Zebra Life

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After zipping through a 1/2 century at the speed of sound, I found myself grinding to an abrupt halt. What happened? Was it the nasty divorce that left me with nothing but children? Was it the years of perfectionism and obsessive behavior? I honestly thought I was falling apart, physically and emotionally. Mom had passed years ago, so I couldn't ask her for advice. The medical field had been unsuccessful addressing my chronic back and gynecological problems, did I really want to pour more money down the drain? Years earlier my little sister had been diagnosed with Lupus and Lipedema, could I possibly have those same conditions? I needed answers, especially now that my daughters were having health issues similar yet more pronounced than mine. My primary doctor was less than helpful, always insisting that if I lost weight it would cure all of my ails. I listened, I tried, things got worse. Thinking pain was all in my head, the next plan of attack was psychology, naturally that included an onslaught of medications that built up in my lymphatically overloaded system, ugh. Fortunately there was a bright, observant and caring Nurse Practitioner that suggested running a few diagnostic tests. Blood results indicated an autoimmune condition. Next up, Rheumatology, it's Lupus, it's not Lupus, it's Lupus, it's not...you get the idea. Back to the Nurse, let's check out connective tissue disorders-BINGO! After a bit of DNA testing it was confirmed, not only did I have Ehlers Danlos, so did my kids! During this time I was applying for Social Security Disability, I was denied, I appealed, denied again. What did I do? I found support groups, lots and lots of support groups. Not only do they understand what I/we are going through, they have better advice and more information than all of the doctors that I spent thousands of dollars on put together! So that's my story, it's a journey, full of bumps and bruises but I'm still here, whether it's for sharing, encouragement or just a shoulder to cry on, I here <3