SHEILA
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HOPE THIS HELPS A FEW PEOPLE OUT THERE FROM NOT FEELING LIKE A HYPOCONDRIAC...EVEN AFTER I TELL YOU MY MEDICAL HISTORY...I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE LABEL OF HYPOCONDRIAC...BECAUSE HOW DARE US LOOK HEALTHY???? PEOPLE EXPECT US TO BE BEDRIDDEN!!!! I HAVE CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE WITH AORTIC STENOSIS AND INSUFFICIENTCY WITH A BICUSPID VALVE...1ST OPEN HEART I WAS ONLY 13...AGE 15 HAD HODGKINS/LYMPHOMA DISEASE AND HAD EXTENSIVE COBALT TREATMENTS...AGE 19 HAD GRAVES DISEASE WHERE 95% OF MY THYROID HAD TO BE BURNT UP BY DRINKING RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE...AGE 26 HAD SECOND AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMEMT...AGE 40 HAD MY 3RD VALVE REPLACEMENT AND ALMOST DIED THAT DAY..ON DEC. 6, 1990..THEY HAD TO CRACK ME BACK OPEN IN THE ICU BECAUSE THEY HAD NO TIME TO GET ME TO SURGERY....I WAS HEMMORGING FROM THEM CUTTING INTO SO MUCH SCAR TISSUE...I SUFFER FROM SEVERE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION..BECAUSE MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS ALL MESSED UP....GOT LUPUS FROM HEART MEDS..AND THE DOCTORS TOLD ME WHEN I WAS 15 I WOULD NEVER HAVE A BABY!!! I SHOWED THEM...THEY SAID IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH FOR ME ...BUT I TOOK A CHANCE AND OUT OF 6 PREGNACIES..I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER AND GRANDSON...SO LIFE IS PRETTY PRECIOUS TO ME..I PRAY ALOT AND GO TO GROUP THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ADAPTING TO PHYSICAL CHALLENGES..IT REALLY HELPS..THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WORSE OFF THAN YOU...AND WE ALL LAUGH ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD LOOK REALLY SICK SO PEOPLE WONT CALL US HYPOCONDRIACSF!!!!!!!!!! FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME...GOD BLESS YOU ALL...SHEILA