$3000 Giveaway and Help Give Me Hope!

Well, it's not exactly a giveaway but it might as well be for what you have the chance of winning!

Hmm, where do I start?  This is honestly a bit awkward for me, that is to ask for help.  My focus for so long has been to help others, to find answers for those of you who are having such a challenging time finding hope and ways to live with this illness.  In fact, I'm still convinced there is hope because I have personally met those who have overcome gastroparesis.  I am more determined than ever to one day be one of these stories because I truly believe our bodies can heal.

So now I must ask you for your help on my own journey AND give you the chance to win a $3000 Kona Cadabra mountain bike!  Not interested or able to take on mountain biking (I personally had to give this up when I got sick)?  Recycle this prize and use it to raise money for your own journey to wellness by selling it or having another auction.


I recently asked on FB what you would do to try and get better if money were not an issue.  Lots of great answers included weekly acupuncture, massage, hire a personal chef/trainer, try out more alternative medicine not covered by insurance, get a Vitamix, etc.  Why?  Because they really can help!

Many, including myself, have had their share of doctors and speciality hospitals, test after test, and multiple procedures.  Right now I am dependent on TPN, which if you are not familiar with, can be life-threatening.  In fact, many who have lost their life from GP resulted from TPN infections.  So far I have been very fortunate to tolerate it but my doctors are worried and continue to tell me it's not a long-term solution.  Liver damage can occur amongst other complications.  I am still able to eat small amounts of food but my metabolism gets the best of me and it's never enough.

I'm exploring 2 options right now, both of which I must pay out-of-pocket for:

1) Acupuncture weekly visits in Vancouver, BC with Dr. Che.  He has helped someone else overcome GP and is confident he can help me as well.  For more about her recovery watch this video.

2) Myofascial Release with a therapist in town and eventually, possibly October, a trip to Arizona for a 10 day intensive with a MFR specialist who also helped a dear friend of mine overcome her GP.  This is no joke.  I was in the hospital with her as she lived off a feeding tube and baby food prior to this work and came back eating apples, salads, and drinking gluten free beer!  There is still some healing for her to work on but an amazing turn around from where she was.

Okay, back to the bike.  My lovely friend Lyndsey has taken the time to put this together to help me raise money and continue with the above treatment plan.  Thank you to Lyndsay and Kona for your generosity!

To enter into the drawing go to the following link where you can purchase a ticket for just $10.  Remember, if you don't want to use this awesome bike for yourself, use it for your own benefit!  Oh, and remember to share, share, share!  
http://hoperidebellingham.com/

To learn more about me and my treatment plan go here
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And to sum this up, another wonderful friend wrote this when she shared the link on Facebook.  This has to be some of the nicest things anyone has ever said and every time I read it I start balling.  Don't get me wrong, its a good and most grateful cry.  Thank you for this Angi and everyone else who has taken a part in helping me have hope. :)

"My dear friend, Stephanie, has been fighting a tough battle for years. Every day she misses out on something most of us take for granted. She encounters frustrations, discomfort, inconvenience, and pain at a rate that would have most people giving up all together. She's had to re-define dreams, take new approaches, and re-invent her daily routines. She consoles others dealing with similar ailments, leads fundraising and awareness efforts, shares her trials and tribulations on an encouraging blog, wears a big lovable smile, is a pro when it comes to finding silver linings in storms, and sweeps a calm graceful energy through every room she enters. Many of you who know Steph might not even know she's sick. I'm in awe of this warrior who fights a war for her life. I hope you find inspiration in learning about Stephanie's story too. I hope you are moved to help. If not emotionally moved, then hopefully you will be moved by two new wheels rolling underneath you. The Kona Bicycle Co. has graciously donated a Cadabra mtn bike to be raffled in an attempt to help Steph raise some much needed funds to pay for her increasingly expensive battle. It's not every day you get to meet people like Stephanie. Take a minute to make her acquaintance and please take $10 out of your pocket to pitch-in and help. Thanks for reading and sharing this link."