A.S. Face 1017: Chris Naylor
I am Chris Naylor and I am a face of AS. My struggles don’t hold me back but make me stronger and more determined when I get a “No” for an answer to follow through with my dreams.
My story started when I was 10 years old. I was taken to the hospital due to back pain after playing a game of football with my friends. This was interesting as I had normally played many sports and was active as a kid. Well I can tell you that as for a ten year old in the hospital and doctors taking blood, x-rays and an MRI it was a stressful event to say the least for two parents who got no answers and for a young person who got no answers in the long run as well. The results at this time for the back pain came back as a herniated disk. Well interesting enough they left it at that and from then on I and my family continued to visit my doctor continuously until I went away to University.
Once in University I was running daily and fighting the pain and continued to slump over more and more. To this day I have the upper ¼ of my spine fused together. Well interesting enough I was in so much pain and could not walk for at least a week; it is then that I went to a walk-in clinic (funny enough I was barely able to make it) and had blood work done and pain killers given. I had the blood work sent to my doctor out of province as well for him to look at. A day later I had a call from my doctor telling me to return home that he needed to talk with me ASAP. i returned home two days later and was given the news that I had to have more blood tests as my white blood count came back abnormal. Well he sent me for my HLBA-27 test as well and sure enough that is when I finally got an answer.
Today I have two awesome little people and a wonderful and supportive wife. I look at the myriad of medications I take daily and weekly and wonder sometimes what the hell is this all about. But then I look at my life and the struggles I continue to face and push forward. It is this drive that gets me going in the morning and pushing me to continue changing my careers; once a Child and Youth Counsellor now a Paramedic moving toward Nursing. I keep being told don’t and no; “you won’t be able to do the things. I have expressed many times to many people that you cannot tell me just because I have this chronic illness does not mean that I cannot live my life…
Live life and love it no matter the obstacles.
Alberta, Canada
Dear Chris,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie