A Lot More Coming...

A lot more blogging coming your way...
I know. I know. All 3 of my peeps are jumping up and down with excitement.
With better health on my horizon and one huge spiritual battle won
I am on fire (sizzle).

The book is coming together.
Because Every Mother Matters has it's first project.
(Which you definitely want to be a part of...if you are a mother, have a mother, or want to be a mother)

But first....
I know you probably are wondering...
What happened to Steffany(me)?
All the vague medical posts, what was wrong?

Let's just say
I haven't been the same since Africa.
Emotionally.
Spiritually.
Physically.

So, let's start with physical.
Many of you remember when I came back I ended up sick with:
Typhoid Fever
Hep A
Rieters Syndrome
Giardia
and
Tissue parasites.
And not to mention 2 very sick kiddos
Oh yeah and 1 very sick pregnant Ethiopian lady.
I spent the next year taking antibiotics,
not sleeping,
adjusting to very sick and needy twins
fighting our government,
selling possessions to take care of the pregnant Ethiopian woman(Gedese)
that was living with me for the year. Needless to say I didn't take the best care of myself.
For the year and a half I have had reoccurring fevers and intestinal upset.
Then on Oct 22nd, I spiked a high fever and had severe chest pain.
Being who I am...
A day later I drove to Iowa to run for Water4Christmas. A charity to raise money for clean water in Liberia. I ran in the freezing wet cold. Six hours later I ended up to my embarrassment in the hospital. Thank God I had a dear friend with me.
They diagnosed without any tests me with ChestWall Pain.
I then drove the 5 hours back home and ended up in the hospital here.
I was then diagnosed with Pericarditis. I was put on nasty medicine that made me violently ill.
It wasn't until my next hospitalization that an infectious disease Dr. was called in. Given all my past travel history complicated by my last conquest of a 7 day backpack adventure in the remote mountains of Colorado spanning almost 40 miles they decided I might be so sick due to my recent travels or my Africa travels. Then they proceeded to do tons more tests. After being released with still no answer I decided to go to a naturopath. He told me I had lung parasites and gave me more meds. By this point I have now been sick for a very long time. Not only the year of Africa stuff but then now 2 months of "thought I might die" sickness.
Severe chest pain
fevers
intense muscle weakness
Breathlessness that left me so tired I just wanted to stop breathing.
Weight loss.
And still no answers.
At this time I am now believing My Africa stuff and my newest Lung stuff are separate and they are making a huge mistake trying to find a common ground.
I finally about 4 days ago started as directed taking the naturopath med.
And I am feeling better.
Then yesterday I went to my regular Dr.
I went in believing I am healing...
and I left despite what was said that I am still healing.
He wants to run more tests, but I decided to hold off for a few weeks to see if I keep improving before we dig any further. The tests and unknowing in itself can be a little stressful. The newest "theories" are I might have had Myocarditis and if that's the case I am grateful to be alive.They would want to do a MRI of the heart to confirm this, but even if it's diagnosed the only thing to do is give it time, rest and keep taking my high doses of anti-inflammatory. So at this point having that test seems pointless. My pulmonary function test pointed to a possible neuromuscular disease. The test to explore that possibility more fully would require an intense nerve test. Since I have no other symptoms of either multiple sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or late onset of muscular dystrophy and I am feeling better, I decided to postpone that one since it's quite painful. The other test they wanted to perform is a lung biopsy and yes...you guessed it. I opted out for now. I will not even discuss the colonoscopy they wanted to do:) If it was two weeks ago and I was still feeling as bad as I did...I would not hesitate to run any of these tests. So, if in two weeks I am still improving we will probably assume it was lung parasites or Myocarditis. If however I am not improving then a testing I will go.
So there you have it....
where Steffany has been physically.
I am amazed at how much the physical ties into the emotional and spiritual as well.
And that my friends is where true growth happens
I am so excited to share more...