Elizabeth Clark

Hello Friends and Family,

I hope you are all doing well. I am writing to you to talk to you about my health journey this year and to ask for your help in finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. This has been another interesting and “fun” year for my health. A new challenge I am facing this year with my Cystic Fibrosis is CF related arthritis.I started experiencing intense pain in my hands and wrist to the point I could not extend my fingers or move my wrists and me being in IT my fingers and wrist are extremely necessary. Cystic Fibrosis arthritis is hard to treat because it can get alot worse very quickly. Unfortunately my doctors are seeing evidence of arthritis in all of my joints. With this new struggle we are still trying to find the right meds to keep me in as little pain as possible. Along with the fun of arthritis I have been experiencing more kidney stones. As you may know I have been experiencing kidney stones since I was 16 years old but this year I have had six. I have been put on meds to help my body break down kidney stones. But the most significant thing that happened with my health this year was in August. It started with an extremely bad migraine that would not go down. I had to be taken to the ER. The hospital tried to get my migrane down with all sorts of pain medication but nothing was working. I was unable to open my eyes and I could barely move. I was crying and screaming in pain so finally I was given magnesium but the combination of the pain medication and magnesium caused me to OD. Along with the migraine I had the flu and pneumonia. With all that going on my body was mostly healed but my mind took a beating. I was diagnosed with PTSD, severe anxiety, and depression. I continue to work on getting my mental health back to a good place but it is still a struggle. My health will always be a full time job. Daily life includes taking over 75 pills a day, doing breathing treatments, keeping an eye on my blood sugar and dealing with daily pain. In a month I have an average of five doctors appointments, at least one blood draw, and some type of scan. I get painful injections every two weeks and I have to flush my implanted IV once a month which means sticking a one inch needle into my chest. All of this adds up to a full time job. There will always be more surgeries, more pills and more injections for me but there is an opportunity for you to help others not face the same as me. Each year there are more advancements being made in CF research. CF patients are staying out of the hospital and are healthier thanks to new medications. I ask for your continued support in helping our cause. I am asking you to join my team, Beth’s Striders, in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis. Being a part of my team means registering here and asking your friends and family to help fight Cystic Fibrosis. But if you can not make the walk you can donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation using this link. Thank you in advance for your love and support.