were I have drove myself 4 times. Right now I respond to the treatment of Lupus and on Monday I go to another specialist. So I am diagnosed with Lupus, due to the butterfly rash, photosensitivity, fever, and other symptoms. I have weird labs. Weird markers show positive. After falling ill, I gained 165 right away, which I was on my feet working and I could barely eat. Since I have lost almost half the weight but not all. I speak of this because a disease does not define who you are. You can still be successful live a full life. I just believe people need to be more informed, if not ho we would they learn. Doctors told me I was eating too much. I lived in screaming kind of pain and walked around like a zombie.

If it wasn't for me working for Dr. Brenart who taught me that not all Dr.'s are not created equal, who knows were I would be. I said to him one day in frustration, "I don't understand calories in and calories out!" "He said "ah yes but that is under normal physiology, you don't have normal physiology." Thank you doctor Brenart. You are more than an eye doctor, father, grandfather, employer, friend! You too are a healer and have been blessed with a brilliant mind. Dr. Brenart is an optometrist I use to work for in Yorkville. If it wasn't for his favorite assistant and technician who too, is brilliant, Heather I don't know were I would be. Heather is the one that got me into Dr. Wilkin's office. Heather is now one of my good friends. Thank you Dr. Brenart. When I was sick, I refused to give up, however was too sick sometimes to work. I later found out, he put a another assistant on staff to work the desk to shadow my schedule. What a wonderful and beautiful man. His daughter Dr. Nicole Zangler, wiped my tears from eyes many times. I will never forget the time my insurance wouldn't cover my medicine and I was upset. She sat me down and asked me what was wrong and I told her, she hugged me and wiped my tears, and said to go downstairs and tell the girl I needed a check for over $400 for my medicine. I would re-pay it when I sent in the claim and the insurance sent me the check and no worries. These are the people that inspire me to be the best I can be. I believe in giving them the acknowledgement they deserve. Good people helping good people. It gives me the drive to get better, get my weight off so I show them and smile. I know I spend a lot of time speaking of people, but I like to give credit were credit is due. So many times I have done things for people and they don't appreciate. I want people to know how much I appreciate them, and that they have made an impact on my life! Thank you to all.

Well lets forget the rain today and move forward. Lets read a book, gather together, bring out a board game. Everyone love and live! Have a great day and a great weekend and turn up the music, move the coffee table and dance!

Love,

Sarah

"The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement." Japanese Proverb

"It is easy to shield our bodies against poisoned arrows from without the difficult to shield out our minds against poisoned darts within."Shakyamnni

"Humans cannot create matter. We can however, create value. Creating value is in fact our very humanity. When we praise people for their strength of character, were actually acknowledging their ability to create value." Tsnnesaburo Makignchi