Christina's Road to Recovery
Donation protected
The decision to start this fund was not an easy decision to make by any means. Being a person who has been financially independent since the age of 19yrs old, this is a very humbling step for me. My situation consists of numerous, unfavorable circumstances that have all occurred simultaneously. I have put on a hard fight, but unfortunately I cannot override the system or the laws of nature. I believe that I am on a journey that will serve the greater good; therefore, I have learned to come to terms with asking for help.
Now that I have presented my disclaimer, I will tell you my story. It starts two years ago, when my now ex-husband, decided that he no longer wanted to stay in our marriage. We had been together for ten years; living, working, traveling, and spending nearly everyday together. I was in Australia teaching yoga when he told me the news, and he was in Dubai on a short-term work contract. To say the news rocked my world is to put it mildly, but I vowed not to perceive the news as a life-ending circumstance, but rather as a chance to uplift myself in every respect. Afterwards I came to the states to spend some time visiting with family and reconnect with friends. About two months after the separation from ex-husband, I woke up one more to find that suddenly I was unable to coordinate the movements on the right side of my body. A couple days later, I flew to the city where my parents and sister reside and made an appointment to see a doctor. By the time I arrived at my parent’s house I could barely walk a few steps without feeling completely exhausted. I was extremely weak, and I was unable to walk without dragging my right leg. I was in a perpetual state of feeling like the room was spinning, a symptom I learned is termed “brain fog.” My speech was slurred, I had difficulty breathing, and I was unable to drive a car. Prior to this experience, I lived a very active lifestyle. I was practicing yoga at least four times a week and I also taught yoga full-time. I had been teaching for ten years and I loved what I did. I would go to the gym three times a week; I rode my bike to the gym and to work. I enjoyed hiking, bouldering, dancing; I barely sat down but I enjoyed it all!
After my appointment with the PCP, I was ordered to get an MRI. The results concluded that I had lesions in my brain and the possible cause was multiple sclerosis. I was told I needed to follow up with a neurologist, so I made an appointment. During the weeks that I was waiting for my appointment date, I woke up in the middle of the night to find that the left side of my face was numb. That was when I decided enough was enough. I couldn’t sit around like a waiting duck, so I took myself to the emergency room that same night. After four days in the hospital and after being screened by a team of neurologists, it was confirmed that I had remitting/relapsing multiple sclerosis. That was June 15, 2014, a day I will never forget. I was advised to find myself a neurologist and I was told that I would need to be under the care of a neurologist for the rest of my life. I later learned that MS is an unpredictable and incurable disease. Doctors do not know the cause of the disease and although I was diagnosed with a mild form, there was no way of predicting if it would eventually turn into a progressive form that would bind me to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I couldn’t bear the thought of being succumbed to sitting down for the rest of my life. It all seemed like life-ending news at the time. The next day, I found myself a neurologist and he put me on a new medication called Tecfidera, and also sent me to the hospital to take a four-day steroid IV infusion to calm down the inflammation in my brain. A few days later, the fire in my brain eventually calmed down; however, one month after starting Tecfidera and increasing to the full dose, I developed a whole new host of symptoms. The first thing that I noticed was that I never tired or felt the sensation of exertion. I also lost my appetite, but at the same time my stomach swelled up like I was three months pregnant. The list of symptoms I developed is now up to thirty-three. It was August of 2014, when I first experienced these symptoms. It is now January 2016 and I am still experiencing the same symptoms. I have been to countless doctors, specialists, alternative medicine practitioners and no one has been able to tell me the cause. I have been told by several doctors, that my diagnosis of MS is actually a misdiagnosis. I am no longer taking MS medication. I have continued my yoga practice, but now I perform it daily and with a completely different body. I have had to relearn everything, as I have lost many of my sensory abilities. Most people use only about 7-10% of their brain, but I must be using at least double that value, as I have to do everything on an intellectual level. I have had days where I felt like my legs didn’t want to work, as well as days where the pain from walking was so great, I wouldn’t even admit to myself that I was “handicapped.”
Despite having to deal with all of these issues, I managed to take myself back to college and I am currently studying to be a Registered Dietician. I just completed my first semester and despite a lot of memory and comprehension difficulties, I received top marks in all of my courses!
What is my plan if you decide to “fund me?” My ultimate goal is to move back overseas, as I am a traveler and I love the experience of engaging in different cultures. Most likely I will head back to Australia. I want to open up a wellness clinic where I can help people attain complete health using my skills a yoga teacher, personal trainer, dietician, and life coach. I have always known that my purpose in life is to help people find their road to happiness and stay on that route. Perhaps that is why I have had to take this path, to know what it feels like to be in the darkest place and still climb your way up to the light. For now, I need to complete the steps to attain my ultimate goal. I need to fund my schooling, which includes the need of a new, working laptop, tuition costs, books, supplies and lodging. I have acquired a lot of doctor’s bills, which even with health insurance have added up. I require regular appointments with a body worker to maintain my mobility.
