My Dream Come True

Right after I complete this post I will be posting was has been going on the last 5 days. My Crohn's has been flared full force. I probably should be in the hospital, but I'm trying to tough out I guess you can say. Anyways...Dr. Rodriguez should be calling shortly and we will decide and I will do the post on what we are to do. Now for one of the BEST days of my life!

June 5, 2010 - Take Steps, Be Heard for Crohn's and Colitis 2010 As you all know I captained the team Purple Hearts. Also, most of you know that our team was named VIP 2010 and was also named the GRAND MARSHALLS! This means that the Purple Hearts raised the MOST money! Just how much you ask? Well we can still turn in some right now, but the total as of now is like $8,600. That is amazing for a time span of only what...8 weeks? God is so good! Ok...so my family and I leave Jackson around 11 am...we head towards Birmingham and pit stop at Fulton which is 30 minutes from our house. We pick up Andrew and his mommy, Mrs. Judy. We load the ice cooler with the drinks that were donated from The Coca Cola Company in Leroy...and head on. Well that morning I think I was so excited and emotional...my Crohn's was all for a loop. I had spent that morning on the toilet. Well I was hurting pretty bad on the way up so I was like *you know what...this is my day...my teams day...I'm not going to hurt...so for once I took my Darvocet without question!* Ok...so well the ENTIRE way to Birmingham...I talked everyone's ear OFF LOL! My mom, dad, andrew, mrs. judy, and even myself...haha! So we arrive at our hotel about 3 and we were all hungry. (By the way...the hotel was absolutely beauitful...always wanted to stay at a Hilton...well I gad this bad boy at a whopping cheap deal offline since it was a canceled room...THANK YOU JESUS :)...because it topped everything off).

So we unload and then we go eat at a restaurant down the road. It was called Billy's Bar and Grill...so my tummy was being stubborn, but I knew I was going to have to put something in it. So we are looking at the menu trying to order...well we order and I felt so bad because I kept changing my mind because I was scared to eat, and the waitress was really nice about it. Well after this one of them asks what our shirts are for. We tell them about my case with Crohn's and about the walk. Our food gets there...we start eating...my appetite stinks...go to the bathroom...upchuck some...come back and Jesus was already working. While we are sitting there a girl that works there comes to the table and says...we all took up some money for your walk in the back...I started crying and gave her a hug...then mom got tears, mrs judy got tears, dad got tears, and all the waiters and waitresses got tears...it was a tear fest! I thanked them all and we got their address and left for our way to the walk!

We follow Jordan and her mommy to the park and I see the park! I cannot tell you what my heart was doing...this was going to be an amazing day! Well we get out and immediately head to our VIP TENT! It had fruit, cookies, cookies with little sayins on them about our team, drinks, juice, leis, everything :)! Well all of us start chipping in and putting up decorations...Jordan surprises me with the sweetest gift! A art work of Purple Hearts! It made me excited! Then we got more surprised because my sweet dear old friend Jamie showed up! We had a splendid hug! :) Her and Jordan hit it right off! Right after Jamie...Aunt Dana, Uncle Bucky, Kayla and Daniel showed up! They of course went right to work. Then Mrs. Becky, Genna, and Zeb! Mrs. Becky and Zeb went on the mission of pictures...they did so a good job capturing everything! They even convinced Butts and Guts to give me a shirt! YAY! Well we all chipped in again and finished decorating...the tent was precious! Went to the car to help dad get some yummies and I got attacked by my best friend since 9! Candace Barnes...we walked hand in hand back to the tent and I lost it...just started crying. Paul was there of course, but her MOM AND KENDAL CAME! I hadn't seen them in so long and Mrs. Krista half raised me and Kendal was my baby sister. My heart was warm!

