A Strength that Lasts

Today I saw my neurologist and he told me that he would like me to try a new seizure medication (my fifth one!) and hopefully this time, I won't develop any more allergies. The reason for this is that my last EEG showed that there are areas in my brain still at risk for seizures, and being on this medication will help prevent me from having another episode of severe subclinical seizures.

I wouldn't mind the medications if it weren't for the side effects. Another big side effect of this seizure medication is fatigue - which is usual for seizure medications. However I was a bit disappointed to hear that I might be more tired again, just as I was beginning to regain my old energy levels.

Last fall, I was on three types of seizure medications that caused me severe fatigue. I was so weak that my husband was kind enough to always carry all the grocery bags from the car to the house. Physical weakness is a part of life…sometimes we feel weak when we are sick, and as adults get older, they begin to lose physical strength.

We do not have much control over how physically strong we are. No matter how much I lift weights, I am probably too small to ever be as physically strong as my husband. But there is another kind of strength that we have control over.

It is the strength of the heart. When I was 17 years old and my body started deteriorating in the ICU because of my illness, my parents told me that other organs began failing too and it was only my heart that was keeping strong - probably because I was a physically active teenager. However, I am not talking about that kind of "strong heart" - I am talking about a heart of hope, faith and courage.

While we may not be able to control our physical strength, we can always CHOOSE the strength of our heart. When faced with trials, you can choose the level of your courage. Do you retreat and wait for the trial to pass you by, or do you face it with courage and let your trial make you stronger than the person you were before?

A heart of strength is what helps you endure when life gets rocky. When I was weak from the chemotherapy and fatigued from the seizure medications, it was my heart of strength that led me to write this blog, so I can share my hope in everyday with all of you.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "We acquire the strength we have overcome." The next time you face times of trouble, remember that it is during these times of trouble that we have the opportunity to grow deeper in faith, and strengthen our hearts.

Richard E.Byrd said, "Few (people) during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used."  Never underestimate the strength of your heart. Whenever you feel like you are not strong enough to handle what you are going through, know that there is a God who loves you and has promised to give you His strength when you ask for it. Psalm 138:3, "When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted."

A heart of strength also requires daily exercise to keep it strong. You can maintain your heart of strength with positive thinking, counting your blessings, living with hope, and finding the purpose in the pain.

I choose to let my heart be stronger than the sum of all my problems.

To let my faith be always stronger than my health.

To let my hope always be stronger than central nervous system vasculitis

And, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Growing from Pain

(traduccion español)

When I was young, I used to complain about aching and pain in my joints. I was told that these were "growing pains" - and that everybody goes through this, and that growing pains means I am getting taller.


But "growing pains" are not just limited to adolescence…we experience growing pains throughout life. My biggest growing pain is my illness with central nervous system vasculitis. It has been during my journey with this illness that I have experienced the most growth and learned the most about life.


Henri Nouwen said, "We fail to see the place of suffering in the broader scheme of things. We fail to see that suffering is an inevitable dimension of life. Because we have lost perspective, we fail to see that unless one is willing to accept suffering properly, he or she is really refusing to continue in the quest for maturity. To refuse suffering is to refuse personal growth."


How then can we accept suffering properly?
The first thing we need to remember is to be patient. I know that patience is not one of my strongest qualities. We live in a world with instant gratification so sometimes we expect God to instantly answer our prayers. But God's ways are higher than ours, and He has specific purposes behind His answers to our prayers that we might not understand in this lifetime.


So while we're in pain and suffering, we hold on to our hope that this too shall pass. And we are patient in waiting during God's silence at these times of our lives. And while we wait on God's answer, we are constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.")


1 Peter 5:10: "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." After God has confirmed, strengthened, and established you - you can then learn from your suffering and see how you have grown from it.