There are countless days where I feel that I will never get better, but today is one of those days where I believe that I will. This account is reminder to always look the light. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
I wish everyone light and love.
Now that I have presented my disclaimer, I will tell you my story. It starts two years ago, when my now ex-husband, decided that he no longer wanted to stay in our marriage. We had been together for ten years; living, working, traveling, and spending nearly everyday together. I was in Australia teaching yoga when he told me the news, and he was in Dubai on a short-term work contract. To say the news rocked my world is to put it mildly, but I vowed not to perceive the news as a life-ending circumstance, but rather as a chance to uplift myself in every respect. Afterwards I came to the states to spend some time visiting with family and reconnect with friends. About two months after the separation from ex-husband, I woke up one more to find that suddenly I was unable to coordinate the movements on the right side of my body. A couple days later, I flew to the city where my parents and sister reside and made an appointment to see a doctor. By the time I arrived at my parent’s house I could barely walk a few steps without feeling completely exhausted. I was extremely weak, and I was unable to walk without dragging my right leg. I was in a perpetual state of feeling like the room was spinning, a symptom I learned is termed “brain fog.” My speech was slurred, I had difficulty breathing, and I was unable to drive a car. Prior to this experience, I lived a very active lifestyle. I was practicing yoga at least four times a week and I also taught yoga full-time. I had been teaching for ten years and I loved what I did. I would go to the gym three times a week; I rode my bike to the gym and to work. I enjoyed hiking, bouldering, dancing; I barely sat down but I enjoyed it all!
After my appointment with the PCP, I was ordered to get an MRI. The results concluded that I had lesions in my brain and the possible cause was multiple sclerosis. I was told I needed to follow up with a neurologist, so I made an appointment. During the weeks that I was waiting for my appointment date, I woke up in the middle of the night to find that the left side of my face was numb. That was when I decided enough was enough. I couldn’t sit around like a waiting duck, so I took myself to the emergency room that same night. After four days in the hospital and after being screened by a team of neurologists, it was confirmed that I had remitting/relapsing multiple sclerosis. That was June 15, 2014, a day I will never forget. I was advised to find myself a neurologist and I was told that I would need to be under the care of a neurologist for the rest of my life. I later learned that MS is an unpredictable and incurable disease. Doctors do not know the cause of the disease and although I was diagnosed with a mild form, there was no way of predicting if it would eventually turn into a progressive form that would bind me to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I couldn’t bear the thought of being succumbed to sitting down for the rest of my life. It all seemed like life-ending news at the time. The next day, I found myself a neurologist and he put me on a new medication called Tecfidera, and also sent me to the hospital to take a four-day steroid IV infusion to calm down the inflammation in my brain. A few days later, the fire in my brain eventually calmed down; however, one month after starting Tecfidera and increasing to the full dose, I developed a whole new host of symptoms. The first thing that I noticed was that I never tired or felt the sensation of exertion. I also lost my appetite, but at the same time my stomach swelled up like I was three months pregnant. The list of symptoms I developed is now up to thirty-three. It was August of 2014, when I first experienced these symptoms. It is now January 2016 and I am still experiencing the same symptoms. I have been to countless doctors, specialists, alternative medicine practitioners and no one has been able to tell me the cause. I have been told by several doctors, that my diagnosis of MS is actually a misdiagnosis. I am no longer taking MS medication. I have continued my yoga practice, but now I perform it daily and with a completely different body. I have had to relearn everything, as I have lost many of my sensory abilities. Most people use only about 7-10% of their brain, but I must be using at least double that value, as I have to do everything on an intellectual level. I have had days where I felt like my legs didn’t want to work, as well as days where the pain from walking was so great, I wouldn’t even admit to myself that I was “handicapped.”
Despite having to deal with all of these issues, I managed to take myself back to college and I am currently studying to be a Registered Dietician. I just completed my first semester and despite a lot of memory and comprehension difficulties, I received top marks in all of my courses!
What is my plan if you decide to “fund me?” My ultimate goal is to move back overseas, as I am a traveler and I love the experience of engaging in different cultures. Most likely I will head back to Australia. I want to open up a wellness clinic where I can help people attain complete health using my skills a yoga teacher, personal trainer, dietician, and life coach. I have always known that my purpose in life is to help people find their road to happiness and stay on that route. Perhaps that is why I have had to take this path, to know what it feels like to be in the darkest place and still climb your way up to the light. For now, I need to complete the steps to attain my ultimate goal. I need to fund my schooling, which includes the need of a new, working laptop, tuition costs, books, supplies and lodging. I have acquired a lot of doctor’s bills, which even with health insurance have added up. I require regular appointments with a body worker to maintain my mobility.
There are countless days where I feel that I will never get better, but today is one of those days where I believe that I will. This account is reminder to always look the light. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
I wish everyone light and love.
Organizer and beneficiary
Christina Stathis
Organizer
Tucson, AZ
Christina Stathis
Beneficiary