My First Ever Post!

It only took me 8 years, give or take, to start this blog. But I am finally doing it! This first post will basically be letting you know about what this blog is all about and letting you know about me, the blogger.

First, my name is Sarah, I am 35 years old, married to my husband Shawn for the past 13, almost 14 years. I am a mom to two boys, Landon (13), and Levi (9). We have two cats who are 5 years old Gino (male) and Raven (female) and a yellow bellied slider turtle named Tulip (female) who is about 10 years old. I am a Type 1 diabetic (for the past 23 years), thyroid cancer survivor (for the past 21 years). I've suffered from depression for 20+ years, Chronic Fatigue for the past 10 years, IBS since high school, and have been recently diagnosed with Pre-Lupus, Osteoporosis of my right hip, and Osteopenia (extreme low bone density) of my spine along with deformities of my lower vertebrea from multiple compression fractures that healed wrong. This blog is going to be a way for me to document my journey into finding answers and treatments for my various health conditions and how it affects my daily life. As of right now, I am not on any treatment for the recent dianoses, I've only been diagnosed with those last issues in the past three months or less and have many more tests and appointments awaiting me in this new year of 2020. 

The last 3-5 years my health had been drastically going downhill. Most mornings I woke up with extreme body pain, especially in my joints, I would have days that I couldn't get out of bed, sometimes 5 days a week where I couldn't even function. My quality of life had been utterly ripped away and I couldn't function, let alone be the mom, wife, daughter and friend I so badly want to be. My loved ones deserved more and I deserved more. 

3 years ago I made a huge decision as a type one diabetic to go back on an insulin pump and take advantage of the newest technology available to me by trying out a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring system) as well. A big reason to take advantage of this equipment was to prove to my many doctors that my newest symptoms I'd been experiencing had nothing to do with my diabetes, so I worked hard during these last few years to better my diabetes, find a new primary doctor and endocrinology team to fight with me for answers and treatment and so far I've been lucky, impressed AND shocked with what we've found out. I still struggle daily with fatigue and pain since we haven't been able to start any treatment other than supplements, as of yet, but being able to find answers has been my main goal and continues to be my goal. 

As I move forward with this blog, I want to urge you to leave comments about your own health struggles, especially if you can relate with anything I am writing about. I strongly believe in being hopeful, even in the darkest of days. Which is why I chose theartofhopeful as my blog domain. I will also be posting on my struggles as a mom with chronic illness, because lets be honest, being a mom in general is one stressful job, but add chronic illness and it amplifies that stress. Our oldest son also has some chronic illnesses and is on the autism spectrum, so along with my own health, his health is a priority for me as well, and is the main reason I had put my own health on the back burner for so many years. 

Bear with me as I try and get into a routine with this whole blogging thing. Any tips would be very much welcomed. Thank you for joining me on this personal journey through life and all of its ups and downs. Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2020!

Love,

Sarah 

Hopeful Dreamer