How have I grown from my pain?
1. By having to change life plans because of my illness, I have learned to lean not on my own understanding but trust in God's plans for me. I have learned not to depend on myself but to depend on God most, because He is always in control.  (Proverbs 3:5)
2. By gaining lots of weight on prednisone and losing hair due to chemotherapy, I have remembered that true beauty comes from within. That the heart is more important than the outward appearance and the heart's beauty never perishes, no matter what medication I may be on.  (1 Samuel 16:7)
3. By wondering if a cure will ever be found for my illness, I have learned to live with a steadfast hope. By the helpful hands of people in my life who have given hope to me, I have learned to give hope to others. (Isaiah 40:31)
4. By breaking down in tears on a bad day with my illness, I remember that just because I am a Christian, I am not entitled to have every single one of my prayers answered, that God's grace is always sufficient for me, and His power can be made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)


When you experience pain, think of them as growing pains too....because through suffering, we build our resilience, our endurance, and our strength. 


2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Choosing Joy

(traduccion español)

We all know choices are important. Some choices are small - such as choosing what to order on the menu. Some choices are big, like choosing where to buy your house. But there is an everyday choice that can bear even more importance in your life: choosing joy.

Henri Nouwen said, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

On Facebook, someone complimented me about my positive attitude towards life even in the face of an illness such as mine. I told that person that I didn't always have such a chirpy attitude. Last fall, after I was discharged from the hospital after my illness had flared up severely, there were several days where I felt miserable because it seemed that my illness was not letting go of me.

Then one day, I decided to stop thinking with the "woe is me" attitude and decided to be joyful instead! If I am going to live with an illness, I will do so joyfully; because whatever happens down the road is going to happen anyway. When you're living with an illness, and you're on chemotherapy and struggling with the side effects - sometimes choosing joy is difficult, but it's always the better choice to make.

Does having joy mean that you should never be sad or mad? No! There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a temporary state of emotion that expresses your enjoyment and satisfaction with your current circumstances. True joy is found when you know that despite what your circumstances are, there is something inside of you that is stronger than the mountains you face.

"Though sorrow may last through the night, joy comes in the morning."  Psalm 30:5

Where do you find your joy? Some people find joy with their significant other - because they rely on that person to lift them up when life goes down. Some people find joy in what they do as a career - they relish in how they serve others and their community. But people are not guaranteed to always be around …and careers don't last forever. As a Christian, I know that I can always find my joy in God.  He has promised to always be my side and endure with me whatever trials I am going through. When I feel pain, He feels it too. Knowing God means knowing that earth is our temporary home, and that one day we will be in a place where sorrow and tears will never enter.

We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can always control our attitude towards life. Every day is a new beginning…even if joy has not been your friend lately, you can still choose joy today and see the difference that it can make in your life!

How does joy make a difference? You begin to look at the world and your problems through a new perspective. For me, Instead of viewing my rare isolated illness as "bad luck," I choose to view it as a "gift of special circumstance" - because I get to be challenged in ways that most other people don't. I endure struggles that other people don't have to face. And by overcoming these challenges and struggles, I become a stronger person. Strength builds resilience. And your resilience to life events helps you to hold on to your joy.

How do you do it?

It's not what you do, it's how you do it.

Every time I see a new doctor, I always need to fill out a questionnaire. And on that questionnaire it always asks: "What is your occupation?"

Nowadays, there is a more attractive term for "stay-at-home wife" and that is "homemaker." You only need to hear certain people's stories, to know that being a "homemaker" is not an easy job. I look at my brother-in-law's wife and I am astounded by how she manages to still be standing at the end of the day. She has four young girls…6, 4, 2, and a new born. Apart from cleaning and cooking, she also takes care of animals on her farm. And somehow, she manages to find time to paint her walls and other home projects.  While she may not be at the forefront of changing the world, her desire to build a lovely home for her family makes a significant difference in the lives of five other people (her four kids and husband)..

For a lot of people with an illness, they are either forced into early retirement or have to file for disabilities because they can no longer work. My rheumatologist has actually encouraged me to seek a new job or go to graduate school, so that I can find something to do that is meaningful, because  for a lot of people with an illness who cannot find meaning in what they do , they tend to fade away.

