“When I was 38, my doctor told me that I would not see 40, but here I am, 45 years old and in very good health. Ten years ago I became very ill. It took 9 months and nearly 20 different doctor’s visits to be diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease. The primary treatment for this disease is prednisone, which suppresses the immune system and comes with many side effects including weight gain and it can lead to diabetes.”

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I am originally from the Bay area of California. As a child my home was beyond broken! I started recreational drugs, drinking, and smoking to numb myself throughout my lifetime. As an adult I developed fibromyalgia and traded recreational drugs for prescription drugs. I could always quit the alcohol for years at a time, only to pick up where I left off. I never quit smoking cigarettes. I smoked for 37 years.

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Due to the prescription drugs and alcohol I was never “clear and present”. I was very unhappy and went into a severe depression. I have always had problems sleeping but my insomnia was now off the charts. My average night’s sleep was two to three hours usually drug and alcohol induced. I was in a viscous cycle and getting nowhere. After dropping 12 more pounds I could barely look at myself. With my family’s support I decided I needed to get help. I knew there was a way to do it — even get off the medications I was taking from so called medical doctors. I knew I was going to need help to do it all.

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