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But You
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Being
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IDA E-News Archives
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Receive IDA's E-News!
Highlights From Some Of Our Past Issues:
Celebrating Another Exciting Year
December 2008
IDA Launches New Social Network
February 2008
IDA Attends MS Seminar
December 2006
Recap of Seminars
May 2006
Seminars at The
Parker Adventist Hospital
March 2006
2005 End of the Year News
December 2005
Woman Receives Award for Helping People
Around the World!
September 2005
How to
Help People Living with Chronic Conditions,
Quoted in Medical Book!
January 2005
A Few Small Words
Become a Great Big Voice!
December 2004
The Disabilities are
Invisible, the Outreach Isn't!
November 2004
Woman's Story Helps
Others Living with Chronic Illness and Pain!
August 2004
IDA's eNews
December 2008
Celebrating Another Exciting Year
With The Invisible Disabilities Advocate
IDA had
another busy year! As you may know, IDA reaches out to
tens of thousands of people each month around the world!
IDA offers Encouragement, Support and Assistance through
our websites, literature, projects and social network.
IDA has had
a support group available to our visitors for over 8
years. However, in January 2008 we dropped our "list
serve" type group and launched our very own social
network called,
My Invisible Disabilities Community! Also in 2008,
IDA was honored to have some new and amazing board
members join our
Executive and Advisory Boards! President Wayne
Connell also had the opportunity to speak about
invisible disabilities with the Denver Commission
for People with Disabilities. Wayne was also interviewed
on 2 radio programs: The Yvonne Pierre Show and the high
traffic, very popular show called, The Breakfast Club
with host Rick Crandall on KEZW Radio 1430 in Denver,
Colorado - Listen
to the Rick Crandall Interview Here. Finally,
IDA presented our First Annual Honors Banquet in
October. What an evening it was!
Kris Harty
(Keynote Speaker, President of
Strong Spirit Unlimited), Jim Kirk MBA (CCU Director of
Development), Rick Watson (President of Memory Bridging
Inc)
First Annual Honors Banquet Was A Hit
IDA Presents Our First Banquet and Auction
IDA's First Annual Banquet was
not your run of the mill fundraiser! 10
individuals and businesses were given Honors Awards
for the differences they have made in their
communities! Each were introduced to the audience,
thanked for their service and given beautiful,
customized awards. Banquet participants were brought
to tears with these amazing award recipients Kevin
Shearn and Nathan Broadbeck of Red Robin
(Restaurants), Nan Sheldon and Amy Barnes of
OfficeDepot (Retail), Dr. Susanna Choi (Health Care
Professional), Attorney, Steven R. Owens (Advocacy),
Ali Garrett, RN (Volunteer), Kris Harty of Strong
Spirit (Perseverance), Diane Dike, Ph.D of Second
Chance with Saving Grace (Inspiration) and Sherri
Connell, person living with disabling
illness (Founders).
Participants
also enjoyed a delicious dinner, silent and live
auction, as well as an inspirational message from
Kris Harty. Kris also received the Perseverance
Honors Award for her resilience despite a life long
battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Kris continues to
display her perseverance despite the obstacles. She
is the President of
Strong Spirit Unlimited, where she offers
keynote speaking and coaching to businesses and
organizations. Kris is known for her “Stick to it –
no matter what!” message, which is both
inspirational and funny!