Whatever you are doing…whether you work part-time at Starbucks, you're a homemaker, you're retired, or you have a job that you really hate…find a way to put meaning into what you do.

If you work part-time at Starbucks…seek to always have a smile on your face, and ask your customers how their day is going no matter how grumpy they may look when they are getting their morning coffee.

If you're a homemaker or you're retired…there is so much things that you can do in your spare time that can bring meaning into the life of others! There is a group on Facebook called "Squares and Prayers." Their meaning is to create "a place for info, encouragement, and banter for those interested in working on collaborative projects for the purpose of blessing others." Right now they are working on a crochet blanket for a 3-year old boy who has had 3 open-heart surgeries.

This week, I have started a project called Cards4Cures. My purpose is to create cards with small messages of hope in them to be given to patients with illnesses at  hospitals. While everyone with an illness is still waiting for a cure, a small card of hope can help cure a little sadness or a lonely day.

If you would like to know more about Cards4Cures or would like to join in the project…message me and let me know!

It's not what you see, it's how you look at it.

Perspective is truly everything. Have you ever tried to solve a Rubix Cube? Sometimes you just don't know what the next step is, but when you turn the rubix cube around at all angles, you can find the right twists and turns to solve your puzzle.

Whatever difficulties you may be facing, how you look at it can change your attitude towards it. And when you have a hopeful positive attitude, it makes enduring these difficulties a little bit easier.  If you knew already how your difficulties would resolve, would you walk to your destination on a path of flowers, or on a path of thorns?

It's not how your life is, it's how you live it.

Circumstances don't define who we are…it's how we deal and use our circumstances that help define our character.

I am not defined by my illness…I am defined by my attitude of perseverance and my desire to overcome it. Therefore you are not defined by your troubles, but by how you choose to accept it or change it.

We are not defined by our past…but by how we choose to live our present based on what we have learned from the past.

And if you need help thinking about how to live, Micah has the answer:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

Living Life

One of the greatest women who ever lived was Mother Teresa…she dedicated her life to helping the less fortunate and giving hope to those who were weary. This is a beautiful quote to remember when you contemplate to yourself, "What should I do with my life?"

This is a question that has been on my mind a lot lately. For a while, I thought I knew what I was doing with my life. When I got married last April in 2011, my husband and I were planning on moving to Toronto where I had just been accepted to the Master in Social Work program. But after coming home from our honeymoon, this plan changed when we found out that my illness (central nervous system vasculitis) was active again after six years of remission. 

When you live with an illness without a cure…it can change your life at anytime. I live with an invisible illness that chooses to present itself at random times…and research still does not know why my immune system decides to attack when it does. When my illness attacks, I could be in a coma, I could have a stroke, I could have a seizure, or I could forget how to read and write.

Because of my health status, my husband and I decided that it was not the right time to have the stress of moving across the country and starting graduate school. At that time, it seemed like my illness was stealing opportunities away from me again like it did when it first struck when I was 17.

But like I said in my first post, if I had not gotten sick at 17, I would not be the same person I am today - and because of that, I rejoice in my own illness.

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it."

My illness flared again last September when I was hospitalized for three weeks when I had non-stop seizures and hallucinations. After coming home from the hospital, I prayed to God and asked Him what I should be doing with my life. What possible use can I be while I am just sitting at home, tired from chemotherapy, and not yet fit to enter the work force? It was during this time I started writing this blog and I started a support group on Facebook so that I can reach out to others who live with an illness and in need of hope.

We don't have a choice on how life can change at any moment, but we can choose to decide how we can make that change benefit us. When life gives you unwanted lemons, you always have the recipe to make lemonade.

"Life is a beauty, admire it." Life can seem ugly and tiring at times. A while ago, I spent three days with an on and off fever. My rheumatologist was worried that I might have an infection in my brain fluid. This started to worry me too. But like Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27). So why waste moments focusing on the ugly? Everyday may not be a good day, but as long as you have a reason to live, life is beautiful.

