Hi there everyone! My name is Chrissy and I am the moderator for this forum! I am so honered to be moderator here this site! I would like to again extend my graditude to all who made this possible! I started this forum for a very close and personal reason inmy heart! I will first tell you about my biggest disability I have and struggle with everyday!


At age 14 I was dianosed with a rare spinal disease that attacked the vertebrae in my back! This diease known as Shuermann's Disease is very rare and more profound in boys than in girls and it's onset is during adolesence when kids hit there major growth spurt.  This diease causes the spine to twist and the bones in the vertebrae to grow abnormally. I ws put in body braces and spent four years of my teenage years in braces and faced  much ridicule as I was diffrent than the other kids! People tend to make fun or run away from things that they don't understand but netherless it was very hard living with this disease as a teenage where kids are very impressionable and Judgemental to say the least I was called hurtful names such as "hunchback" This disease causes your back to curve foward and cause an abnormality of the spine known as Kyphosis i found out at a young age how judgemental our society is. at the age of 17 my curvature was severe at a 90 degree angle! It was one of the worst cases seen by my doctor. I was used for a text book case for futher research! I am going to talk about this briefly as some details are still painful for me I hope you all can forgive me! I spent 15 hours in surgery 4 and a half hours away from my hometown as my condition was so rare I was sent to a specialist. I had one of my ribs removed and a lung collasped I was crushing inward on myself crushing vital organs such as my lungs and heart and the severe asthma they thought I had was due to my back and the fact I was caving inward. I had a kink in my main valve to my heart tht neede to be repaired in order for blood flow to be able to flow normally to my heart. I was put in a complete body cast for 6 months and spent 3 months on bed rest where I had to eventually learn how to walk again as my muscles in my legs were not strong enough to support my weight. I I went through much physical therapy everyday for months to regain strength in my muscles as they were not used to the way my back was! I had almost total correction but lost some as my bones settled! I went from 5 7 to 5 10 almost overnight! Now I live sleet rods in my back and bolts and screws on each side of my vertabrae all the way down I have a scar from my neck all the way down my spine! I also have a scar around my side of my body! where the doctors went in to work on the front of my spine! I was put on a ventalater and breathing treatments  I spent days in the hospital. and was put on extreme pain meds! I had a chest tube inserted in my chest where they hads to drain all the stuff that nneded to be drained out of my body! so I have a scar from that too! I live in pain everyday with this! I have many emotional scars as well and this disease caused me to look to food as a comfort and then the battle with my eating disorder began. To this day I still stuggle but I advocate for all disabilities now because having this disease has taught me compassion and understanding for others! I pray fro a cure everyday for this disease! But until then I pray that I can continue to help others! Thank you for reading more to come soon!
                                                         Much Love,
                                                       Chrissy

Chrissy, You have struggled and suffered so much in your life. I am sorry you have such pain in your life. I must tell you how strong and corageous I think you are. You are an inspiration for all of us! Really, you have been through alot that would have killed another person, and you have remained a loving and giving person throughout. I really am blessed for knowing you, for being someone that you callyour friend.
Thank you for all you do here, for all you do for me! You are a wonderful friiend!
Lots of love, Dara

Dara!

I am touched and inspired by you to being your friend and getting t o know you has enriched and inspired my life! I think because of my disease it gives me more compassion understanding and the willingness to care and give! All I ever have to give id my evotion friendship and love and I am so glad I offered so much here and touched you the way I have Yes I have been through alot but you have as well adn when you look in the miror be oroud of who you are today and who you have become! What doesn't kill us does makes us stronger Dara! and it is our disabilities far in and between that hold our special bond together! You are such a wondeful friend and person! I am trully blessed to have you as my friend and to have had the opportunity to know you Your kindness and love means the world to me!
                                                               I love you,
                                                                 Chrissy

Chrissy, If I had read this article of yours before I wrote to you about your acomplishments, I would have expressed even more amazement at how you find the courage to help others when you suffer so much yourself. I think some people who have to accept and face up to major problems understand the realities of our world x10 and take the time to help others who are often having trouble coping with lesser problems - like me!

Chrissy,

You've endured, and survived, so much pain for way too many years.

But while your body may suffer, your soul is a healthy, shining light for all of us.  Thank you for giving friendship and inspiration, every day of your life.

Chrissy,
First I want to thank you for making me feel welcome here. It seems to be a wonderful group of very talented folks. And I am enjoying reading all their works.
After reading about your painful and dibilitating disease, my heart truly bleeds and aches for your pain, and all the agonizing difficulties you have had to endure because of it. But we have a Lord that is generous, and we will continue to pray that He sees fit to give somebody the knowledge to find that cure that is so badly needed, so that maybe your pain and anquish can be finally subsided.
I have a bone disorder in my feet and over the last 3 years they have removed nearly all of them from my right foot,,and I'm having neck surgery in May,,so if I come up gone for a while you'll know why,,never fear though I shall return! Even if I have to learn to type with my nose!
Well anyway,,,I will keep you in my prayers and all those here that I have read about,,,there are some very painful details here that I just sat and weeped as I read about how they are in so much pain. I would like to just take it all away,,,but ofcourse that is not up to me,,but I will pray,,
Hope things get better for you Chrissy,,,you are truly a gift to many,,,Lisa

Thank you Lisa for taking the time to read about me! It is still a painful point in my life where i don't talk about it often but when i do it helps! I am so sorry tom hear about the difficulties you are facing but you must stay strong! You have a glorious gift and talent and we need you here to share it with the world! May I ask what is wrong with your neck that you need to have sugery! I had exteme arthritis in my neck at 17 18 years of age...due to my back it would only deteriote I remember times when I would try to comb my hair and my neck would spasm out and get charlie horses in it! It just feels really cold to the touch now sometimes as the rods start at the base of my neck downward. It is so thoughtful that you think of me in your prayers as your friend I will do the same here for you!!It is wonderful to have such caring friends here we can trust and confide in minus all the judgements of the world...  Sometimes i feel those who suffer the most in life are the most talented and have the most precious gifts to share with the world! We may struggle but we also need to take the time to realize we inspire and make a difference in other lives! Thanks again Lisa you are a wonderful person who speaks volumes from your huge and fullfilling heart! I am so glad you are here with us all!

Chrissy,
I have a severe herniation of a disc in my neck. They are going to remove the disc and replace it with a bone from a bone bank, and secure it with a metal plate. They tend to believe that it is part of the bone deterioration stemming from the same disease that is in my feet. Right now though it is causing almost complete numbness of my hands and terrible migraines,,my vision stays blurry most of the time,,and they said that was being caused by the blood flow not being able to get to the brain from the pressure on the nerves and arteries. So hopefully the surgery will curtail all of that.
I'm not sure how long it will take me to bounce back, but I will be back! Just in February I had to have a complete hysterectomy,,,and this past October I had a tumor in my right ear below the eardrum that left me completely deaf in that ear. So far nothing has stopped me yet, and I don't have any intentions of this doing that either. My feet cannot be fixed and I have learned to deal with that as well as possible,,,but the rest of this stuff is going to have to be fixed, or atleast taken care of. But my God will carry me through,,I have that faith to hang on to, and I intend to hang on with both hands.
I thank you for asking,,,I may have told you more than you really cared to know though and for that I'm sorry. It's just all linked together and without telling the story you might as well not open the book! Thank you Chrissy,,,Lisa

Lisa,

You have been through much, eh? You do sound strong and ready to overcome whatever is sent your way, which is good! I do hope you have a quich and uneventful recovery from the neck surgery. Maybe you could tell us more about your medical issues in another post? I for one, would like to know more!

Take care!
Love,
Dara