Award
Winning Reporter and Helicopter Pilot for ABC 7NEWS,
Jayson Luber, was the Master of Ceremonies. Jayson's
professionalism, compassion and sense of humor was
exactly what we needed to top off a very enjoyable
evening!
Founder and
President, Wayne Connell, spoke about the prevalence and
challenges of living with debilitating chronic illness,
pain and injury. Board Members, Ginger Goins and Rick
Watson spoke about the work of
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate.
All in all it was a wonderful evening of education, hope
and inspiration for people living with chronic
conditions, loved ones, physicians, nurses, attorneys
and businesses.
IDA will be making a DVD available soon!
Click Here to pre-order your copy!
A Great Big THANK YOU to Our Sponsors, Supporters,
Guests, Borad Members and Volunteers for making this
evening possible!
Meet
Our Executive Board
Medical and Business Professionals Join Together
We
would like to introduce you to our amazing Executive
Board! This incredible group of medical and business
professionals loves reaching out to people living
with chronic illness, pain and injury! We would like
to say THANK YOU to our Excecutive Board, for all
the time, effort, energy and love you have put into
IDA!
IDA Executive Board:
Jim Kirk MBA (CCU Director of Development); Ginger
Goins (Business Professional); Ali Garrett RN, BSN
(Children's Hospital); Carole Mitchell (Retired
Business Professional): Rick Watson (President of
Memory Bridging Inc); Kris Harty (Keynote Speaker,
President of Strong Spirit Unlimited) and Wayne
Connell BA (Television/Radio Broadcasting, Telecom
Engineer).
|
IDA's eNews
February 2008
IDA
Launches New Social Network
My
Invisible Disabilities Community
For over 8
years now, IDA has sponsored a support group for people
living with chronic illness, pain, injury and
disabilities.
We are SO
excited to announce that IDA has launched a brand new
Social Network called, My Invisible Disabilities
Community!
We can't wait for you
to see this place! In the network, each member gets
their own page, they can post on the forum, meet new
friends and join groups!
This community is
new, but growing fast!
See below for the
Terms of Use and link to join!
Wayne Speaks to Local Commission
Denver Commission for People with Disabilities
IDA
Founder and President, Wayne Connell, was invited to
speak to the Denver Commission for People with
Disabilities about Invisible Disabilities on
January 8, 2008. Wayne was excited to be a part of
this informative meeting!
Read About IDA in the News and in Publications
|
IDA's eNews December 2006
IDA Attends National MS Society
Meeting
Dr. Jeffrey Boyd Guest Speaker
The Invisible
Disabilities Advocate
Attended a National MS Society Meeting in
November 2006 and Board Member, Dr. Jeffrey Boyd was a Guest Speaker.
 Dr.
Jeffrey Boyd and The Invisible Disabilities Advocate were invited by
the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to attend the Moving
Forward Program on November 11th, 2006.
Dr. Boyd was a guest
speaker and IDA volunteers set up an information table, available to the
attendees. They met some very wonderful people there, learning to cope with
MS.
This event took place
in the beautiful Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado.
Thank you everyone for being a part of this
vital outreach!
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IDA and Dr. Boyd at Parker Adventist
Hospital
Seminars in April
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate and Dr. Jeffrey Boyd
Presented 2 Seminars at the Parker Adventist
Hospital in April 2006!
Being Sick Well,
a presentation given by Dr. Jeffrey
Boyd, was based on his latest book, Being Sick Well -Joyful
Living Despite Chronic Illness. Dr. Boyd addressed the main causes for chronic
illness and used case histories, personal testimonies, and a variety of
resources to illustrate not just how to cope, but how to live joyfully even
in sickness. His gentleness and sense of humor made his message fun,
inspirational and eye opening! Dr. Boyd is the Chairman of Behavioral Health
at Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut and works with many patients living
with chronic conditions.
But You LOOK Good! was a presentation given by Founder
and President of The Invisible Disabilities Advocate, Wayne
Connell. This seminar was based on Wayne's booklet,
But You LOOK Good!
-
A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic Illness
and Pain. His goal was to educate people about how extreme fatigue, pain, dizziness,
cognitive impairments and other symptoms can be limiting, even though the
person may not "look" sick or in pain. Wayne also addressed "what
to say," "what not to say" and "how to help" someone living with a
debilitating disorder. Wayne was
passionate about
this subject, yet lighthearted and
enjoyable! In his presentation, he really "hit the nail on the head!"
Thank
you, Parker Adventist Hospital for hosting these seminars!
Thank you everyone for being a part of this
outreach!

Wayne
Connell
Founder and President
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org
We
need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions!
We do not receive royalties for any books or publications.
Please
consider making a donation today!
|
|
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
14 March 2006
Join Us On April 28th or
29th at
The Parker Adventist Hospital
in Parker, Colorado!