"Life is a dream, realize it." Sometimes it feels like life takes away the dreams we've hold on to for so long or the goals that we desire. But life is a journey - and it doesn't take away dreams, it changes them. Right now, I thought I would be at a social work internship at a children's hospital working toward a social work degree in public health. But instead, I am waiting on God to see what He wills for me - because God knows the plans He has for me, and these are plans to prosper me, and give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

"Life is a challenge, meet it." Whoever says that life is easy must not have a very strong character. It is the challenges of life that build up our strength of character and our fortitude to withstand even stronger storms. The apostle Paul - in the Bible - suffered from a thorn in the flesh. He prayed to God for healing but did not receive it. Instead, God told him: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). In response, Paul said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

You can read me boast about the thorn in my flesh in my first blog.

"Life is a duty, complete it." When the going gets tough, keep going with it. Don't quit. There are no prizes for people who don't cross the finish line.

"Life is a game, play it." Remember that even when it's raining on life, you can still choose to dance in the rain.

"Life is a promise, fulfill it." Jesus promised us: "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." Since Jesus is perfect, He cannot break His promise. And since this promise was not given to us by the world, we know that it is a promise that will be fulfilled. Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit to give us peace of mind and heart in life.

"Life is sorrow, overcome it." Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." When you have Jesus in your heart, you can overcome any sorrow in the world.

"Life is a song, sing it." Let your life be a song that is a beautiful melody to those who hear it.

"Life is a struggle, accept it." As another wise person said: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

"Life is a tragedy, confront it." If you're not happy with life circumstances, then change it. If you can't change it, then change your attitude towards it and remember that God can bring something good out of any situation.

"Life is an adventure, dare it." You can do anything through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).

"Life is luck, make it." Despite your circumstances, every new day is another opportunity to change your future and make your luck.

"Life is life, fight for it!" Fight for the life that you want, and when you don't know how to fight anymore, it's okay because God will take care of it. Exodus 14:14 says: "The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still."

Life is a gift worth living…how you decide to live it, is your gift to yourself.

Encouragement and Perseverance

 (traducción al español)

When I was 17, my parents told me that there were 3 times I almost died in the ICU. One time, I stopped breathing. The other time, my blood pressure fell really low. Another time, I was losing so much blood and nobody knew why.

When I recovered, the doctors called me "the miracle child" because they couldn't believe it when within a week after waking up from my coma, I was talking, walking (as much as I could anyway) and laughing again.

At 17, I was given a second chance at life. Looking back, I wonder if I made the most of it. I did change my life direction. I went from planning on going to law school to planning a career in human services. I had sought to volunteer as much as possible, and share a smile as often as I can.

But last September, my illness came back again and put me in status epilepticus. This is when I was having so many seizures that I did not have time to recover before a new seizure began. The doctors said my seizures were about 20 seconds apart, and this happened for almost a week.  They told my husband I could be permanently disabled. But thanks to God, we won this round again - and I was given my third chance at life.

I was raised with the attitude that quitting meant losing. And since I tended to have a competitive streak in me, I was resolved to win as often as I can - even against my own illness.

When my illness tells me, "Chelsey…forget about planning that part of your life, you'll never get there because I am still here" - I tell my illness, "No. I will not give up. I have too much hope for my future. I did not work hard my whole life to just sit at home, wondering if I will ever have another flare up. I love people too much to accept that being alone is okay. I love God too much to think that an illness can ruin any plans He has for me."

Encouragement is defined as "the expression of approval and support." Encouragement is meant to help us move forward in our goals. And like this quote says, "When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long."

Reflecting on the reasons that keep you going will help you work harder, and be happier at what you are working for. If you are struggling with a job to support your family, think of how you are doing this for your family and how much you love them. When my husband and I were struggling financially, he told me that he would dress up in a bunny suit and hold silly advertisement signs on street corners, just so he can provide for me. When I was in the hospital last September, he told me that he couldn't bear to be away from me even when he was at work. But at work, he reminded himself that by working, he was making money and therefore would be able to put food on our table, buy my medications, and in this way - he can care and provide for me in the best way he knows how.

