Colleen “Candy” Phillips
March 7th, 2008
My story doesn’t involve devastating illnesses or deadly diseases, but it does involve how I cope on a daily basis and take control of my life filled with a chronic illness and pain.
In 1990, I was sitting at my desk and could not put together a coherent statement. I went home that night and was so dizzy I couldn’t stand or sit. I began to have a loud ringing in my ears and could not hear very well. I also starting seeing a gray band across my line of sight and I experienced shooting pains down my arms and legs. Because of the dizziness and the impaired vision, I was at the point where I paid someone to drive me to work and from work everyday. One day it was so bad I just laid my head on my desk and started to cry. At that point, my supervisor called my parents to pick me up and I found myself off of work for six months.
My dad drove me to every conceivable doctor trying to find out what was happening. No one could settle down any of my symptoms. Near the end of six months, I was finally diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. The doctor told me Sarcoidosis produces tiny lumps in lymph nodes due to inflammation and my blindness, shooting pains and dizziness were effects of the disease.
While I haven’t had a major flare up since then, I do continue to have chronic symptoms that can be debilitating. My eyes are sensitive to the sun and bright lights so I need specialty sunglasses that are extra dark to protect my eyes. The Sarcoidosis caused my joints and bones to ache and throb and I was diagnosed with arthritis. I take medicine daily to help control the pain and keep my hands from becoming stiff. I still have the shooting pains down my arms and legs but luckily medicines have been developed that help control the pain.
Without medicines and support from my family, I would not be here today. I want to stay healthy for my family and for myself. I don’t want to burden my daughter with my health problems when I need her to help care for me. Right now, I’m trying to take care of myself so I can live a happier, healthier life now and further down the road.
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