This is my story-
My name is Mandy Veronikas -Viratos and I am 35 years old. Throughout my whole life up until 2020, I was an avid skier, hiker, backpacker, gym rat some people would call it, runner, biker, a person who would challenge themselves until the point where my body could not go anymore. I loved to push people to their limits, in the best way possible, when I could. I loved the joy of all those beautiful faces when we all reached the top of peaks or to any destination spot. In my past I have hiked, skied, backpacked, over 200, 14,000+ feet Rocky Mountain peaks, with repeats. When I say repeats, I mean mountains such as Mt. Elbert, 14,433ft twenty-six times; loved it so much I named one of my fur babies after that peak. I have hiked Mt. Shavano, 14,231ft, over ten times with it being my last major ski decent.
It wasn’t until 2020 I started feeling sluggish, my energy levels started to decrease. Blood test results showed low and imbalances of hormone along with low levels of certain, multiple, proteins in the blood; same results from multiple and different doctors throughout the years. Years went by and I felt depressed and alone; I wanted to give up so many times, but I just knew I couldn’t. I had to get up and fight each and every day. Many mornings I wake up, with more fatigue than I had going to bed. I some days ponder, “how I am going to get through the day?” As I look at the clock and see it is only 7am. No one knows how it feels; I say this for not just myself but many other people out there. I recently left my chiropractor with, unexpected, new discoveries of what was damage to my lung, and I am not a smoker.
Throughout this period in my life, I have felt defeated. In my experience and opinion, when someone and or anyone feels like this, it is hard to have a purpose in life, because all you hope for is to have those days where you felt, “good.” But I know it is no way to live a life, no matter how hard some of the days are. I do have to say, I have been jealous and still do get jealous. I ask myself sometimes, “why me”. I eat a pretty strict diet, I exercise 4 – 5 days a week, I do not smoke, I try to keep my body in the healthiest shape possible, from the most internal organelles – mitochondria to the outside – skin and yet some people do not even need to try.
I have noticed I talk about my past more than I’d like to, of one reason, because It’s almost like I want to hide how my body feels; I want to feel that anticipation of being strong, like I was, once again. I feel my setbacks and feeling of defeat; a part of me feels I cannot do it anymore. BUT I do not want to do that anymore and that is NOT the case! It shouldn’t be the case for ANYONE out there. I know I am not the only person that struggles. I want to push myself harder than I have to prove to myself and FOR others that are struggling and show it can be done. I’d like to prove to myself and for others that we are strong people!
From my experience, I want to raise money to help others. I want to raise money to help others with lung disease and ANY chronic disease. I want to raise money to hopefully get sooner diagnosis, so people that are sick, do not have to live with the stress that may be progressing that disease, illness, or sickness. The more support there is out there, the more we as a society can help our loved ones, families, friends, and our neighbors because lung disease and chronic illnesses progress!! Please fight with me and help others find their stength.
Some people that inspire me and keep me going are -
Brea Viratos; my wife. She is my rock; I have never met such a stronger woman before; she pushes through all of what is out there. She shows me to be strong when times are tough.
Elizabeth Persons; my dear friend. She was diagnosed with MS over 10 years ago and to this day she STILL runs marathons, bikes mountains in those high altitude Rockies. She shows me, and many others out there, that it is OKAY, to love yourself, and keep fighting!
Dr. Terry Wahls; an MD and Scientist. She had been living with secondary MS and eventually ended up in a reclined gravity chair. She couldn’t move much, but decided one day she was finished with it; in the best way possible. She did her research and fought it, to where she was able to put that MS in remission and start moving again. She went form a gravity wheel chair to biking in just 7 months! She, today alive and well, is living PROOF that anything is possible, that a good life can be done!
Many others out there such as my friends, (Meghan and Lynn), my mother, and family such as Krista, that give me so much love and support out there.