My Story
I was never a very healthy child and doctors just couldn’t figure out what was “wrong”. As a baby and toddler, I was often ill and labeled “Failure To Thrive”, even though my mum was doing everything she could. When I was 7 years old, I went in for my first surgery. I had “hammer toes” and I needed tendon releases on both legs, in hopes that it would help my feet straighten out. It helped to a certain extent, but I still had lots of problems walking or my legs would get very tired easily. By 8 or 9 years old, I was often sick, tired, and had awful migraines or headaches that would make me feel terrible. Doctors just couldn’t find a problem.
My second surgery was a routine tonsillectomy and adenoid removal because of my constant strep throats and illnesses. Things seemed to be getting slightly better at that point.
Then, I was 10, had a virus for about 2 weeks and woke up one morning paralyzed in both legs! I remember trying to get out of bed and I fell to the ground because my legs crumpled underneath me. It was so scary…. I called for my mum and I was rushed to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where I stayed for quite some time, while doctors performed every test imaginable. Even with some of the best doctors and specialists in the country, we still had no answers. It was a mystery why a small child would suddenly be paralyzed.
After months of rehab and appointments, I slowly recovered and I could walk again with the use of braces and shoe inserts! However, my legs remained weak and were slightly atrophied (muscle was disappearing from my calf area). I would often come down with strange illnesses and I would get sick very very easily.
Then, one of the strangest things occurred when I was about 14 years old. I began getting horrible strep throats and infections again and they determined that my tonsils had grown back! Yes, GROWN BACK! So, 7 years after my previous tonsillectomy, I had to have my tonsils removed again! Sheesh!
Once I had the tonsils removed (again!), I showed signs of improvement, but still had pain, headaches and horrible fatigue.
Then, the worst year of my life began January 2000. I began to have horrific pain in the backs of my legs and it took three days before anyone would admit me into the hospital (after calling 911!) Once I was admitted, things took a turn for the worst and I was suddenly paralyzed again and in the absolute worst pain of my entire life. The only way I can even come close to explaining the pain was it was like a chainsaw cutting through both of my legs. Horrible.
Even though I had been paralyzed before, this time was worse and no one expected that I would walk again. I was at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for a very long time in their Neurology ward. I had some of the most renowned doctors in the world working with me and they were working diligently, trying to figure out what was going on. After many many tests, the only conclusive result was Spinal Meningitis. However, even though I was positive for Meningitis, it still didn’t explain the paralysis and the other issues I was having.
When I was finally released from the hospital, I spent many many weeks in an inpatient rehab hospital where I spent 8 hours a day doing intensive therapy. So, while all my friends were in college, here I was, working my butt off in a hospital, just trying to survive and hopefully walk again. It sucked. No other way to put it.
I don’t often show pictures of me in my leg braces because I am very self conscious of them and I hate how skinny and “deformed” my legs look. I have learned the art of cropping photos to hide my legs and my brace and Garrett has also learned how to take photos of me so that you can’t see my legs. I think it is about time to show another picture of my legs, right? Might as well embrace them because they aren’t going away!
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| I am wearing one of my braces in this picture. Can barely even tell, right? I need to get over it! |
(Proud Moment Alert!) Even after all of that, I ended up graduating college with honors with TWO bachelor’s degrees. Yay! AND I graduated one year earlier than I was expected to!
After all of this, Garrett and I started dating (we had been friends for years prior to this), I graduated college, we moved across the country, I went from being in a wheelchair to walking with the use of leg braces!, moved back across the country again, started our little family, and things have been great.
