Dorothy Nelson
January 25th, 2008
I have two grandsons that are very active in baseball and soccer. We spend a lot of our time at the park and running around with the boys keeps me very busy. I have always led a healthy life and taken care of myself, though I never realized how fragile good health can be until I went through the most challenging process of my life. In June of 2005, I became ill at work and visited my family doctor. They did a number of tests on what seemed like every part of my body (both inside and out!) but could not determine what was wrong with me. I was forced to leave my job because of the constant trips to the doctor for tests. My quest for answers led me on trips back and forth between hospitals in my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the world-renown Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Through a grueling and painful summer, doctors tested me for blood disorders, heart problems and even cancer. No one could determine what was making me sick.
By the end of the summer, I had lost a dangerous amount of weight from the testing and began to develop problems with my kidneys due to the toll the tests were taking on my body. To make matters worse, the doctors feared that I would need a kidney transplant if my health did not improve. I had been unable to keep up with my insurance payments, as I had not been at work in month, so I lost my coverage. I was devastated, but I did not give up or spend time feeling sorry for myself. My faith is an extremely important part of my life and helped me keep my spirits up and keep pushing forward when things seemed at their worst.
Doctors from all over the country (and even Poland!) were stumped and finally determined that I had a tissue disease that could easily spread and consume my entire body! Once they determined what was making me sick, they prescribed the right combination of medicines that would keep my weight normal and get me better. Soon, I was feeling better and my health steadily improved. The doctors told me that the medicines I was taking would help me avoid having to have a kidney transplant or be put on dialysis.
I am so grateful for my medicines and can’t thank their creators enough. These medicines help me maintain my life. As long as I am taking my medications, I feel better. I can play at the park with my grandsons and lead a normal life. I am more appreciative of each and every day I have because you never realize how important good health is, until you’ve experienced the worst.
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