 Remembering the reasons that give your life meaning is the best encouragement you can give yourself. And remember that encouragement goes hand in hand with perseverance…and perseverance says, "Don't quit before the blessing."

Obstacles were meant for overcoming...

Obstacles were meant for overcoming....

Another quote mentioned that when something bad happens to you, you have three choices, you can:

a. let it define you

b. let it destroy you

c. let it make you stronger

I have a rare disease called central nervous system vasculitis. Right now, there is no cure. But I refuse to let it define me and dictate what kind of attitude I will have toward life.

My illness may control my physical health, but I am the one who controls my emotions.  Even when the illness attacks my body, it will not destroy my spirit.

So I choose the third choice…I will be stronger. I want to live a life that pleases God and makes Him proud to call me His own. I want to have a graceful attitude in the face of trials so that my story can be a testimony to others who are struggling. I want to share what I have learned from my own journey with healing so that others can find healing in their lives too.

If you have faced difficult issues in your past…(and who hasn't?) you can still change the choice that you have made about your difficulties today. You may have let your past defined you before, but today you can choose to make yourself stronger. The main source of my strength is God - I would not have been able to survive the life I had and still be the person I am today, if I did not have him in my heart.

There was a time in my life when I had let my past define me. I thought that the problems I had in my childhood would define the kind of adult I would turn out to be, and inevitably affect all my relationships. Finally I realized that nobody was benefitting from my anger. My anger was only hurting me and my possible future. One day, I remember crying on the phone, talking to my boyfriend (now my husband) about all the things that I had felt unfair in my past. After that talk and a good solid prayer, I slowly began casting away all the baggage I had been carrying with me, and started living life with a lighter heart.

The past is not meant to define you - you can use it to shape who you are, and it is what you choose to do in your present that defines who you are right now.

Most of all, remember no matter what you have done in your past, what you are doing now, or whatever you will do in the future - God loves you no matter what. He knows every step of your life already, and still chose to love you anyway. When you love Him in return, all things are possible.

"There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world"

Hey everyone,
This Bible verse says, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young.."

But the word "young" can also be substituted for other things that people use to look down upon us. For example,
- don't let anyone look down on you because you have an illness
- don't let anyone look down on you because you have a lower income
- don't let anyone look down on you because of your background
- don't let anyone look down on you because you did not go to college

The substitutions are limitless. Regardless of however people may be looking down upon you, this verse does not tell us to turn around and look down on them for being so condescending instead.

Instead, this Bible verse encourages us to be an example in "speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity" in whatever circumstance we are in.

This week, let us strive to be an example for others.

Personally for me, I don't think people "look down" on me necessarily because of my illness, but I do feel like they do end up treating me like I am very fragile. But like I said in my last post, if you never try to spread your wings, you'll never learn to fly. Instead, I use my life example to change how other people perceive my illness.


People may tell you often that something is "not possible" or that "it will never work out." These are earthly terms. With God's terms, anything is possible. Through God, you can do anything through Him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).




When I was 17 years old, and had just recovered from a coma, the doctors told my parents that I probably had some brain damage and I would probably only be able to speak five words a day. The doctors started scheduling appointments for a speech therapist to speak with me. When my parents told me that I was only going to speak five words a day, I said: "What do you mean I can only speak five words a day?"

God's Words is always the last Word. Nothing is done until God says it is finished.

If others look down upon you for any reasons - your health, your income, your education, etc. - prove them wrong.

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard when he was young. People probably looked down upon him for that. But then he became the founder of Microsoft.

Walt Disney was fired as a newspaper cartoonist for "lack of imagination." He then brought in billions of dollars from merchandise, movies, and theme parks
 around the world.

Helen Keller was blind and deaf. Against all odds, she became a highly intelligent woman who wrote and spoke with powerful words to encourage other people.

When she was 13 years old, a young girl wrote in a diary that inspired the world. In this diary, Anne Frank wrote: "I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me!"

