My story of overcoming chronic illness is dedicated to my amazing parents, Alan and Kay Wood, and my wonderful husband, Patrick Wogsland. They’ve been by my side every step of the way both emotionally and financially. I certainly wouldn’t be the person I am today without their unconditional love and their relentless support in the search for better health for me.
From the outside looking in, life appears to be close to perfect for me. I live a so called “normal” life. I have a beautiful family, a wonderful home, a great job, and a strong Christian faith. I’m truly blessed in so many ways. I’ve never really looked sick from the outside, which is a blessing and a curse. I work full time in commercial real estate, engage in a weekly bible study, volunteer and teach a class for women involved or vulnerable to sexual trafficking and participate on the board for three volunteer employee resource groups at my company. With that level of activity, most people don’t understand the severity of my chronic health issues. However, trying to live a so called “normal” life has kept me going and kept me distracted from my past and present struggles.
Reality is that I’ve been battling seemingly insurmountable chronic health issues for over 25 years. I deal with unimaginable chronic pain and a multitude of severe symptoms every single day. The pain can be so unbearable that there have been more days than I’d like to admit that I think I’d rather not live. On my worst days, I tend to unknowingly hold my breath because the pain is so intense.
I’ve now had 12 surgeries since the year 2000. Amazingly enough, I still graduated from college in the middle of a complete chaotic health mess, and I’ve somehow worked continuously after college with the exception of one to two short medical leaves. Quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself. I’ve chosen to get out of bed every day and fight to get my health back. God has given me an indomitable will to keep going throughout this endless battle and the courage to finally share my story with the hope of helping others.
No matter where you are in life, I certainly hope my story gives you hope, touches your heart, or provides you with some encouragement to work through whatever it is you are facing without giving up. Many people have a challenging season in life. I’ve felt my season is a permanent one. You are not alone in whatever battle you are facing. Giving up is just not in my vocabulary! This is my story of overcoming chronic illness.
At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with a group of stomach ulcers, acid reflux, lactose intolerance, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (“IBS”). While I continued to live my life as an athlete and high achiever in school, every year after the age of 12 I became sicker. My constant discomfort got worse and worse. Prescription drugs were recommended by my doctor thus starting a medication cycle that would last far too long (Carafate, Nexium, Miralax and more). I had constant sinus infections and allergies, which required tons of antibiotics and anti-histamines. I was started on birth control pills from a very young age to try and combat the hormone issues and pain.
By the time I went to college, my pelvic, female, and stomach pain became so severe I finally had exploratory surgery in September 2000. Appendicitis was suspected. However, Endometriosis was found. Its complexity was undersold by the discovering surgeon. I would learn that it is quite a beast of a disease and that it could make me completely infertile. Only time would tell. I was told one major surgery would take care of the Endometriosis. I withdrew from college and prepared for it. In November 2000 it was the most brutal surgery I’ve ever had; the lengthy hospital stay, recovery, and pain is still ingrained in my memory.
Much to my dismay, the pelvic pain came roaring back; the Endometriosis returned after nine months. In June 2001 I was having what our surgeon called a “clean up” surgery. I then had another one in June 2002. My doctors suggested this would be what I’d have to do every nine to twelve months indefinitely until I possibly had a baby or a hysterectomy. I was 22 at the time with no plans of marriage or kids on the horizon.No matter how bad things were, I couldn’t fathom having a hysterectomy and removing all possibilities of having a baby. I still had hope. I wanted a second opinion, so I saw another specialist. Surgery again was recommended in December 2003, and I did it.
After five surgeries since 2000 for Endometriosis and the unbearable pain that accompanied it, a drug was now recommended by my surgeon to induce menopause to halt the growth of the Endometriosis. Don’t be jealous, ladies! Yes, I will get to go through menopause twice in my life! I took this drug for 18 months, much longer than recommended. It caused osteopenia, which is a precursor to osteoporosis. I had to begin taking prescription intramuscular injections in the abdomen and very high dose Vitamin D for the osteopenia. Meanwhile, the surgeries, medications, and procedures had wreaked complete havoc on my body and caused a chronic pain condition to develop. My whole entire body began to hurt non-stop including muscle, joint, and nerve pain, which was now in addition to the chronic pelvic and stomach pain. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2004.
