In 2003, I was sitting still at a stop sign; a drunk driver (.23 blood alcohol content) going over 65 miles an hour crashed into me head on! I was taken to the hospital on a back board and treated for spinal injuries.
I was stubborn and tried to deal with the pain on my own with out surgery. A few months later, I was the first of ten patients to try a surgery called IDET to fix my spine.
I gained weight; at my highest weight I weighed 320 pounds. I couldn’t work out, I could barely drag myself out of bed and I lost my luster for life.
I did go to work; I took only as much leave as I needed. I have a strong desire to make a difference in this world. I worked when I couldn’t do much else.
If tou have never had a spinal injury, you might not understand the impact to mental and physical health.
Sometime after the accident, my body started attacking itself – and on top of the spinal injury, I contracted Lyme disease (probbally because time in nature was a release for me). Autoimmune conditions started affecting many parts of my body…multiple surgeries followed over the next 15 years.
I still worked. I had surgeries and procedures on Thursday and fought with my doctor to go back to work on Monday. “I’ll take it easy I promise,” was always my bargaining chip.
I was ridiculed because there has been so many things wrong with my body. I had to be making it up.
There was one particular instance in which my life flashed in front of my eyes. As I was driving into the General Assembly to my job at the Senate, I couldn’t feel the right side of my body. I couldn’t exactly know if I was pressing the brake in my vehicle. To the hospital I went. Was it a stroke? Nope, it was a migraine brought on by my autoimmune conditions.
Once again my body was attacking itself.
Despite the odds of my body attacking itself, I have managed to lead a happy life. I have had many successes, held many exciting jobs and have succeeded in life and continue to contribute massively to the greater good – it just takes me more effort to do it!
I prevailed.
I have battled (and so do many of you) and continue to battle these unseen diseases. It is exhausting: some days harder than others.
These diseases are not made up, nor are they fake!
Please look around before you make a judgement about someone…you have no clue the journey they are walking . Be kind, be respectful; and maybe before making a snide comment about a choice they have made, offer support and grace.
After all, aren’t we all fighting our own battles?
Much love and light,
Adele Josephine❤️
Adele Josephine 