Our story of chronic illness
Mandy’s Story
Growing up I was labeled “the sick kid” – chronic strep throat, ear infections, and the stomach flu – multiple times per year. In high school, I had constant TMJ, neck, and shoulder pain. In college, I had chronic sinus infections and developed food sensitivities. Right after turning 30, I began a long road of chronic illness that started with a recipe for failure. I had a v_ccin_tion that I instantly had a reaction to, had severe blood sugar dysregulation, and consumed a SAD diet. My list of health issues then increased month after month for over a decade! I ended up experiencing more than 40 unexplained symptoms in my body…..with ZERO answers! Explanations like “your bloodwork is all normal” or “you’re just a tired mom” was the neverending echo I would hear. My symptoms ranged from chronic fatigue, dizziness, vertigo, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, heat intolerance, light and sound sensitivites, full-body hives, whole-body swelling, insomnia and inability to stay asleep, anxiety, panic attacks, joint pain, unexplained weight gain, hormone imbalances, hair loss, feared the nighttime, and unexplained infertility just to name a few. In 2020, after over a decade of trying to figure out my nagging symptoms, I became completely bedridden. I developed symptoms like POTS, MCAS, CIRS, reoccuring EBV, dementia-type symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and lost all ability to do daily tasks. These additional symptoms were brought on when we moved into our newly purchased home that had 9 different areas of toxic mold. That’s when my life was turned upside down. I felt hopeless and completely alone. I wondered each night as I put my head on the pillow if I would make it through the night. With all those symptoms, I still received ZERO answers. This is when I realized it was time to take my health into my own hands!
Israel’s Story
Israel’s story started in the NICU when we were told he had a milk intolerance. Starting at 1 month old, he was covered daily in red, very itchy patches that lasted for months. It turned out it was a staph infection. He had extreme colic, tons of spitting up and acid reflex, lots of eczema, a very large and distorted head, and had constant back to back illnesses. At the age of 3, he had an anaphylactic reaction. I started to suspect that he was having reactions to v_ccin_tions. I was made fun of by doctors and friends for this theory. As time went on, we had ZERO help from doctors – “he’ll grow out of it” “I think you are stressing too much about this.” After moving into our moldy house in 2019, more symptoms starting adding to his plate. Following an acute illness in 2021 at the age of 6, our son developed PANS. Overnight he became a completley new child- mood swings, a tic, OCD, breathing issues, anxiety, panic attacks, bed-wetting, feared the nighttime, and sleep issues. This finally led us down a new path – a path that actually produces results!