In 2022, I was living in Colorado and working as a server at a taco restaurant. At first, everything seemed fine. I was busy but managing. About five months in, though, I started noticing small, strange changes. I became clumsier, tripping over rugs or sometimes nothing at all. I began dropping thingsāplates, drinks, and foodāoften during my shifts. It was embarrassing and frustrating. I assumed I was simply burnt out from working three to four 12-hour double shifts a week. My doctor agreed, saying it was likely just exhaustion, and I tried to push through. But as time passed, things didnāt get betterāthey got worse. The tightness I first felt in my feet spread to my legs, making them weaker and making it harder to keep my balance. My left arm started losing strength, and over time, the muscle itself began to thin. Twitching followed, starting in my left leg and gradually spreading to the rest of my body. Even the migraines I had dealt with for years intensified, becoming more severe and harder to manage. These symptoms made daily life increasingly challenging, but I still didnāt fully understand what was happening to me. For over a year and a half, I drove across the country, seeking answers. I went from one doctor to another, from specialist to specialist, desperate to figure out what was wrong. Finally, I ended up at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, sitting in the office of a geneticist. After several rounds of extensive genetic testingāsome of which took six months to processāI received a diagnosis: I have a rare mutation in my SLC1A2 gene. This mutation has documented links to epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and Alzheimerās. Itās incredibly rareāfewer than a few hundred people worldwide are known to have this mutation, about 1 in 17.83 million. For a brief moment, I felt relief. I finally had answers. But those answers only brought more uncertainty. Thereās still so much the medical community doesnāt know about this mutation. Unfortunately, this diagnosis also came with the confirmation of epilepsy and, more recently, a referral to an ALS clinic for further evaluation. The weight of these diagnoses has been overwhelming. Life has started to feel heavy, and Iāve found myself withdrawing, isolating more than ever. Some days, itās hard to see a way forward. Still, I refuse to let this become my prison. I have a life to live, a purpose to fulfill, and a platform to raise awareness about rare diseases like mine. For anyone living with a rare disease or chronic illness, I see you. I understand how exhausting it is to face daily struggles, how frustrating it feels when once-simple tasks become challenges, and how vulnerable it feels to ask for help. But I want you to remember this: you are still you. You are not defined by your illness. Laugh until you cry. Cry because itās overwhelming. Smile when you can. Feel everythingāevery bit of joy, sadness, and frustration. But no matter what, donāt give in. Donāt give up. You are stronger than you realize, and you donāt deserve to let this beat you. Keep fighting. Keep hoping. Keep living. You are not alone, and together, we are stronger than the challenges we face.
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