Each Session Includes Both Presentations:
But You LOOK Good! and Being
Sick Well
Friday April 28th
Morning Session: 9 a.m. - 11:45
Afternoon Session: 12:15 - 3:00
Saturday April 29th
Morning Session: 9 a.m. - 11:45
Afternoon Session: 12:15 - 3:00
FREE Registration!
Call 303.269.4001
IMPORTANT! If you plan to attend this session,
please make sure you arrive
perfume and cologne free.
|
Hear Wayne Connell, Dr. Boyd
and Bill Honsberger
on the Geno Geraci Show on
KRKS 94.7 Out of Denver
on Friday 4:00-6:00 PM
|

But You
LOOK Good!
Presented by
Wayne Connell, Founder and
President of
The Invisible Disabilities
Advocate
Wayne
Connell is the Founder and President of The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate,
an organization serving those
living with
debilitating illness, pain and injury, as well as their loved ones.
Wayne's inspiration
to create this organization came
from his wife, Sherri, who became disabled at the
young age of 27. Sherri was a very
active person all her life singing and dancing in musicals, riding her
horse, lifting weights and loving to work. She
obtained 2 Bachelor
Degrees, but just as she was planning her Master's, she became very ill
with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and Late-Chronic Lyme Disease.
Suddenly, she went from "on the go" 24/7 to struggling just to get to a
doctor's appointment or take a shower.
Despite the seriousness
of her illness, people often had difficulty understanding how she could
"look good" to them, even though she was very sick. Unfortunately,
because of these misconceptions, people jumped to the conclusion that
she was just lazy, unmotivated or was not trying hard enough. Sadly,
Wayne discovered that these assumptions were all too common for many
others in her situation as well. Therefore, Wayne found it imperative to
develop an organization to educate friends, family, coworkers,
businesses and medical personnel, in order to bring lives together with
compassion and understanding.
Wayne
holds a BA Degree in Liberal Arts and is Certified through Dale Carnegie's
school for public speaking. He loves to speak to
groups of all sorts, giving
them the tools to be a true
source of encouragement and understanding to their
friend or family member living with a chronic condition.
This seminar is based his booklet,
But You LOOK Good!
A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic Illness
and Pain. It's
goal is to educate people about how extreme fatigue, pain, dizziness,
cognitive impairments and other symptoms can be limiting, even though the
person may not "look" sick or in pain. It also addresses "what to say," "what not to say" and "how to help"
someone living with a debilitating disorder. Wayne is passionate about
this subject, yet lighthearted and
enjoyable! In his presentations, he really "hits the nail on the head!"
|
|
|
Being
Sick Well
Presented by
Jeffrey Boyd, MD, M.P.H.
In his book, Being Sick Well,
Dr. Boyd addresses four main causes for chronic illness and uses
case histories, personal testimonies, and a variety of resources to
illustrated not just how to cope, but how to live joyfully even in
sickness. This will be the topic of this exciting seminar!
More about Dr. Boyd: In 1987 he joined the Waterbury Hospital, one of the teaching
hospitals of Yale,
where he
has been Chairman of Behavioral Health
for more than a decade, and was also Chairman of Ethics for eight
years. He has published sixty-two professional articles or
chapters in books, on forty-two of which he was the first author,
including an article in the New
England Journal of Medicine. He has presented seventy-one
papers to learned societies or scholarly organizations. Dr. Boyd
has reviewed articles for the Science,
New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Epidemiology,
and a variety of leading psychiatric and theological research
journals. He is on the editorial board of the Journal
of Religion and Health.
Dr. Boyd
released his book in the Spring of 2005.
Being
Sick Well - Joyful Living Despite Chronic Illness.
|
|
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
11 December 2005
Dear IDA Friends,
It
has been another great year for IDA!
We have continued to reach out to thousands living with debilitating illness
and pain around the world! See
what people are saying about us! I had an article published in
HopeKeepers Magazine and I was interviewed and quoted by Advance for
Audiologists magazine. In addition, we were referenced in an article
that appeared in the Kentucky Monthly magazine and featured in an
article in the Douglas
County
News Press.
Here are some of the biggest highlights of
the year: Our story was
featured in the
new book by Dr. Jeffrey Boyd,
Being Sick Well. I was a guest on the
Geno Geraci show (KRKS 94.7 FM), with host Bill
Honsberger in June and November.
As many of you know, my wife Sherri
won the
2005
Hal O’Leary
Inspiration Award presented by the Colorado Rockies at Coors
Field in September! And, we
opened a new online store,
IDAstuff.com that sells t-shirts,
sweatshirts, mugs, totes, cards, buttons and more! Proceeds go to IDA!
Along with this exciting
news, we also bring a heartfelt request. We would like to ask
that you would please consider an end of the year
donation for 2005 and/or monthly
support for 2006. We need your help with our normal operating expenses, as
well as increased costs in the past 2 years, due to filing of paperwork and
legal expenses. By giving, you will be helping IDA continue to reach out to
those who live with chronic illness and pain.
Any amount per month would
be greatly appreciated, no matter
how small. If you have been blessed financially, consider a larger gift.
Also, please consider having your business become an IDA Sponsor.
Anyone can become
an IDA Helper, Friend, Supporter, Silver Member, Gold Member, Platinum
Member or Sponsor. Please see our
Donations Page for more information on
donating.
Thank you everyone for your love and for being a part of this
outreach!

