Woman Went Many Years With Undiagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis

View story about a woman who went undiagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis for many years at:

http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis-diagnosis-after-pregnancy?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk2%7C38278

Article About a Young Woman Who Has Dystonia

Through another blog that discusses living with Dystonia, I came across this interesting story about a young lady who has Dystonia:

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2006-06-07/Front_Page/Family_brings_awareness_to_struggle_with_dystonia.html

A Beauty Queen Who Has Cervical Dystonia

Mrs. Carolina is a patient advocate for those with Cervical Dystonia:

http://mrsnorthcarolinaunitedstates.com/Meet_Mrs.html

http://www.stdystonia.org/about/stories.cfm?id=61

National Geographic: Episode on Muscles discusses Dystonia as well as another disorder which affects muscles

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/muscles-4923/Overview#tab-Videos/08202_00

Story of a Young Man Who Has Dystonia

The following is an article that was published in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman about a young man who has Generalized Dystonia. View the article at:

http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2010/02/22/valley_life/doc4b835a80199bb678637711.txt

Documentary: My Father, My Brother, and Me

In the latest edition of Neurology Now, there is an article featuring PBS Frontline's Dave Iverson. He discusses his struggle with Parkinson's Disease. He also discusses his documentary, My Father, My Brother, and Me. This documentary appeared on PBS last week. However I was able to watch the entire documentary at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p6c7&continuous=1.

Anyone who has Parkinson's Disease or knows anyone with the neurodegenerative disorder should view this documentary. In fact, anyone with any type of neurological and/or chronic disorder should view this documentary.

The documentary covers lots of territory in regards to Parkinson's Disease. The potential benefits of exercise in terms of possibly reducing the affects of Parkinson's are discussed in the film. In addition, stem cell research is also addressed.

All I can say is that this documentary is extremely informative as it sheds light on potential cures for this disease. It surely gives a sense of hope for patients who are suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

Stories of Others: "Walking My Path With Parkinson's"

I came across an interesting blog by a woman who has Parkinson's Disease. Her blog is called Walking My Path With Parkinson's.


http://marian-pathwalk.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-does-parkinsons-feel-likerevisited.html

Mother's Fight to Help Her Son Who Has Dystonia

View story about a mother who fought to help her son who has Dystonia at:



http://www.wkyc.com/news/health/health_article.aspx?storyid=130193&catid=7

Article: Ups and Downs of Thyroid Disease

View the article, Ups and Downs of Thyroid Disease at:

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_14150353

An Autoimmune Disorder: Rheumatoid Arthritis

View a woman's story of living with Rheumatoid Arthritis:

http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis-erica-vorhauer?icid=mainsearch4dl3link3http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2Fcondition-center%2Farthritis%2Frheumatoid-arthritis-erica-vorhauer

Putting a Face on Dystonia

Putting a face on Dystonia...Rogers Hartmann at TEDxSMU.



http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2009/dec/17/tedxsmu-talk-rogers-hartmann/

Rogers Hartmann discusses Dystonia

Activist Rogers Hartmann discusses her life with Dystonia and her efforts to raise funds to help in finding a cure for Dystonia at:


http://www.frtv.org/2009/11/tedx-rogers-hartmann-frenemies-dystonia/

The Story of a Man Who Had Sarcoidosis

Below, there is a link to a story about a man named David McClendon, a former newspaper editor. McClendon lived 15 years with Sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease. With Sarcoidosis, "the body's defenses attack vital organs, including lungs, kidneys, heart, etc. The attacks cause scarring and the scar tissue clump together." Unfortunately, Mr. McClendon recently lost his battle with the disease.

I have never met McClendon. I have never heard of McClendon. But, this story "came to me," and I felt the need and desire to share it. Within the article about McClendon, there is a link to McClendon's blog in which I was able to get an idea about what it's like for people who live with Sarcoidosis. In reading through the blog, I was able to get an idea about his personality and his sense of humor.

As I read parts of McClendon's blog, I was saddened knowing that he is no longer on this earth--may he rest in peace. However, I am glad that he left behind a piece of himself which will hopefully educate others about living and struggling with Sarcoidosis.

Article that discusses David McClendon:
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/20/news/b1-beachclmndavid.txt

David McClendon's blog:
http://15yearsofmysarcoidlife.blogspot.com/

Excerpt from Beauty Does Lie: The Untold Stories of Autoimmune Diseases by Courtney Smith

The following is an excerpt from the film, Beauty Does Lie: The Untold Stories of Autoimmune Diseases, by Courtney Smith, founder of Control Your Auto Productions. Smith lives with Myasthenia Gravis, an Autoimmune Disease. Through this film, she has shown that "You can look healthy but still be suffering from a potentially debilitating disease."

Stories From Patients Who Receive Botox Shots for Cervical Dystonia

The following is a link to the Botox website. Patients discuss their experiences with receiving Botox injections for the treatment of Cervical Dystonia. I have been receiving these injections every 3-6 months. While it helps, it is not a cure for CD. As, there is not yet a cure for this dsorder. For some, the twisting and pain caused by CD is lessened by receiving Botox shots. The shots must be repeated, because the affects from the shots only last for a few months.

http://www.botoxmedical.com/PatientStories.aspx?pat=4

New Feature: Stories of Others

Since I'm on the internet quite often, I find stories from people who have encountered some difficult circumstances. In fact, my email is set to alert me to certain topics as they appear on the internet. How cool is that little gadget!

This particular post will feature stories from people who have disorders such as Autoimmune disorders and Dystonia. I will also include stories of people who may have other struggles that they are dealing with.

These stories are not meant to sadden. They are meant to bring awareness and to offer inspiration and hope. I believe that it is good to share stories. You never know who might be going through something similar...And you never know who you might help by sharing your journey.

So, please check back periodically to view new stories that have been brought to my attention.
**Please note that these stories will not be altered in any way (i.e. grammatically, content, etc.). They will appear as they were written by the author.



The story of a beauty queen stricken with Dystonia:
http://www.enctoday.com/news/beauty-64570-jdn-message-queen.html.

The story of a person with Grave's Disease:
http://gravesandglutengirl.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/51/


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/146531
Lupus not slowing Gilbert ASU freshman