Maybe your story is like Emma Mullins Coccari's of Kentucky.
She cicatrizes her life as before and after.
Before, she was an active person: After, she became a shell of her former self: lying in bed or on a couch, completely absorbed pain and suffering.
"As most people with chronic illnesses do, I see my life in two distinct parts: BEFORE Illness and AFTER Illness.
riding roller coasters and thrill rides on family vacations, hitting the golf course or the ski slopes, hiking with my sons and our dog, and cheering at my sons' ballgames.
I also worked long hours as a Bank Manager.
This was only 9 years ago, but it feels like an eternity, maybe even a dream.
With a combination of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis, this agony lasted for 8 years for her before she found relief.
Her Rheumatologist labeled her the 'worst R.
A.
patient' because it took 4 years to find anything that would help.
And the worst: symptom, PAIN, never did come under control.
Emma became crippled.
She became crippled in many ways.
"Crippled my ability to work because I couldn't keep up the pace; it crippled my high energy with never-ending fatigue; it crippled my enthusiasm with relentless, agonizing pain; it crippled my confidence by putting me on a cane, then crutches, and at times, a wheelchair; it crippled my body with attacks on my joints, bones, muscles, heart, lungs and digestive system; and it crippled my family's time because they had to care for me.
The massive doses of the steroid Prednisone was not helping.
Emma even admits to praying to die.
She didn't think anyone would miss her much.
She hadn't been a good mother for years.
She began an aggressive regime of Methotrexate injections (a type of chemotherapy), and Remicade LV.
Infusions.
This helped a little.
But It was when she began drinking Pi-Mag Water that she slowly began to get better.
It was a while before she realized her throat infections had cleared up.
But it wasn't just the water that began her on her journey to recovery.
Her liver had began to fail because of the chemotherapy drug, Methotrexate.
When she was told she would have to stop taking the drug, and get a liver biopsy she was terrified, because the Methotrexate coupled with I.
V.
infusions were the only thing keeping the sores away.
But with the help of a Liver Pill made by Nikken, her liver recovered on it's own.
There were other things Emma did.
She found a protein drink that had double the nutrition of Boost or Ensure, and she used magnets.
A magnetic sleep system, a magnetic seat cushion, insoles for her feet and loose magnets in her pockets.
Then slowly, but surely, Emma found relief.
The answer to her prayers was not death it was LIFE! In Emma's own words she reports, "On my last visit to the pain management clinic, my doctor DID NOT RECOGNIZE ME--HE even INTRODUCED himself to me.
When he opened my chart and saw my name he said 'Holy Mackerel, Emma I didn't recognize you; you look healthy, and well!' He called for his staff to come see me saying, 'Do you remember Ms Coccari, she was in a wheelchair before, and look at her now!' Emma's doctor was Dr.
Ackerman.
He asked if he could refer patients to her.