Wayne
Connell
Founder and President
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org
We
need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions!
We do not receive royalties for any books or publications.
Please
consider making a donation today!
|
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check payable to IDA and mail to:
IDA
P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134 |
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MC, Bank Transfer, E-Check or PayPal
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The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
23 August 2005

Woman Receives Award for Helping Others
with Disabilities Around the World!
Hal
O'Leary Awards Dinner Hosted by the Colorado Rockies on
Coors Field

On Thursday, September 15, 2005,
The Colorado Rockies Baseball Club
hosted the 2005 Hal O'Leary Awards.
6 local athletes and
individuals were honored for
making a
significant difference in
the lives of those in the disabled community.
Hal O'Leary is the founder
of The National Sports Center for the Disabled. The
sold-out event included
approximately 350 people on the
infield playing surface at Coors Field. 
Sherri Connell was the
recipient of the 2005 Hal O'Leary
Inspiration Award for reaching out
to others living with "invisible disabilities" --
people who show no outward signs of illness, but struggle
daily with debilitating symptoms.
Photo on right:
Sherri and Keli McGregor, President of the Rockies.
Sherri is honored to be a recipient of this award and ecstatic to
have Invisible Disabilities recognized in the
disability community. She feels this is a huge stride for all living
with debilitating illness and pain!
Hal O'Leary
is the founder of the National Sports Center for the
Disabled. In 1970, O'Leary was a salaried ski
instructor at Winter Park when he volunteered to give a one-time ski
lesson to 23 children with amputations. That ski lesson turned into
the NSCD. Today, the center annually teaches 3,000 participants
sports ranging from downhill skiing and snowshoeing to rafting,
biking and horseback riding.
O'Leary has
been a leader and an inspiration to many, as he continues to have
day-to-day involvement in the Center.
Named one of the
Best 100 Things to Happen to Skiing by SKI Magazine, O'Leary
coached the U.S. Disabled Olympic Team, was inducted into the
National Ski Hall of Fame in 1970 and was awarded one of only six
Professional Ski Instructors of America Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Hal
is also nationally recognized for
pioneering the adopt-a-ski program at Winter Park Resort
in Colorado.
We are so
excited about this award!
Sincerely,

Wayne
Connell
Founder and President
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org
We
need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions!
We do not receive royalties for any books or publications.
Please
consider making a donation today!
|
DONATIONS
BY MAIL
Make
check payable to IDA and mail to:
IDA
P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134 |
Read
All About Us
Online
now!
-To Unsubscribe,
Reply With Unsubscribe-
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The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
17 January 2005

How to
Help People Living with Chronic Conditions,
Quoted in Medical Book
I
am so excited to announce that the newly released 500+ page book, Striking
Back, has used our booklet, But You LOOK Good! as a
resource and has quoted from it in their Helping People chapter! It is
an informative guide for those living with Trigeminal Neuralgia, their
loved ones and their doctors.
|
STRIKING BACK!
THE TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA
AND FACE PAIN
HANDBOOK.
Published
by TNA in 2004 and authored by George Weigel and Kenneth F. Casey, M.D. It
is written in layman's terms, describes all aspects of TN and facial pain,
and provides information and resources for patients, family, and medical
professionals. A must-have guide for every facial pain patient!
Click Here for
More Information About TN and This Book!
|
Sincerely,