We then went to the sign up tents...everybody got their tickets for their shirts and all the good stuff. We all gathered back at the tent! :) Well then we had the ceremony...they called out the top three team's captains. I was the last to go up since we were the top...and I got to give my testimony. I didn't write anything because I wanted it from the heart...I also didn't speak long, because the event didn't take long and Pat was being kind enough to let me give my testimony...(looking back I smile because I messed up and said cancer is the spotlight drug instead of disease) I dont' care though...it shows my testimony was not rehearsed and it came from the heart...that's all I wanted! I asked God to give me the words so yay! So after all the talking it was GRAND MARSHALL TIME! My sweet team-mates and I led the walk! I got tears in my eyes at first...you should have seen the line of people behind us and WE WERE LEADING IT! Such emotions...for one day of my life people were STANDING UP TO CROHNS AND COLITIS! For one day we were fighting it together...for one day I was gathered around 500 people who knew what truly was going on in my body...that knew what my pain was...that knew the emotional battle! All of my family friends....just an indescribable feeling! Well then I got pumped up...so umm most of us lovely girls led the walk by silly dancing to the music they were playing! Amazing feeling again! Can't describe!

Well we walked for a good while (Pat said that was the most people had ever walked)...then mom and dad flagged me to come to the tent stage thingy. We sang "The Storm Before the Calm" the song my dad wrote that received its Gospel Songwriter Award and then I sang "Temporary Home". I sang Temporary Home because even if I'm not healed while I'm on earth...I will be one day. Although things may be bad right now, they won't be one day. I have a home in the future where I will receive a glorified body and will live with my BESTEST FRIEND, Jesus! So even though I am on earth...and my mission is to tell others about Him...it is still only my temporary home! After I finished I had so many people come up wanting to know about my severity of my case and what all they had done and were going to do. It was so nice...these people suffered with what I have and that were intrigued to find out how crazy it could get! I made so many special friends! I even had a doctor that works at UAB peds for gastroenterology come up to me asking about my case. He told me that if I needed anymore help that they would love to work on my case...kept talking told me to call Pat and she would get up with him for me. I was like WOW...is a doctor really interested in me for one :)! It made me feel good, but on a side note I would never leave Dr. Rodriguez. To be honest it was scary listening to some of the new friends...some of their doctors had put them on Remicade and just stopped them. I have told you all before how serious that is! For me my treamtments are my LAST option...I have no options left after them so I have to stick. If you stop Remicade you will immediately build antibodies and you won't be able to get back on. They had just gotten on Remicade for a flare. I was thinking Dear Jesus, thank you for blessing me with Dr. Rodriguez and for giving him the knowledge and the past as pharmacist to know what to do for me! I was so proud of my doctor when I heard all the people that had been yanked off. Also...Remicade shouldn't be put on Remicade just for a flare...it is supposed to be used as a continous treatment/shot. So lots of talking, everyone ate except me, everyone talked, we laughed, we just spent time together!

Well everything started coming to an end and I began being sad because I didn't want it to end! Well a fuy named Eric Watters had performed that night...as we are loading Dad said allison you should really go talk to him...his story is amazing! So andrew, aunt dana, uncle bucky, kaykay, daniel, and I went to talk to him. I learned of his story, met his wife, and all I can say is wow! He had ulcerative colitis...he almost died from it...well they did surgery to remove his colon which is the cure for UC. He had to wear a colostomy for a long time, and then they were able to connect the intestines left back so that he wouldn't have to have the colostomy anymore. He said it was like being a baby again having to relearn. His wife also said that he had lost so much weight to the point she could pick him up...that would be like me being able to pick up andrew...that wouldn't happen unless he was a stick! For ONCE! I met someone who had IBD (inflammatory bowel disease -crohn's or uc) as bad as I. Yes he is now cured, but still...what he went through will ever haunt his memory and we were able to connect in a way that no one else can! His wife was absolutely beautiful and precious! I keep in touch with them now and it was/is truly a gift from God!

The day after was emotional...Jamie described it better than anyone else when she said "It feels like the day after Christmas, all the presents are gone!" We all had worked so hard and had such a blessing and it was over. We know there will be another one next year, but the feelings felt that day were so amazing that you don't want to wait...it was a sweet fellowship! I met so many Christians brothers and sisters and there was more Jesus talk there than probably in most churches!

Take Steps was indescribable! My team-mates were amazing! and God worked in such a beautiful way! Thank you to everyone for their support, donations, but most of all prayers! Cannot thank everyone enough! I told someone I felt like a princess that day and that hasn't happened ever since Oct. 2009 when everything started happening!