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  • A Lifetime in 27 Years
    • A Lifetime in 27 Years
    • My Life Turned Upside Down
    • I Hope My Story Helps Others
  • My Journey
    • My Story
    • My Hubby
    • My Testimony
    • Journey Magazine
    • Training and Accomplishments
  • Living with Chemical Injury
  • My Battle with Lyme Disease
  • Is it All in My Head?

Sherri Connell

  • My Videos
    • The Amazing Snickers
      • Beware of the Celery Monster
      • Drive-In Dinner w/ the Doggie
      • Guilty as Charged
      • Snickers the Mighty Alert Dog
      • What Does Snickers Want?
    • Counting My Blessings
      • Adventure w/ Groucho
      • Fun Day with Giraffes
      • I Could Live in the Water
      • I Love Musical Cards
      • Met My Hubby 20 Years Ago
      • Make Someone’s Day
      • What a Fun Gift
    • Environmental Illness
      • Food Allergies with Chef Goofy
      • Fragrance Free for Visits
      • Friendships Over Fragrances
      • MCS Can Be Lonely
      • MCS with Pluto and Minnie
    • Just for Fun
      • Capt’n Jack Sparrow
      • Guys and Mowing
      • Laughter Therapy
      • Mom’s Gonna Kick Butt
      • Overcoming Fear of Webcam
    • Let’s Make a Difference
      • Friendships Over Fragrances
      • How to Encourage Loved Ones
      • Love Someone with Illness
      • My Wish for 2011
      • New Year Wish for 2013
      • Show Someone Love
      • We can All Make a Difference
    • My Life with Illness
      • MCS Can Be Lonely
      • Near Death by Vlog
      • Not Handicapped Enough
      • Rockies Inspiration Award
      • Side-Effects of Doing a Video
      • Sherri’s Journey
      • Snickers the Alert Dog
      • Tick Bite Changed My Life
      • Tower Climb Challenge
      • We Can All Make a Difference
    • Meet Me in the Barn
      • What Kind of Goat
    • My Past Life
      • Charlie’s Angels Audition
      • The Musical, The Boyfriend
    • In Memory
      • Best Brother a Girl Could Have
      • Big Jim’s Ride – Procession
      • Patty’s Caboose World
      • Patty Makes New Friends
      • Peppermint Patty Come Home
      • Peppermint Patty’s Patties
      • Please Stay, Oreo Cookie Kidd!
      • Run Patty Run
      • Takin’ a Walk w/ Patty
  • In the Media
  • Inspiration Award
  • But You LOOK Good!
  • Leave a Comment

    A Lifetime in 27 Years

    I am the daughter of a dancer and a musician, so I was born singing and tapping! At the age of 5, I danced for an audience on the SS Admiral, the largest river boat in the US. In high school and college, I was a cheerleader, singer, dancer and model. I was a very goal oriented person and workaholic, working at the age of 10 as a caretaker for horses, at a pet store when I was 13, a clothing store at 14 and I put myself through college waiting on tables and working for America West Airlines.

    While in pursuit of my life goals, I struggled with my health at an early age. It all started with chronic infections and headaches when I (unknowingly) contracted Lyme Disease at 14. Soon to follow, I battled chronic headaches, fatigue, strep-throat, fevers, bronchitis and pneumonia. In college, I also started having neurological symptoms which caused balance issues with my dancing and bouts of paralysis.

    Regardless of being sick and in pain most of the time, I forged ahead, working multiple jobs, cheer-leading, singing and dancing in musicals, acting in commercials, singing in bands, writing plays, modeling in fashion shows, competing in pageants and talent shows, as well as lifting weights and riding my horse. I also managed to obtain 2 Business Degrees and a Minor in Liberal Arts. Because I was so busy, people often asked me, "What do you do for FUN?" I would reply, "I am DOING it!" I loved to work and had huge goals and dreams for my business and music careers! Never did I suspect that I had already lived "a lifetime in 27 years."

