The following post begins a series that will continue each week detailing my story of illness and recovery starting in March of 2007. I believe that God created me for a reason and each experience I have can draw me closer to HIM and be used to encourage others. This post and those that follow detail a pivotal moment in my life that changed me forever.

I really don’t know how to even start this post. For the past few months I have been wanting to blog about my illness and share my story but never really could figure out how to begin. I guess I have to start back to when I was a Hallock, not yet a Buschel. Let me rewind my life towards the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007.

I was finishing up my college career at ASU super excited because I was already working for the past 6 months at my dream position for the City of Chandler in the Parks and Recreation Department as a Recreation Coordinator. I was 23 years old, graduating college, had a full time job with benefits, my parents had bought me a car earlier in the year & helped me put a down payment together for my townhouse, and to top off all that wonderfulness my boyfriend had just asked me to marry him (photo below)!!! I was on top of the world! Everything amazing that I had ever dreamed about was coming true!

My graduation party turned into an engagement party and I couldn’t have been happier! Everything was lining up perfectly! To top it all off my soon to be husband was currently entering the testing process for his dream job to become a firefighter. We seriously were feeling Gods blessings pouring down. We set our wedding date for November 10, 2007!

In the mix of all this fun I had to still be an adult and take care of a few important items like paying my mortgage payment (I felt so grown up having a mortgage payment, now I don’t feel as excited about it, hahaha), paying my car payment, and getting my wisdom teeth removed (yuck). I also began wedding planning, honeymoon location scouting, and dreaming about all the other fun things life would hold for me once Josh and I were married. Thinking back on this time still makes me so happy!

The New Year was celebrated by signing up for a 10k run (my first ever) and Josh signing up for the fun run to support me. We had a blast and I was so proud of myself. I loved running and would make it a point to hit our local hiking spot for a 5 mile trail run at least once a week. Running was not really Josh’s thing so we decided to buy mountain bikes and make that our activity together. 2007 was definitely getting off on the right foot (literally).

Two weeks before we bought our bikes I got a nasty stomach bug that left me curled up on the bathroom floor unable to move. After I had recovered from the flu we purchased our bikes and took to the trails that weekend. We did pretty good on our first ride, Josh only flipped over the handle bars once and I screamed about 50% of the time riding my bike down the hills.

Having had a fun time hanging out with Josh over the weekend it was time to go back to work. My hours were Monday-Thursday 12pm until 9pm and Fridays 8-5pm with every other Friday off. It was a nice schedule because it allowed me to have leisurely mornings and still have time for a workout before heading into work. The week after mountain biking I developed a sore throat and took time off of work to see my doctor. He ordered a strep and mono test to be safe because I also mentioned I had been feeling a little more tired then usual. I was prescribed a z-pak and took the rest of the week off of work to go home and rest. The strep and mono test both came back negative. I finished my z-pak by Saturday was ready to return to work the following week.

On Monday, March 12, I woke up to the strangest feeling in my feet. It felt like I had slept on them funny during the night because there was this odd tingling sensation in my toes. I wiggled, moved, massaged, and pulled but nothing seemed to make it any better. Figuring it probably had something to do with how I had slept I made my 10 minute morning walk to the gym. I got my workout done but felt a little more fatigued then usual. I said bye to my trainer and headed out the doors.

While I was making my way back home from the gym I tried to make the light to cross the street by running but my legs felt so heavy and numb I had to stop and walk. I felt like I was moving in slow motion and assumed maybe I had started exercising again too soon after being sick. I made it home took a dose of Emergen-c, showered, and headed into my office at noon hoping that I would start to feel better soon.

Thanks for reading and here is Part 2 to continue the story.