Funding for Medical Tests

Who were you before you got sick? Who are you now?
In a past life I used to have certain social aspects as in I had a social life. I went out with my friends almost everyday. It used to be if something was happening I not only knew about it, I made it happen. Some how way back when, believe it or not I was somebody. I had a big circle of friends, and I was popular in my group. I was the funny one, I had a silly nickname from camp, and I felt accepted enough to be bold and outgoing. I was involved in everything from sports teams to volunteering at the church, I was on kitchen prep team, a youth alpha leader, and on the youth drama team.

IN SHORT: That was exactly six years ago. Reflecting on those memories makes me feel like a completely different person than who I am now. More and more, I just feel like... an alien space ship somehow kidnapped me over night and, has experimented on me, and left me in a state that's just so foreign to who I was and want to be. I am Elysia Bronson a third year crisis counseling student a Summit Pacific College and I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Fibromyalgia, Anemia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic neuropathic pain, Endometreosis, and something the doctors can't, yet explain.


IN LONGER:Its been 6 years and I'm still trying to make sense of whats happened and is happening to me. Suddenly I'm cold all the time, and the doctor tells me my Iron levels are normally around 6 when they should be above 15 thus anemia came along with oddly low thyroid function that swings between hypo and hyper causing Hashimoto's Thyroid Disorder. Next the unbearable different types of pain set in I'm not just cold, hypo and hyper; I'm also in unusual unexplained amounts of pain..my bones throb, my viens are flooded with neuropathic electric current type of pains, my muscles ache and no one knows why. I struggle through my first year of my Bachelors in crisis counseling. A number of specials and months and months of waiting long a specialist adds fibromyalgia to my list of diagnosis' (fibromyalgia = unexlpainable chronic pain) the fibromyalgia brings it's friend chronic fatigue to the party and I end up cold, swinging between hypo and hyper, in incredible indescribable amounts of pain, all while feeling like I haven't slept in years. This last specialists appointment he tells me that the fibromyalgia turns my level of pain up which messes with the wiring in my brain and causes me to be unable to reach the deep sleep cycle thus I really haven't slept in years. Somewhere in amidst all this I marry my boyfriend and best friend, and together we struggle through. Thinking on marriage I realize he never got the chance to know me before I was sick we met in 2007 right as I got sick, dated till 2011, and have been married since. I feel bad that I am sick and hold us back from many things. I go a recommended Naturalpath and who's got a crazy amount of degree's and he's certain it's Lyme or parasites... we try multitudes of different disgusting formula's that I only have the stomach to take because I'm desperate. Yet, before I can attempt any of the nasty tasting formula's the immunologist doctor finds in an ultrasound that my gallbladder is having a party all it's own and is at its capacity due to featuring it's own personal rolling stones concert. Around this point my food increasingly will not stay down and will not digest followed by more pain. At the end of my second year in college I push till I finish my finals, yet this event sends me to the Abbotsford Hospital ER where the surgeon argues that the gallbladder is fine and could wait but it's ultimately up to me to decide if it comes out as I'm the one moaning in unbearable amounts of pain. This decision was not a fair one, as I'm not a doctor I don't know what the right thing to do is, all I know is I'm in unbearable amounts of pain... (but as I think on this pain and other pain I'm in it's tough to say I'm always in unbearable amounts of pain) But ultimately the gallbladder goes because it's capacity could flood my system and I'm not willing to risk him being wrong about it being able to wait. Needless to say I'm not short an organ, swinging between hyper and hypo, freezing cold, in indescribable amounts of pain, and healing from being cut open. My body feels like it's dying, I cry a lot, and take a lot of heavily prescribed pills. I continue to struggle through and end up back in the ER for an infection of which I am prescribed heavy antibiotics, and a Doctor who sees me in pain but thinks it's all in my head. So as I lay in enthralling amounts of pain the smart Dr. brings in a psychiatrist to say that I'm psychosomatic ( that it's all in my head). So as they up the dosage of Tortal which is a painkiller they also bring in a gynecologist (man = awkward) who diagnoses that I also have Endometriosis. They release me not because I'm better but because they can't do any more for me. I didn't argue as that was the worst, meanest Doctor I've ever had. Continuing on past more months of dealing with being cold, swinging between hypo-hyper, inhuman amounts of pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and endometriosis. I continue onward to see many many specialist, have an endoscopy and colonoscopy, and next they suggest and investigative surgery to try and find the underlying cause to all this undetermind pain. I wait to be cut open....that's depressing. And on the other naturalpathic side of things the doctor suggests a new 1500$ test to send down to the states where they'll look into my blood, and stool, for parasites, lyme, and much more molecular level disorders. This brings us to today where I know all the right answers about suffering yet, struggle to believe them. We are broke and paying off debt, and cannot afford the test that could provide many many answers to what has caused the loss of the past 6 years. 

How has being ill affected you physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually? How do you cope with these changes?
Being ill has affected me physically in symptoms such as the lists that come with each disorder however to list them all would be exhaustive so I will highlight the top symptom and it's accompanying disorder. Anemia=cold all the time, Chronic Fatigue=my brain can not reach REM sleep thus I'm chronically exhausted, Hashimoto's=no energy/hair loss/ memory problems...(hard to limit), Endometreosis=multiple cysts that may burst at any time through out my pelvis which gives a sensation of my insides being pulled out.
Being ill has affected me emotionally, very. I have ups and downs, and cope the best I can. I try to keep pushing myself to continue onward towards my degree, to always always keep trying. It's when I push my physical limits that's the hardest emotionally. Its also quite difficult to go to specialist after specialist and be getting worse but no one knows why.
Being ill has affected me socially as I have said before I used to have friends, and a group but when I got sick they drifted away for some reason or another. Now I try my best to make friends but it's hard when you can hardly go out, and miss classes so often. 
Being ill has hit me hardest spiritually because its hard to understand why God allows suffering. I hold on to him and continue pursuing answers but its a hard road to walk.

Do you look at your life differently now than before you were diagnosed? If so, how?
Yes, I used to look at my future and view being a Crisis Counselor in Africa working with child solider's, having tons of energy and doing good. Now I look at my life and some days I feel lonely, I feel incredible pain and I don't understand my limits. Yet, other days I look at my life and I'm so very thankful for the little things like being able to go out for a walk its rare.

What has been the hardest thing about living a life with illness?
For me I would say the hardest part of dealing with illness in my life has been seeing the toll it takes on those closest to me. As well as the unbearable pain.

Who and/or what has helped you cope with your illness?
My husband and family have helped me cope with my illness the most as I feel less lonely around them, and they care about what I'm going through. 

I have set up this page to help collect funds so that I can have these important tests run in the states which will hopefully negate the need for an investigative surgery. To run this test is very important to me and my family, as this test could also give us the ability to get to the bottom of what is causing all these symptoms as well as help us make important medical decisions to prevent the conditions from worsening. My family and I are responsible for all costs associated with the testing. And although we may have great benefits from medicare in Canada they do not pay for certain testing as it is too expensive or not offered yet. Naturalpathic medicine is not covered under either of those and so every time I see the Naturalpath it's 100$ out of pocket, as well as any medicines he may prescribe. Thus this new test will only be possible with help as we cannot afford it. Putting in the effort to pay off the extra debt from the testing is just a matter of time and determination. But finding the money to do so is something we needs help with. 


We are asking for your help in obtaining this extremely important medical test. It could provide so many answers for me and help improve my quality of life.


I hope you will consider donating, even if just a little.or even simply sharing this link. Thank you so much for your help.
Elysia Bronson