Small summary of an inspiring journey

I was diagnosed in 2006 when I was 14 years old when I began to have excruciating headaches, was extremely sleepy, unable to write and was dragging my right foot.

      While I was at the doctor's office collapsed and was rushed into the hospital to have an MRI. The scan showed swelling in the brain and a perfectly round dark mass in the area where all of your motor skills and bodies functions occur.

     The doctors believed that it was a brain tumor and before I knew it I was being taken to have a brain biopsy. After four long years previous to this event we finally had a diagnosis. It was not cancer thank Heavens! I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Vasculitis.

  I also have an over active immune system and when it becomes too active my eosinophil cells attack my body causing inflammation in the brain. The inflammation becomes so severe that it compresses the blood vessels in my brain and cuts off oxygen and circulation. Because of the lack of oxygen and blood flow it has left me paralyzed on the right side three times and completely paralyzed once.

   I was able to regain my bodies functioning and mobility with intensive rehabilitation physical therapy; alternative methods and this may sound corny and the power of prayer.  I was left with a slight weakness and paralysis on the right hand side. I know have a slight gait in my walk and taught myself to be left handed dominant now because I have a left over tremor in my right arm that makes it to difficult to write.

     A couple of years went by and I had a smaller one of these episodes but other than that things had been going fairly well.

    Then in October of 2010 my old symptoms returned and when the doctors performed the MRI it showed that my brain's mid line shifted into the right side of my brain and I had severe swelling that caused there to be no space between my skull and the brain. My brain was being threatened with severe brain damage, so my parents were forced to come to the difficult decision to place me into a medically induced coma. After 4 days they were finally able to calm the inflammation down with multiple therapies and treatments. When I finally regained consciousness I was completely paralyzed and had machines helping me breathe and monitoring the pressure in my head.

     The strong and determined individual that I am I would not let that stop me. With determination and the love and support of my family and friends I was able to recover. I am still here and living life to my best capability and am extremely grateful for that.

   

  There is no definite known reason why this occurs but I strongly believe that things in life happen for a reason and for whatever reason why this has occurred in my life it has made me a stronger, more compassionate and overall better person and I would never trade in these life experiences I have been through.