Turning adversity into opportunity is something most people will never have to do. But for people with disabilities, having the ability to find opportunity in adversity can be life changing. In the case of Michelle Toole, it not only changed her life, but thousands of other lives too.
Michelle’s story is one of extremes. Director of her own non-profit, community activist, marathon runner, rock climber, kayaker—Michelle lived life with passion and energy. Then one day, while on a training run, her right side suddenly weakened, and the left side of her face went numb. Her health began to deteriorate and in the following weeks she would get to a point where all she could do was lie on a couch and stare at the wall. Lifting her arm was a challenge.
In the course of visiting many different doctors and receiving many different diagnoses, she learned the myth of medicine: unless you have a very predictable illness and display those symptoms in a very statistically typical manner it can be years before a doctor can figure out what is happening to you. In the first six months of her chronic illness, Michelle received ten different diagnoses, from “improper use of Listerine” to “inability to properly assimilate and absorb protein.”
Finally, after leaving her home in Arizona to move to Maryland where she could seek out additional medical specialists, she was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a chronic illness for which there is no cure. Now, doctors are even questioning that diagnosis. Regardless of the diagnosis, Michelle was not satisfied to leave her health and her life in the hands of others. She felt she had to find her own path to good health.
So, while she continued to seek out traditional doctors, she paralleled the effort with alternative doctors. She immersed herself in seeking out a true holistic approach to living healthy. In the course of her quest, which included an inspirational trip to Ecuador, she decided to start her own website dedicated to healthy, holistic living. Today, her website, Healthy Holistic Living, is rated in the top 1 percent of all internet businesses based on traffic.
Due to her resourcefulness and determination in seeking out a true holistic healthy lifestyle, Michelle says her health is 60 percent better and she has been able to reduce her prescribed medications by 90 percent. She credits the natural cures she discovered through working with Dr. James Chappell as critically important.
Michelle believes, as she states on her website, that opportunities for change come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes they seem more like tragedies than opportunities. A chronic illness, death or loss of a dream can often be the catalyst to help us break out of that narrow box we all create for ourselves.
“I learned through my experience that it doesn’t matter what disease or condition you have, you also have the opportunity to heal your body through healthy, holistic living,” says Michelle. .
Talking to Michelle is an inspiration in itself. Her conviction comes through in her voice. Perhaps that is the key to turning adversity into opportunity—a true and deep belief that what you are doing is real and right.
For Michelle, becoming an entrepreneur was the result of her desire to do something positive about her chronic illness and disability. In addition to her website, she has also written an acclaimed guide on how to apply for disability income. The book A Practical Guide To Social Security Disability Benefits is an indispensable tool for anyone wanting to apply for benefits. It can be accessed from her website Healthy Holistic Living.
To read more about Michelle’s journey to health, visit her website at www.healthy-holistic-living.com. She also has a new website focusing on natural cures, www.home-remedies-and-natural-cures.com.
