My PN Story
My journey with PN began in 2019 with the onset of burning pain in my toes and fingers that quickly spread up my legs and arms. Within a few weeks I couldn’t walk without assistance. Even the slightest touch felt as if I were being shocked. My health declined rapidly. I no longer felt like eating. Movement hurt too much. I lost 40 lbs in 5 months. In December of 2019, I was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a chronic illness. I was malnourished, deeply depressed, in pain and given a 30% chance of living more than 30 days.
After leaving the hospital, I very nearly gave in to the depression and what I felt was my death sentence. I clung to one thing only, and that was my son. I had to live for him and it had to be a good life. So, although I couldn’t cure the PN or my other chronic illnesses, I knew if I gave my body the right environment it could begin to heal. I began to learn everything I could about what to eat and do to regain strength and mobility. As my diet became healthier and I started to move again (which at first was nothing more than stretching), my anxiety diminished and I started to come back to life.
Finding My Purpose
As I was getting better, a desire to help others began to grow and eventually led me to get an education from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I studied under some of the most notable leaders in the field of health and wellness.
My company, Solstice Solutions LLC, was born out of a desire to help others, particularly mothers, not have to struggle as I did with the limitations and associated guilt that comes from not being able to engage in the lives of our children as we did before the onset of PN. Solstice Solutions is a health consulting program that is geared towards helping moms with PN manage pain, alleviate anxiety and brain fog, and increase strength, energy and mobility. I meet with clients via Zoom and take them through diet and lifestyle modifications, exploring movement and physical activity. I offer the additional support of a listening ear from someone who understands the struggles of PN.
Finding Help in Helping Others
Now, through my company, I aim to create a place that moms with PN can get individual guidance in finding the solutions for managing their symptoms, a supportive and empathetic partner, and the active and engaged lifestyle they desire.
I am also a member of the Facebook group, Peripheral Neuropathy Success Stories! and the sub group Buddy Up!. It is a wonderful support group that focuses on the positive. In the Buddy Up! program, we offer one on one support through messenger to members who are struggling.