Hello,

So I am at a point in my life where I am finally ready to share my story. My story began in the first grade, as a seemingly normal young active and athletic child, I sustained my first ankle injury. This initial injury,eventually would lead to repeated ankle injuries regardless of the care and caution my parents and I took. I eventually started to have back injuries because of an unknown diagnosis. Everyone thought it was just me being an active kid and being accident prone. Oh, how we were all wrong.

As a kid, teenager, and young adult I went through countless surgeries, injuries and diagnoses all while maintaining a positive resilient attitude because somewhere someone always has it worse than me, right? Come to find out in my 20s I was diagnosed with Elerlos Danlos Syndrome, which is a hypermobility disorder thus finally explaining all of my previous injuries. To make matters worse, as a teenager, I was also diagnosed with a brain malformation which resulted in two cranial surgeries. I was an active teen and to be perfectly honest, I was not going to let something like multiple brain surgeries slow me down, I just would not let them slow me down, how could I? God granted me specific challenges to overcome. I’ve always said I never made mistakes, just learning opportunities.

I’m a 41-year-old daughter, Sister, Friend, Physical Therapy Assistant, Dog mom and fighter. I’m an old soul, who will give the shirt, off my back to help family, friends, or strangers. Currently, I am battling multiple chronic complex health issues that have sidelined me from my passion, as a PTA to provide compassionate care to those with compromised mobility. Issues that have reared their ugly head, these complications associated with EDS have made a resurgence in my life the last couple months, which will make it impossible for me to function normally and have to take medical from work.

The last three months, more recently, since the second day of the new year, I have been dealing with nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, and increased fatigue, all due to cranial cervical instability. I had the pleasure to cross paths with a functional NP, Holly Kellett, who worked tirelessly to get to the bottom of multiple diagnoses and new ones. She set me up with countless doctors, to find out what was going on. Of course I’m a cannoli! She was able to determine, I had a urinary retention, which would eventually lead to a diagnosis of cervical instability. She sent me to Dr. Henderson, who is a wonderfully smart man, positively arrogant, grandpa esk who delved into my medical history and scans to find the root cause. He has treated me conservatively in an aspen cervical collar for two weeks and lo and behold. My symptoms vanished, but came back as soon as I took off the Aspen collar. I was unable to pay all my bills at that time, but I am happy to say I am back at work until surgery.

I never thought I would need help. I have always been fiercely independent and rarely ask for help. I have worked hard my entire life taking care of everyone but myself. I’ve always put family, friends and patients before myself. I would not change that, but now it’s time for me to ask for help and allow myself to receive what God has to offer.

I will be having brain/fusion surgery on February 28 .

I’m asking for any help that you are able to give prayers, love, hugs, positive energy, food, financial donations, etc. Anything that you feel will help me to fight this battle that I have knocking at my door so I can truly heal.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you in advance for any help that you have to offer. Life is truly a precious gift and I believe and have faith that God and prayers will help take care of me and get me through this.

Thank you from the bottle of heart .

Love Always,

Maggie