I also developed excruciating low back pain. The back pain was not from an injury, but it developed as referred pain from the Endometriosis. I was also diagnosed with Adenomyosis. More and more prescription medications were given to me as the conditions I kept facing were not fully understood and were worsening. The majority of doctors I saw simply had no answers. I was taking multiple antihistamines, muscle relaxers, anti-anxiety drugs, anti-depressants, narcotics, proton pump inhibitors, stimulants (to offset the sleepiness from the other medications). I was a shell of the person I used to be with the emotional and physical side effects from the drugs. They’d basically overtaken my personality and life. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism around 2005 as well, which I started treating with medication.
Over the years with all of this pain, prescribed narcotics (also known as opioids) such as Percocet, Lortab, Morphine, etc. made life somewhat bearable. The dosages of the medications had to consistently be increased as my body became accustomed to them. Keep in mind the true dangers of taking narcotics long term were never fully explained to me. Now, the pain was so severe and constant that I was on very high doses of two narcotics every single day. I was on cancer patient strength morphine pain patches and taking Lortab tablets for “breakthrough” pain. I was often accused of being a drug addict by doctors because the narcotics kept losing their strength the longer I’d take them. I was still in pain even at these very high dosages.
My liver function moved to dangerous levels after years of the narcotics and other prescription drugs. I was told I had to come off of the narcotics. A pain specialist recommended a spinal cord stimulator be implanted into my body to offset the back pain. The device sends electrical stimulation to your nerves in your spinal cord through wires surgically implanted. The goal of the device is to try and trick your body into thinking you don’t have back pain. I did the trial, and it seemed to help. I moved forward with having a device implanted into my right buttock. It was about the size of half of an opened flip phone. People at work joked I was now the bionic woman. It never worked as well as expected, but I was able to finally come off of the narcotics. I’ll discuss in a later post the hell I went through coming off of the narcotics that my body had become physically addicted to over time.
I continued to have severe sinus issues, allergies, stomach pain, overall body pain, and hormonal issues. In 2008 I had a large aggressive cyst take over one of my ovaries so badly that the entire ovary had to be removed. A month later I had sinus surgery in January 2009. A few months into 2009 my body started rejecting the spinal cord stimulator. You could literally see the device trying to come out from underneath my skin. I had it relocated to a higher location in my body in August 2009. In May 2010 I had a cyst removed from my remaining ovary. Luckily, my surgeon was able to save my last ovary. I’d come this far; I was not ready to give in and have a hysterectomy.
In the Summer of 2010 I finally decided to travel to one of the most world renowned medical centers seeking answers. They did some testing and then stopped. They recommended a chronic pain treatment program they offered. I attended it for a month and lived out of state with my mom. I didn’t understand that the program meant they stopped looking for answers. It was strongly believed that my conditions were permanent, and I needed to learn to live with them. I certainly did not agree. I was not ready to give up or believe I couldn’t make any further progress. Emotionally this world renowned center seemed to be my last hope and what a letdown it was.
In June 2011, two months before my wedding, the spinal cord stimulator was once again trying to come out of my skin. It was painful and scary. I made a decision to permanently remove it and live without this pain management device. I was terrified to do so, but I’m so glad I did. I married my best friend in August 2011. The day he proposed to me I cried and asked if he was really sure he wanted to marry me with all of my health issues. God sent me an understanding and compassionate man that still wanted me to be his wife in spite of the utter mess that I felt I was.
As my stomach issues continued, I had more scopes and a gallbladder test. The gallbladder test itself sent me to the emergency room. A surgeon recommended my gallbladder be removed; he said it could be one of my biggest problems. Hopeful he was right, I did that in 2012. Unfortunately, that was quite a nasty recovery that I didn’t expect, and I very much regret that decision. I saw no benefit from it.
At this point my body had been through complete and utter hell for so many years. Emotionally this had all been such a roller coaster. Over the years the never ending physical problems lead to severe depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, anger and hopelessness. I prayed I wouldn’t have to go back under the knife any time soon; I began to live in fear about what could possibly happen next.
