It has been a year since I began sharing the stories of overcomers. I have been blessed by each of these women. Their willingness to share their struggles and how they’ve fought to overcome them not only blesses me, but each of you as well. An Overcomer’s Wisdom Wisdom is so much more than knowledge….
The stigma of having a mental illness is nothing compared to living in two extremes day after day for more than a decade. Tiffany*’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2000 finally gave explanation to the weeks of darkness mingled with the weeks of adrenaline-pumping ‘conquer the world’ feelings she’d been experiencing. * Her real name,…
Growing up believing that excelling in athletics earned her dad’s approval, Cindy* knew the diagnosis of a disease which affected her motor and sensory nerves would cause him to treat her as a “less than.” The same way he had already begun to treat her younger brothers who also had Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) disease….
Reaching a 50th birthday is a milestone to many, but to Kandy and her family, it was cause for a HUGE celebration. When Kandy was born in 1963 with a diagnosis of chromosomal translocation, her family knew her life expectancy might not be the same as her non-disabled peers. But after fifty years, Kandy* is…
Darlene* believes, “You have to trust in God, because He can take a bad situation and turn it into good.” Being born two and a half months premature and weighing two pounds and seven and a half ounces could easily be considered a bad situation. Darlene’s seventeen year old mother heard the doctors say her…
Having spent many years with teenagers in the role of teacher, I have to admit I like them. One moment they are frustrated (with their peers and the world) and emotional about it, and the next they are wise (beyond their years) and witty. Much can be learned from these young adults . . ….
As a mammographer of 25 years, Tracie*strongly believes in having an annual mammogram to detect the early signs of breast cancer. All of those years of experience caused her to prepare for the worst, in case it ever happened to her. And in July of 2011, her worst case scenario did happen. * Her real…
“First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes baby in the baby carriage,” the childhood saying goes. Julie* found love, then they married, but the baby carriage was the elusive part of the equation. * Her real name is used with permission. Years of Waiting and Wanting Three years of marriage bliss led to dreams…
Not managing her stress and allowing fear to rule her life has caused Dani* to experience significant health challenges over the course of her life. Her challenges began when her older brother was killed by a drunk driver. Dani was just nine years old. She remembers her family ‘living in a place of loss’ after…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35.7% of American adults are obese. This growing epidemic is causing an increase in the number of people who face heart attacks, strokes, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. One hundred forty seven billion dollars were spent on health care related to obesity in 2008….