My Life Turned Upside Down

My Life Turned Upside Down

Once a very active young lady, I was barely able to sit up and hospitalized with pneumonia and paralysis from the ribs down. Despite being diagnosed with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, I was not scared! I figured I would just get a couple of weeks of rest and return to my life. I knew that I could work and sing from my wheelchair, so that certainly wasn’t going to hold me down! I was determined to BEAT it and get back to my life. Read Full Story!

My Story Helping Others

My Story Helping Others

With the intention of helping friends and family better understand my invisible disability, my husband put some journal writings on the internet. We had no idea the huge response we were about to receive from people around the world living with debilitating conditions. Soon, my husband founded an international outreach for millions like me. Read Full Story!

From Living Life to Fighting for It

FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE

A Tick Bite Changed My Life Forever - Huffington Post 12-12-2012 Set 2

Tick Bite Changed My Life Forever: Video Interview Huffpost LIVE / Huffington Post

On 12-12-12, HuffPost LIVE produced by The Huffington Post a video interview and article with Wayne Connell, the founder

Snickers Alert Dog

Snickers the Mighty Alert Dog

Snickers is not only my pet. She is my precious baby and she alerts me when I have anxiety, stress,  blood pressure,

Presidential Towers in Chicago

The Tower Climb Challenge

My husband’s cousin, Brady Renshaw, recently participated in the 2012 Fight for Air Climb in Chicago, hosted by the

Sherri by Window Vertical

Living and Grieving in Isolation

My friend, Ann, called me about a week and a half ago and said she and her husband would like to meet us for dinner in a

Near Death by Vlog

Near Death by Vlog

It makes me so mad that just trying to do a 2, 3 or 4 minute video just about kills me! As you probably already know, I

Phone Call

Never Ending Phone Calls

Here is just ONE, small example of the crud I deal with ALL the time. I have a HUGE STACK of these, in which many of

Never Ending Medical Bills

Medical Bills Keep on Coming

Although this is a very, very, serious, stressful issue in my life, I am trying to be absurdly comical in this photo.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

FF for Loved One Interview w Melanie Connell

Going Fragrance Free When Visiting a Loved One – Video Interview

Living with Environmental Illness is a challenge that often brings about isolation from public, friends and …
[Read More...]

A Tick Bite Changed My Life Forever - Huffington Post 12-12-2012 Set 2

Tick Bite Changed My Life Forever: Video Interview Huffpost LIVE / Huffington Post

On 12-12-12, HuffPost LIVE produced by The Huffington Post a video interview and article with Wayne Connell, the founder …
[Read More...]

Wayne and Sherri Connell 2011

What to Say, What Not to Say and How to Help People Living with Illness and Pain

Ask anyone living with illness or pain and they will probably be eager to share what many people have said to them over …
[Read More...]

12-2012

Amazing Hotel Accommodations for My Challenges

I live with Multiple Sclerosis and Lyme Disease. I get extremely ill from chemicals in cleaning products and synthetic …
[Read More...]

Sherri with Minnie

My Visit to Disneyland with Chemical Sensitivities

Earlier this year (2011), my husband and I had to take a trip to California for medical reasons. Since we were already …
[Read More...]

Sherri and Chef Nick

My Visit to Disneyland with Food Allergies

In 2011 I had to go to California for medical reasons. My husband and I had not been on a vacation in a very long time, …
[Read More...]

Wayne and Sherri SM

Woman’s Disability Inspires Husband to Reach Out to Others

Wayne and Sherri Connell discovered all too quickly that living with debilitating illness is not only a struggle …
[Read More...]