I began to research alternative options to mainstream medical treatments. I became my own advocate. I turned my focus to acupuncturists, chiropractors, functional medicine practitioners, and more.
In the midst of this chaos, I miraculously gave birth to a beautiful, healthy daughter in 2014. Just eleven months prior to giving birth, I had a fertility specialist tell me it was basically impossible for me to get pregnant, and it was recommended that I use a donor egg. Knowing my conditions could cause infertility was one thing, but hearing it out loud was another. My husband and I were devastated. One month later, God had different plans. We were overjoyed to announce to our family the complete miracle that I was pregnant, and I hadn’t used any medical intervention but acupuncture and diet! My pregnancy was incredibly difficult both physically and emotionally. I was constantly worried the baby would be sick like me. My pain was so bad I had to take very small doses of Lortab (a narcotic) throughout my pregnancy. I felt extreme guilt over that. However, God took care of me and gave us a true angel. She’s as healthy as can be. Thank the lord I didn’t require a C-section, which would have been more surgery.
In 2014 I was diagnosed by four doctors as having Chronic Lyme, which they felt was a significant cause of many of my unexplained issues. One of which was a Lyme Literate Physician (LLMD). I tried several one IV antibiotic treatment, one Colloidal Silver IV, Myers Cocktail IVs, and multiple low dose immunotherapy (LDI) treatments with two different doctors. I knew I wouldn’t survive the effects of high dose antibiotics; the LDI was an alternative treatment. LDI was relatively new to the Lyme treatment scene. I even consulted with a doctor in Alaska who is considered a pioneer on LDI treatments for Lyme. The IV and LDI treatments I tried made me much worse.
I remember crying and having excruciating pain afterwards. I almost ended up in the ER on Christmas Eve 2015. Devastated once again by unsuccessful treatments, I reluctantly stopped all Lyme specific treatments. Chronic Lyme is a highly debated disease in the medical community. If you read about it, the symptoms associated with it can be unfathomable, and successful treatments are extremely difficult to determine.
Fast forward to today, many integrative and environmental doctors have now diagnosed me with the following conditions, in addition to the previous ones discussed: Celiac Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (“MCS”), MTHFR genetic defect (C677T), Leaky Gut Syndrome, mold exposure, Candida overgrowth, chronic mononucleosis, severe seasonal allergies, immune system dysfunction, and nervous system dysfunction.
I still experience constant stomach pain, severe muscle, nerve and joint pain, severe inflammation all over my body, and severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’ve now learned that my allergies to foods, chemicals, inhalants, fragrance, natural gas, trees, grass, and more have pushed my body over the limit and cause a lot of my everyday chronic pain symptoms. The surgeries in and of themselves are thought to be one of the biggest reasons I developed this over sensitivity in my immune system and the constant chronic pain.
After already going dairy, gluten, soy and mainly sugar free, I tried the following diets: Specific Carb, Low-Histamine, Paleo, Autoimmune Paleo, Body Ecology, Blood Type, and more. My issues weren’t changing much. I knew there was more to it. A new doctor I now see in Texas opened my eyes to many new causes of my symptoms and new ideas to incorporate into my treatment plan. He brought to light the fact that I was reacting to almost every single food I was eating (Yes, you read that right!).
There is no black and white answer for all of my symptoms and conditions; that’s been a tough pill to swallow over the years. However, I’ve learned quite a bit about all of my symptoms and conditions, and I truly feel I’m on the road to recovery. My road to recovery isn’t for the faint of heart, but I’ve made progress over the last year, which is a miracle in itself.
People have been telling me for years to share my story, write a book, or start a blog. I’m finally doing it, and my underlying goal is to truly help others. So, what am I doing today to get better? So many things! What have I learned? Follow me on my destination to clean living, and I will share just that. I’ve become a passionate, perpetual researcher in all things associated with clean living, not just clean eating. My dream is to positively impact the health of as many people as possible.
Watch out world! I’m coming back to life! My story isn’t over yet. I hope you’ll choose to come along and help me write the rest of my story.
Follow this link for more recent updates on my diagnosis and conditions: https://destinationcleanliving.com/my-new-diagnosis-my-new-reality/
