My Story
After suffering physically for many years with obscure, odd and undiagnosable symptoms I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. So there I was, 29 years young and due to being unwell I quit my job in Edmonton as a Logistics Coordinator and moved back home to Lethbridge with my parents.
At the time of diagnosis, I wanted information and someone to talk to who could understand me. Unfortunately, at the time the support I was aching for could only be found in the US (Remember, this was before the internet). It was then I decided to found the Lethbridge Society for Rare Disorders (LSRD).
I believed there were others, possibly hundreds, who also felt alone. As a result, the LSRD created a support group. In the beginning, the group included individuals that were undiagnosed, had brain injuries, and transgender. We embraced and welcomed anyone who didn’t fit into other groups or where groups didn’t exist. Over time, LSRD grew to a national level and became the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD).
Before I knew it I was the founder of a national health organization; doing interviews, becoming a YWCA Woman of Distinction, and heading on a coast-to-coast press tour to create awareness about rare disorders in Canada. I was travelling with my family to Edmonton for a Public Relations event and as we were driving in the car it felt like a black cloud was following us and just couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom.
The next morning, I was taken to the hospital by ambulance from my hotel room.
A hot, feverish, 12 hours later, my abdomen was enlarged to the point where it looked like I was 9 months pregnant. The next thing I remember is that healthcare professionals were in my room ripping off my jewelry, talking around and over me. No one told me why or what was happening.
I woke up and couldn’t speak, I had been intubated and was on life support! All I wanted was to tell someone that I had a flight to catch to Hamilton for the next leg of my PR campaign and to please tell the airlines it needed to be cancelled. I had no idea of the gravity of my situation.
My family was told I would only have 24 hours to live so I fought for my life. I remained on life support in the ICU with a nurse constantly in my room for 12 to 14 days. I had experienced a bowel perforation and was in toxic shock from the poisons that had leaked into my body and blood.
My husband was by my side for almost 24 hours a day. It seemed that every time I opened my eyes he was still in the chair at the foot of my bed. Our children; Renee was 8 and Andrew was 5, their Mama needed to live!
After being removed from life support, I gave up. I prayed for release, saying “I can’t do this anymore”. At that moment, a spirit appeared and said: “give it to me”. I gave that spirit control over my life. The next day the nurses were changing the dressing on the open wound on my abdomen one nurse said; “Look at how this is healing”. My physical healing had begun. I believed I knew the secret to true healing, or at least I thought I did.
Eight years later, I was introduced to Louise Hay. In comparison, praying for healing was easy. When I started my journey of understanding how my thoughts and words created my presence and future, I didn’t realize how much work it was going to take.
I now realize it takes a lifetime to learn how to connect to the pain and sensations that help me find the root of my feelings. Each time I stopped and acknowledged the sensation, I connected to a feeling and was able to heal my body. It is most important to take the time to connect to feelings. Remember, this is your timing. It could take an hour, a day, a week or more. The most important part is connecting. Louise calls this Mind-Body Connection. I call it Head to Heart, Connecting to Your Truth.
