I have debated for quite a while about whether I wanted to share my personal health story on the blog but it is an important part of my life story.  For those of you who don't know, I have had my share of medical battles. When I was 7 years old I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease). For the most part, as a youngster, this condition didn't affect me and I had a considerably normal childhood. However, once I hit my teen years this disease took over my life. I struggled for years with pain, ridiculous amounts of time spent in the restroom, extremely unpleasant procedures, and one medication failure after another (some with some nasty side effects). I missed out on a lot during my high school years, so much in fact, that I was dis-enrolled from school. After transferring to a Charter School, I was able to get back on track and graduate on time. My struggle with this disease continued as I took a break from school and worked at a local low key job. I was about 20 years old and was incredibly tired of being sick and missing out on life events. I was willing to try anything to get better. It was at this time that I transferred doctors and found a medical team that would help me get my health and my life back to being my own.   

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At that point in my life I was prescribed a new medication, which was an IV infusion (I had been on pills up to this point).  I-25-Edit With nothing left to lose I started what I now refer to as my 'miracle meds'. With the assistance of this medication I was able to achieve remission and get back to living a 'normal' life. I-21-Edit

I am now considered a 'regular' at the infusion center and receive an infusion every 7 weeks. The process takes about 3 hours and I have come to look forward to it. It seems to be the only time I get to sneak in a nap and catch up on my TV shows! Collage 1 With my recurring visits I have developed a meaningful friendship with my nurses. Nurse Kerry takes particularly good care of me! I just love her! I-19-Edit All hooked up and ready to roll Collage 2 Time for the Pre-medications

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The pre-meds (that help ward off any potential allergic reactions) make me sleepy and I often end up dozing off.

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To this day I don't take a single day that I am healthy for granted! I've learned that my health has to come first in order to keep my family and business running smoothly.

Lastly, I can't say enough good things about my nurses! Past and present, they have always been the ones to offer comfort or reassurance when I have needed it.  They are the ones working tirelessly to provide care for the ill and injured.  I am one of the lucky ones at the infusion center, many are battling much bigger illnesses than myself.  I have witnessed the true value of a nurse many times over my years of receiving infusions.  They really do put the care in healthcare. Thank you to all these lovely ladies for taking care of me!  I owe a lot of my success to my health care team as I wouldn't be where I am today without getting my health back on track! 

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Photo credit goes out to Kara Olson