Monday, March 21, 2011

Above and Beyond: "Fight Like a Grandma"

Yesterday I had a Childs family reunion.  It was great to see so many family members that we haven't seen in ages.  Matt Lucia, a cousin, gave us a fireside talk on the helicopter crash wherein he was the only survivor.  He was an inspirational  speaker and it touched all of us.  It was definitely a topic to write about in my Crowning Moments! topic coming up on Friday, so tune in.

When we walked into the building yesterday, what stood out and grabbed us was a cute lady sitting in a separate chair away from the group, but surrounded by people. The pink  bracelets on everyone shouted out their message:"FIGHT LIKE A GRANDMA -  KRISTINE OSBORN".  Kristine was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery last week.  She is awaiting test results to tell her what her next step is.  The quiet strength exuding from her was incredible.

 Not only has she been diagnosed with cancer, she has been fighting lupus and multiple sclerosis for some time now.

If you have lupus, your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage your joints, skin, blood vessels and organs. There are many kinds of lupus. The most common type, systemic lupus erythematosus, affects many parts of the body. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lupus.html

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. It damages the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects your nerve cells. This damage slows down or blocks messages between your brain and your body, leading to the symptoms of MS. They can include
  • Visual disturbances
  • Muscle weakness
  • Trouble with coordination and balance
  • Sensations such as numbness, prickling, or "pins and needles"
  • Thinking and memory problems
No one knows what causes MS. It may be an autoimmune disease, which happens when your body attacks itself. Multiple sclerosis affects women more than men. It often begins between the ages of 20 and 40. Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak or walk. There is no cure for MS, but medicines may slow it down and help control symptoms. Physical and occupational therapy may also help.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html

If attitude is everything, Kris has this beat!  As she goes "above and beyond" in her fight against these terrible diseases, she shows us all what true strength is.  Our prayers and thoughts are with her and her family.

We love you Kris and know that you can beat this!  "FIGHT LIKE A GRANDMA"!

1 comment:

Thank you so much for sharing. It makes my day!

BlogWithIntegrity.com

I'm Dreaming of...Blog Hops


”Katherines
Photobucket
#ff63e0
Photobucket
A Mommy's Sweet Blog Design Friday Blog Hop
Crazy About My Baybah
rrsahm