LIVING MY LIFE

Drive In Doggie

Snickers Strikes Again

Snickers is my 11 year old Shih Tzu. She never ceases to amaze me how she alerts me when my body goes into fight or

Mom Kick Butt

Mom’s Gonna Kick Butt

My mom and I have been living with debilitating illness for many, many years. Two and a half years ago, she was

Grieving.png

My Heart is Broken

Many of you may not realize, I have been living deep in the depths of despair off and on for the past year. After losing

2011 Mitchells

Another Tribulation for My Family

In the past 18 months our family has been through some very serious tribulations. As you may know, I fight for my life

Meet Peppermint Patty

Peppermint Patty Come Home

Something happened yesterday that I have dreamed of for a very, very, VERY long time. Something that I hoped for, for so

IMG_0514

Thankful for 2012 Fragrance Free Holidays with Family

I am so thankful for my family who made it possible for me to spend the weekend in their home for Thanksgiving. The

2012-12-16_14-35-53_90

Lookin’ for Love in All the Right Places

In this lonely, cruel world, a gal's gotta go where she is LOVED! One at a time, please! And, no I don't have any

TG Day Dinner

Another Amazing Rainbow in Memory of Jim

The last time I saw my brother, Jim, was on Thanksgiving 2011. He passed away 4 weeks later. On our way to his memorial

Safari Hat

Safari Sherri Explores the Wild Jungle

Went to the mall today and bought a new hat! OK so it wasn't the mall, it was the hospital, but who cares? I was there

Boyfriend Girls

On Stage for the Musical, The Boyfriend

This was many years ago, in my "Past Life" of singing and dancing in musicals, acting in commercials, modeling in

Sherri Happy at the Elephant Passage

My Adventure with Groucho and Friends

I finally made it to the Toyota Elephant Passage at the Denver Zoo!! I absolutely love, Love, LOVE elephants!! I am

IMG_0203

The Tail of the Real Captain Jack Sparrow

There is a whole new world, just outside my window. This is a story you have never heard. A story that has never been

Guys and Mowing

What’s the Deal with Guys and Mowing?

Just a little diddly about lawns and mowing and yards and goats. Goats? Yes! Goats. Okay, not really much about goats

Sherri and Mom Mother's Day 2012

My Mother’s Day Adventure and Blessings

On Mother's Day, Wayne and I picked up some Texas Roadhouse "to go" and took it to my mom's to enjoy. Then, we took her

RussellIrwin

A Most Precious Gift

Last year, my husband Wayne met Russell Irwin an Artist from Missouri. They quickly became close friends, even though we

Wayne and Sherri 3-21-2012

Met My Hubby 20 Years Ago

My husband and I met 20 years ago today. He left me a really cool message on my Facebook page, listing 20 reasons

Table of Contents

  • A Lifetime in 27 Years
  • My Journey
  • Living with Chemical Injury
  • My Battle with Lyme Disease
  • My Videos
  • In the Media
  • Hal O’Leary Inspiration Award
  • But You LOOK Good!
  • Blogs – Living My Life
    • Counting My Blessings
    • Encouragement
    • Grief and Tribulations
    • Humor and Fun
  • Blogs – Fighting for My Life
    • But I LOOK Good
    • Relationships
    • The Truth
  • Blogs – Making a Difference
    • Awareness
    • In the Media

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Make Someone’s Day

Tower Climb Challenge

Snickers the Amazing Alert Dog

Friendships Over Fragrances

MCS with Pluto and Minnie

Sherri and Wayne on the Radio

Sherri and Wayne on the Radio

Listen to Sherri and her husband, Wayne, on the radio!

Marriage with Chronic Illness

Reaching Out to Others

Sherri’s Tweets

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My Favorite Websites

Cleaner Indoor Air Campaign

Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA)

Invisible No More TV

IDA on Facebook

IDA on YouTube

My Invisible Disabilities Community

Sherri's YouTube Channel

Where Is God Ministries

Calvary Chapel with Pastor Ed Taylor

RSS News from Dr. Mercola

  • More Younger Women Getting Breast Cancer
  • Farmer Faces Jail Time Over Raw Dairy Sales
  • Vitamin E May Alleviate Symptoms of Liver Disease Brought on by Obesity
  • Better Than Wheatgrass: Raw Veggie Juice and Sprouts
  • Getting to the Root of How GMO Plants Harm Food Production and Your Health
Copyright 2012 - Sherri Connell - All Rights Reserved