The following post is part of The Girl Behind The Blog series that details 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 in the series detail a pivotal moment in my life that changed me forever. If you are just joining the story you can read the previous posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part and Part 5. Here it is my final installment in this series, for now anyway. Like I mentioned in my post yesterday I could still write about this FOREVER! At a later date I may revisit this topic again or write a book, who knows :). Sharing my story this past month has caused me to relive all the emotions that overwhelmed and consumed my mind and body, it has been extremely therapeutic and well worth the time the energy. Thank you for those who read and encouraged me to continue sharing. Once diagnosed with … [Read more...]
The Girl Behind The Blog: Part 5

The following post is part of The Girl Behind The Blog series that details 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 in the series detail a pivotal moment in my life that changed me forever. If you are just joining the story you can read the previous posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. So what in the world was I diagnosed with and what did it all mean? Typically when I am making a new friend this topic usually comes up within the first or second iced tea or workout date together. If you have the desire and time to listen to all of this that is an indication to me that we are probably and most definitely going to be amazing friends. After weeks of medical testing I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (also known as Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy). It is totally a mouthful … [Read more...]
The Girl Behind The Blog: Part 4

The following post is part of The Girl Behind The Blog series that details 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 in the series detail a pivotal moment in my life that changed me forever. Need to catch up in the story? Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Being off work for weeks at time would normally be awesome but when you are sick those weeks feel like an eternity. My days were all starting to blend together as I settled into my new routine. With a mono diagnosis the prescribed treatment is rest. So that is what I did. I rested. I couldn't participate in any of my regular activities. Not that I actually felt well enough to do them, but to go from as active as I was to sleeping on the couch all day was as mentally tasking to my system as any workout ever was. No gym, hiking, running, mountain … [Read more...]
The Girl Behind The Blog: Part 3

The following post is part of The Girl Behind The Blog 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. Need to catch up in the story? Read Part 1 and Part 2. Nervous energy swirled around me as I sat on the exam room table in the doctors office. It was later in the afternoon and the sun was coming in through the windows creating rays of light throughout the space. March creates beautiful spring days in Arizona and I tried to let the outside view of the desert mountain range calm my nerves. That was short lived because soon enough the thoughts from earlier in the day came screaming back into my head. Why couldn't I feel my legs? Was I dying? Over and over I kept praying: God, please let everything be … [Read more...]
The Girl Behind The Blog: Part 2

The following post is part of The Girl Behind The Blog 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. Need to catch up in the story? Read Part 1. Psalm 139:13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one … [Read more...]
The Girl Behind The Blog

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 … [Read more...]