Kathi Wilson
Kathi Wilson from Shelbyville, Indiana is a regular mom in most aspects, except for the fact that she is dangerously ill with a mysterious disease.
She has struggled with this debilitating illness for more than ten years without any relief, even for a day. She felt hopeless until a repair man’s advice saves her life.
The Beginning
The 41-year-old was an active fit woman who randomly fell ill one afternoon. She figured she was just feeling rundown from the everyday stresses that come with her job and family life.
Her family began to get really worried when she just wasn’t getting any better.
Time To See A Doctor
She took a few days off work to try and reset her energy levels. She felt almost flu-like with all the aches and pains that come along with it.
She decided to boost up her immune system with over-the-counter vitamins and minerals. When that didn’t work, she decided it was time to see a doctor.
At the urging of her children, she made an appointment.
A Virus?
Initially, the doctor told her she was suffering from a virus and that’s why it was making her feel so run down. The doctor gave her a note to give to her work so she could take a few more days off, and she headed home.
She laid down in her bed, hoping to wake up feeling better. When she awoke, she felt even worse.
Nothing Is Working
Her skin began to grow paler, and her bouts of exhaustion became more frequent and intense.
She had little to no appetite, and her daughter Ashley became seriously concerned. Weeks after her initial appointment, she decided to see the doctor again.
Dr. Mary Beth
Luckily, her doctor took her complaints seriously and began to test for various things. Dr. Mary Beth Hensley was seriously concerned with the deterioration of her patient so she quickly ran a series of blood tests, looking for any obvious signs of disease.
The problem was, all the tests indicated that Kathi was a healthy woman. However, her symptoms were debilitating.
Elimination Technique
As apart of an elimination technique, Dr. Hensley put Kathi on a variety of antibiotics to try and get a better idea of what she was fighting.
But again, Kathi didn’t improve and now there were even more questions surrounding her illness.
Depression
Not only was her body exhausted and deteriorating by the day, but her mental health was starting to be affected as well.
She began to get depressed and she thought she would never feel better. Unable to resume life as she knew it, she became bedridden.
Terminally Ill?
Family and close friends began to think that Kathi was terminally ill, and they were all terrified. They saw the light diminish from her eyes and her once energetic spirit slowly slip away.
Frustration grew as they weren’t getting any answers to her plight. Determined to feel better, she began to do research of her own.
It’s Time To Search
Hoping she would find something that would be the smoking gun to her recovery, she began searching for answers. She tried every natural remedy that the Internet had to offer.
Like many people who suffer from mysterious illnesses, people began to doubt her symptoms. She had never felt this alone and scared, and it seemed like no one had the answer.
10 Years Of Hell
Over the next 10 years, Kathi would visit Dr. Hensley regularly, both of them hoping to get to the bottom of her illness.
They tried everything, using all kinds of diagnostic testing, “cardiac testing, chest x-rays, MRI’s [of] the brain, the spine, to see if something was related.” Dr. Hensley explained, “I felt we were very thorough but didn’t come up with a solution.”
A Breakthrough
If Dr. House was a real doctor, Kathi would have been one of their mysterious cases. Again, she went home and tried to cope with her terrible symptoms.
After 10 years, she was beginning to give up on the idea that she would ever feel better. Until, one day, that is.
A New Sanctuary
Due to years and years of not feeling well, Kathi decided it was time to do something for herself.
She decided it was time to redo her bathroom, creating a really nice relaxing environment. When the contractors started the job, they noticed something was wrong immediately.
Kathi!
The contractor knocked on the door and Kathi somehow managed to pull enough strength together to peel herself off the couch.
As they went upstairs to complete the job she laid back down, resuming her normal routine. Within moments, they screamed her name.
It All Makes Sense
They asked her, “When was your water heater installed?” As she thought out about it she remembered Ashely was just a child, so she replied, “Oh it must have been over 10 years ago, why?”
The look on the contractor’s faces was of pure horror. They realized that the water heater and furnace had been fitted incorrectly. The issue was, the heaters had been spewing trace amounts of carbon monoxide throughout the home for more than 10 years…
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is poisonous, a silent killer. The odorless and colorless gas is hard to detect and can be deadly as it displaces oxygen in the body, depleting all vital organs.
All of Kathi’s symptoms were now explained as it all came together with this new discovery. She was finally able to get her life back.
In Shock
“I was shocked,” Kathi explained, “I haven’t been this happy in I can’t tell how long.” With the solution to all of her medical issues now discovered, she was able to begin the long journey that would become her recovery.
“Over the years it kept getting worse and worse,” her daughter Ashley explained. Kathi is now focused on something other than her illness.
Catching Up
Now, the mother and daughter duo was able to do all the things they missed out on for so many years. After all those tests and doctors visits, it was now finally over.
It’s hard to believe doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Kathi, and now, she found it hard to trust anyone.
Lost A Lot
With so many people calling her a hypochondriac and turning their backs on her, she has lost a lot during this horrific 10-year journey.
She wishes she would have pushed harder for a diagnosis, but knows that there is no point to dwell on it as she finally has her life back. Now, she just wants to help people.
Raising Awareness
She hopes that her story will raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Luckily, you can get systems that are similar to fire alarms to warn you if carbon monoxide is lurking in your home.