And if you are sick with an illness - like me - dare to believe that you can be God's exception.
My husband recently told me that when I was in the hospital last September, the doctors were testing me to check if I had been misdiagnosed because they said my disease presented itself "so strangely."

Apparently, with CNS vasculitis, it is common for people to have chronic symptoms of some sort every day, such as headaches, memory problems, and other neurological issues.

As for me, I have had three flare ups with CNS vasculitis - but never had a single symptom in between hospital treatments. The doctors thought that I must have been misdiagnosed...but I choose to believe, that again, God continues to work miracles in me.

"There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world..."....and there is no issue too small to God, that He cannot turn it around into one of His miracles.

Believe, and continue to strengthen your faith. Because faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

"Be not afraid of life"

I saw this quote on my friend's inspiration board when I was visiting her last weekend. I immediately loved it. I think a lot of us can think of moments in our lives when life was scary. Some people, especially after a terrible bout with their illness, choose to live more cautiously and to a lesser degree, because they've lost hope and passion, and don't believe that they can ever return to how they used to be, before they got sick. I thought like that once upon a time.

Some people have even been afraid of my own life, for me, and have tried to get me to act as if I am a fragile creature that if I try to spread my wings, I might break. But if you never spread your wings, you can never fly and see all that you can do.

I am not afraid of life. My life may include an incurable illness that chooses to attack at its own will, but I refuse to let my life be ruled by my illness. I will also not let my life be ruled by other people - on what they say about me, what they may think of me, or their resentment or their approval.

My life will be ruled by my values: my love for God, my love for others, my love for myself, my pursuit of a righteous and happy life.

I believe that my life is worth living. I believe that I am here for a purpose, and that every chance I have to love on others and express kindness is another chance to show others that life is worth living.

Believe in your own life, and you will never have to be afraid of it. :)

God believes in you too, even if you do not believe in Him. He has put you  on this earth for His specific purpose. He believes that you are worth more than what you see in yourself. If you believe in God, then believe that all He says is true, and you can believe more in yourself.

"Stars can't shine without darkness"

We all have hours of darkness in our lives. Hours when we feel alone, hours when we are depressed, hours when we feel like the world has turned against us, hours when we seemed to have run out of luck, and hours when we feel like life cannot possibly get any worse.

But like this quote says, even during these hours of darkness, you can still shine. Your hope can be an example to other people. Your strength can be an encouragement for others who are also struggling. Your perseverance can be your story that you share to help other people.

We can all be stars that shine:)

 

The Power of Strength and Persistence

This photo quote was submitted by Grandpa Silverback/ Paul Hartman  on my Facebook wall.

Here is my response:

When the doctors say, "We don't know your diagnosis" - PERSIST

When the medications say, "You are too tired to do anything useful" - PERSIST

When people say, "You can't do anything anymore" - PERSIST

When the world says, "Your illness will always stop you" - PERSIST


Keep persisting, and you'll eventually cut through that rock!!

When are times that you have persisted and cut through that rock?

When I was 17, laying in a coma at the children's hospital, and the doctors did not know what to do with me, my aunt - a primary care physician - persisted, did so much research, and was the one what convinced them to do a brain biopsy on me, and that was how my doctors finally diagnosed me.

When the doctors told my parents that I would have speech issues after recovering from my coma, and I would only be able to speak 5 words a day, upon hearing this, I responded with, "What do you mean I can only speak 5 words a day?"

When the psychologist told me I would have a C+ average and never be an honour roll student again, I studied - with my brain that was just recently inflamed - and graduated high school with a 4.0/ A+ average, winning 2 academic awards.

When the world said I could never be cured because of my incurable disease, I used my illness to share my story with others, raising awareness, so that one day - a cure can be found.

Keep persisting, and you will break through that rock :)

Some words of hope...

My recipe for lemonade:
- Squeeze the sourness of the stress of life into Jesus, the living water
- Add the sweetness of friends, family, and your favourite coping mechanisms!
eg. music, reading, dancing

I love encouraging friends over coffee dates!