Wayne
Connell
Founder and President
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
www.invisibledisabilities.org
IDA
wants to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions!
We
need your help! Please consider making a donation today!
|
DONATIONS
BY MAIL
Make
check payable to IDA and mail to:
IDA
P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134 |
Read
our most recent newsletter online
now!
-To Unsubscribe,
Reply With Unsubscribe-
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|
Founder and President:
Wayne Connell, BA
Vice President:
Carole
Mitchell-Crouch
Board Members:
Alice Garrett, RN
Tom
Groom
Paul Myhill, MBA
Advisory Board:
Stephen Barnes, MD
Marcus Brown, Ph.D
Carrie Carter, MD
Michael Erisman, MA
J.S. Geraghty, MD
Vernon Grounds, Ph.D
Robert A. Lees, Atty
Chris Miller, Ph.D
Read
More About Our Board Members
Here!
Read
What People Are Saying
About Us!
Help
Us With Your Donation Today!
See
Where IDA is Featured!
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
www.invisibledisabilities.org
|
A
Few Small Words
Become A Great
Big Voice!
In a world of quick-fixes, microwaves and fast food, there is hardly room
in our schedules to be sick! Yet, an estimated 125 million Americans have
some sort of chronic illness and 40 million are
limited in their daily activity by it.
When
Wayne
first posted a few writings from
Sherri's journal
on the internet and called it,
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate, we had no idea what was about to happen! Our plan was to
use the site for friends and family to have a place to learn about her
condition.
Nevertheless, it now reaches the world!
This site took off right away, as word of mouth
spread like lightening through computer modems
through the internet. Many groups, foundations,
hospitals and even corporations have used the site’s
articles in training and support. In the beginning, we were
excited to get 30 hits a month, but since 2004 we have been getting over
120,000!
To give readers something they could hand out to their friends and family,
Wayne had 3 of the articles compiled into a booklet
titled, “But
You
LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding
and Encouraging People Living With Chronic Illness and Pain.” Available
at IDA's cost, this
booklet helps loved ones with "what
to say," "what not to say" and
"how
to help."
Those
living with chronic illness have written to us time and time again that
IDA was able to “put into words what I am going through!” Even more,
we get e-mails from people telling us our site has saved their marriages,
friendships and family relationships! It is time to get this booklet
out on shelves where it can help even more families learn to cope with
chronic conditions!
We
are so excited about this outreach! This year, Wayne has transitioned IDA
into a non-profit organization! He has such a passion for the
hurting and feels called to be a full-time employee of IDA. Wayne wants to conduct seminars,
conferences and workshops for hospitals, support groups, corporations and
foundations. He has already held seminars
where he works! We have only barely scraped the tip of the iceberg.
Our vision is to reach out to the world with
education and community services for this forgotten, lonely
population! The time is NOW!
Visit
our donations page at www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm |
|
We
Need Your Help!
We
are now taking tax-deductible donations to help us with the costs for IDA.
We want to take this organization to another level to help millions who
have not only lost their careers and health, but have lost spouses,
children and friends due to lack of understanding!
We
are also looking for people willing to:
▪
Host Sharing Nights - Informational Evenings
▪
Spread the Word - Forward This Newsletter to Everyone You Know
|
|
Please
consider an end of the year or monthly tax-deductible
donation from your home and/or business. Any amount is
appreciated!
When
You Make A Total Donation for the Year, You Become:
| IDA
Helpers |
$15.00+ |
| IDA Friends |
$25.00+ |
| IDA Supporters |
$75.00+ |
| IDA Silver
Members |
$125.00+ |
| IDA Gold
Members |
$250.00+ |
| IDA Platinum
Members |
$500.00+ |
| IDA Sponsors |
$900.00+ |
▪
Be an IDA Sponsor! Give
$75.00 or more a month through your business and we will place your logo
on www.invisibledisabilities.org and link it to your
site!
Let’s Reach The World Together!
Thank
you for your support!
Wayne Connell, Founder
and President
Wayne Connell with wife,
Sherri
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org A
Colorado Non-Profit Corporation
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with "unsubscribe."----
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|
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
October 2004

