- BOLD & BEAUTIFUL -
Entrepreneurs
r.com/show/2750176
https://www.spreake
In 2014, my health took a drastic spiral. Stress was
the culprit and hit my life in every aspect: financial,
relationships, career, housing, social life.
My family lived in Nebraska and I lived in Virginia
so my support system wasn’t nearby. I loved my co-
workers, but when you’re sick, you need family and
not co-workers to come help you out.
My body became completely emaciated. I got to
where I couldn’t keep food down so I started to
purge to ease the massive pain in my gut. Then I’d
go to bed, get up and start the next day again.
I had traveled home for Thanksgiving and my fam-
ily was in shock. My uncles even interceded and
were willing to figure out SOME way to get me to
Mayo Clinic.
I went back to JMU, gave my resignation, and start-
ed to prepare to move back home at semester.
In the meantime, I found The Eating Recovery
Center in Denver, 5 hours from home. It’s the best
treatment center for eating disorders in the world!
I contacted them and within a week had an admit-
tance date.
I started to think that I really DID have an eating
disorder and that my fear of food was something be-
sides physical. And I knew from previous hospital-
izations that I’d be sent home with no guidance on
refeeding my body. I know enough to be dangerous
sometimes and I knew that there is a delicate balance
in refeeding the body in a healthy way. I needed ex-
perts to help me and the ERC provided that.
I ended up in the hospital for 4 months. I DID have
to face my worst fear: surgery. Talk about a leap
of faith! I had NO IDEA what the result would be.
They couldn’t get clear images so the doctors really
didn’t know what they were dealing with.
My surgical team examined my intestines inch by
inch. They found eight areas that had been scarred
for YEARS. Four of those were SO constricted and
scarred that air couldn’t even pass through. No
wonder I couldn’t keep food down!
There’s nothing like hearing, “You got here just in
time. You didn’t have another day” from your phy-
sician to make you reevaluate life.
I realized that IF I could face the trials of that period
of my life, I could certainly handle the trials of creat-
ing a business. I wasn’t doing anyone any good by
staying someplace and doing something that didn’t
bring me joy any longer.
My talents are in teaching and connecting people
with themselves. My tools for doing so are move-
ment, writing, and doing live workshops. I know that!
The outcome of all of my years of personal study,
WE ARE BEAUTIFUL ENTREP RENURS M AGAZI NE
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