Elbert County News
September 18, 2003 Elizabeth, Colorado 80107
Coping
with Invisible Illness
By Karen Cochran, Contributing Writer
When
a person has a broken leg, others rush to offer assistance carrying groceries or
driving the patient to and fro but when a person says she can’t go to the
party, school or work because it would take too much effort to get up, dressed
and leave the house, she is often met with disbelief and even disgust.
Sherri
Connell has been there. Sherri still battles daily with an invisible disability that
takes every ounce of energy she can muster just to get up, get dressed and try
to face her day.
Sherri’s
husband, Wayne, is the founder of The Invisible Disabilities Advocate to help
sufferers find support and family and friends understand what the seemingly
healthy looking person goes through when the inner body is wracked with
intractable disease, pain and fatigue.
Sherri
and Wayne moved to Parker in 2000. Sherri
had always wanted to live in the country and enjoy the congeniality of a small
community.
Sherri
was a peppy person growing up, almost full of too much energy as she dreamed of
becoming a singer, actress and even Miss America. Work was not a four-letter
word to her as she helped out around the house taking on her first real job at
age thirteen.
In
high school she worked, went to school as well as being a cheerleader.
Sherri
traces problems with her immune system including frequent bouts with pneumonia,
recurrent stomach flu and strep throat to a tick bite when she was fourteen.
That
bite was the precursor to Late Chronic Lyme Disease that would become Sherri’s
constant companion as she studied theater.
Sherri
worked two jobs, continued with classes, singing dancing in musicals as well as
modeling, riding her horse and lifting weights.
Sherri
did not slow down until a severe case of pneumonia paralyzed her from the ribs
down leading doctors to diagnose her with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
The
year was 1991, Sherri was twenty-seven. Sherri has not recovered enough to
resume the strenuous ten to twelve hour days she put in getting her Bachelor’s
Degree in Human Resources let alone resume her Master’s degree studies.
Most
days Sherri is lucky to take a shower.
Wayne
met Sherri in 1985 when she came into the electronics store he managed to buy
some video cable. He knew Sherri was the girl for him and finding out about her
disability did not deter him.
“I
married Sherri, not her illness.” Wayne said.
Wayne
left retail management in 1999 to be able to assist Sherri more taking on a new
career as a Telecommunications Engineer.
Sherri
and Wayne have dealt with nosy questions, disbelieving friends and family,
endless doctors’ appointments and treatments as well as giving up dreams of a
children of their own by developing an organization based on Sherri’s personal
journey and reaching out to other sufferers and guiding other families.
Sherri
is not able participate in crafts, painting or even reading. She used to be able
to write ten to fifteen page reports in a day or two now it takes her years to
write a few pages.
The
Invisible Disabilities Advocate helps family and friends see the chronically ill
not as lazy or malingerer but rather strong and courageous.
“When
people look at me, they do not see the MS they just see me.” Says Sherri.”
They can’t see the frayed spinal cord, brain and nerves throughout the inside
of my body.”
Sherri
and Wayne want people to understand that the invisibly disabled person is using
every ounce of energy to participate as fully as possible in life and to be
supportive rather than diminishing their efforts.
They
have put their lives on hold, reassessed and begun new lives with new abilities
based on but exceeding limitations. The Connells both credit their deep faith in
God with helping them not only cope but expand beyond doctors’ prognosis and
dire predictions for a future.
To
learn more about helping someone with invisible disabilities or to find support
in a personal journey log on to www.InvisibleDisabilities.com
(This
article, which appeared in the Elbert County News
has
been edited and re- formatted for WIGM)
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You can print up to 3 copies of this article. Please
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