The
Disabilities are Invisible, the Outreach Isn't!
Couple
Reaching Out to People with Invisible Disabilities on Magazine Cover
This is an excerpt
of the article.
Read the entire article at:
www.invisibledisabilities.org/hk.htm
Sherri
was an active young woman with two college degrees and an exciting career. But
in 1991, just as she was to preparing to purchase a new home for herself and
her beloved horse, she became ill and unable to work. . .
Overwhelmed with
emotions surrounding her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Sherri began
keeping a journal, focusing on all of the confusing misunderstandings
people had about her illness. She transformed this into a pamphlet to pass
onto caring friends who wanted to know more. Six years later, after she
married Wayne, he suggested jumping onto the world wide web to share her
writings with others. "When he offered to put the three pamphlets I
had written onto a website on the internet, I said, 'What? Who would read
it?' I knew the internet was huge and thought this idea was kind of silly.
Yet once I thought about it I figured he might actually be onto something.
If he did this, when I met someone, all I would have to do is to hand them
a card with the website address and say, 'Here. This will explain
everything.' That would be such a relief! So we put up the web site."
When we
started our website, we grappled with a name that would properly describe
a condition that is debilitating, yet not obvious. We came up with the
term "invisible disabilities." This does not necessarily exclude
those with an evident impairment or those utilizing an assistive device.
For example, in my case, I used a wheelchair but was restricted by my
inner symptoms, not the challenge of the chair itself. One living with an
invisible disability has symptoms that are debilitating such as: extreme
fatigue, pain, weakness, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction and more.
Wayne Connell is the
Founder and President of The Invisible Disabilities
Advocate. He put together some of Sherri's most popular
writings, had them bound into a booklet and titled it,
But You LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging
People Living with Chronic Illness and Pain. Wayne has
shipped copies all over the globe, without profit.
Today, the web site,
The Invisible Disabilities Advocate, gets over 125,000 hits per month and Wayne and Sherri
feel blessed to reach out to others, even if it means through their
suffering. Wayne Connell is the
Founder and President of The Invisible Disabilities
Advocate. He put together some of Sherri's most popular
writings, had them bound into a booklet and titled it,
But You LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging
People Living with Chronic Illness and Pain. Wayne has
shipped copies all over the globe, without profit.
Visit
The Invisible Disabilities Advocate at:
www.invisibledisabilities.org
Copyright
© 2004
This
article appeared in the HopeKeepers' Fall 2004 issue (published by a
Christian Organization, Rest
Ministries).
To subscribe to the magazine, visit HopeKeepers
today! Or subscribe by mail, FAX
or phone. REST MINISTRIES, PO Box 502928, San Diego, CA 92150, FAX
800-933-1078 or phone 888-751-7378.
There
may be slight differences between this article and the one published in
HopeKeepers.
Sincerely,

Wayne
Connell
Founder and President
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
www.invisibledisabilities.org
IDA
wants to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions!
We
need your help! Please consider making a donation today!
|
DONATIONS
BY MAIL
Make
check payable to IDA and mail to:
IDA
P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134 |
Read
our most recent newsletter online
now!
-To Unsubscribe,
Reply With Unsubscribe-
|
|
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate
August 2004

Woman's Story Helps Others Living with Chronic Illness and Pain
Featured Story in REMEDYfind's
Multiple Sclerosis Newsletter
This is an excerpt
of the article.
Read the entire article at:
www.invisibledisabilities.org/rf.htm
Personal
Bio: As a little girl, I was energetic, full of life and loving every
minute of it! Starting in high school, I had experienced a severe
problem with my immune system, as I seemed to catch everything
possible! By college, I was getting pneumonia once a
year, bronchitis, strep and the stomach flu regularly. But, I was
not about to give up my dreams and continued to work and go to
school sick. I studied music, theatre, dance, was a cheerleader and
thoroughly in love with the performing arts!
After college, I
went on to become a professional model, while working another
fulltime job and entering modeling and talent contests. Several
years later, I realized I was only chasing after a desire to be
acceptable to society and to fit into their mold of what an ideal
woman should look like; my body was famished from anorexia and my
pursuit of a perfect image had left my heart very disturbed by it
all. I concluded that
starving my body and focusing on my outer image, was not pleasing to
God... so I gave up the glamour and quit.
I slowed down my
schedule to only working 45-60 hours a week and went back to school
full-time. During my Christmas vacation of 1990, I caught another
virus and had a severe case of bronchitis... again! About a month
later, I still had the pneumonia and fever and one morning I woke up
with my left foot asleep. It took me about
20 minutes to get up and get into the car.
The rest of the
day, our customers watched me hobble around with a rolling stool
underneath me, to hold up my left side. My back hurt so bad, that I
figured I probably just slipped a disc! However, after a few weeks
of being affectionately re-named, "Hunchback," the chiropractic
treatments were not helping and I was getting much, much worse. I
went to a couple of Neurologists, both of which suspected Multiple
Sclerosis.
As my condition
quickly worsened, I became so ill, I could hardly sit up; I was
weak, sick all over, in unbearable pain and going downhill fast! By the time I
left the hospital, I had a confirmed diagnosis of Primary
Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Yet, that did not matter much to me,
because I knew I was going to BEAT IT! So, I went home to rest for a
couple of weeks, expecting to get better. When a couple of months
passed, I could not understand why I had not improved and was still
unbearably sick! Just to take a shower was an incredible effort that
left my heart palpitating, head spinning, bones shaking and body
sweating.
As time passed, I
saw my friends falling by the wayside, because they did not
understand what I was going through. So, I wrote my first pamphlet
about MS, hoping that they would read it and stand by my side in
support, rather than making me feel even worse about not being able
to go back to work yet. Even sitting,
standing, reaching, bending and just talking was unbearable, as it
caused "bone crushing" fatigue, incredible exhaustion and constant
pain.
I desperately
wanted to escape this horrific illness, which had debilitated my
entire body, and was still convinced I would. I remained determined
not to give up my career, hopes and goals for my life, so I
continued to go from doctor to doctor, try drug after drug and
research everything I could, in hopes of finding the answer. Then,
about 8 months after that, I was diagnosed with another illness,
Lyme Disease.
I never willingly
gave up my career, nor would I ever willingly accept this illness
without a fight! I went to work extremely sick on countless
occasions in my lifetime, but this illness has rendered me
debilitated beyond my will! Moreover, I would be working today, if
it were at all possible! I have always been a determined person and
would never have chosen to give up my career! I still have very
vivid dreams about going back to work and being extremely happy.
Nevertheless, then I wake up crying, when I realize it was only a
dream!
Because of my
illness, I have gained weight, my hair has turned darker, my skin
has lost its color, my face is puffy and I look much older. Even so,
people I meet are always telling me, "but, you don't LOOK sick."
Mind you, I do have to do a makeover on myself so that I do not look
like this picture once in a while! Even so, I still do not look
"well" or like I did before. I could never understand how they could
say I do not look sick, because my old friends do not even recognize
me. Evidently to those who have never seen me "well," think I look
fine.
Hey, I enjoy when
people tell me I look nice or that I am attractive, who doesn't? But
it is hurtful when they do not believe I am ill, because they cannot
SEE it! In other words, when they say, "but, you don't LOOK sick," I
feel like they are saying, "but, I don't believe what you are
telling me, because I cannot SEE it!" I realize people mean well,
but being a "positive," "never give up," "never give in," "never let
illness stop me," "never let my dreams go" kind of person, it really
hurts when people assume I am sick, because I am weak, do not try
hard enough and lack a positive attitude!
For support,
links, articles and helpful resources, visit the site,
The Invisible Disabilities Advocate
|
Support from Loved Ones
|
Date Rated: 8/11/2004
|
Because
our pain, extreme fatigue and cognitive
impairments are not so obvious from the
outside, friends and family have
difficulty understanding them. They may
or may not see a cane or a chair, but
when they do, they often think that is
the only obstacle we must overcome. So,
they often do not realize the enormity
of our situation and therefore,
sometimes think we are just being wimps
or lazy. Because of this, many with MS
and other illnesses often feel rejected
and ignored by their loved ones. When we
do have support, we feel like we can
conquer the world, but without it, we
are not only having to battle the
illness, but we have to fight for the
belief, respect and love from our
friends and family. |
|
|
Information on this site is
provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to
substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other
medical professionals. Consult your own physician regarding the
applicability of any opinions with respect to your symptoms or
medical condition. Information on this site is also provided subject
to and contingent upon your assent to the Remedyfind User Agreement.
Copyright © 2004 Remedyfind Inc. All rights reserved.
Sincerely,

Wayne
Connell
Founder and President
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org
We
need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions!
We do not receive royalties for any books or publications.
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consider making a donation today!
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But You LOOK Good!
A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living With Chronic
Illness and Pain
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