Growing up, we're taught to trust the opinions of doctors. With their extensive schooling and considerable experience, it seems counterintuitive to ever question their judgement.
But what if you found out that a doctor's diagnosis was dead wrong, forcing you to suffer needlessly your entire life? Would you feel bitter remorse for all those missed years, or would you be able to forgive and forget?
That was the exact dilemma Jean Abbott faced a few years ago, when she discovered her entire life had been a lie. Diagnosed as a toddler with cerebral palsy, Jean had been confined to a wheelchair or bed for most of her life.
But with one new diagnosis — and a single miracle pill — Jean's life has been transformed. Her story, and her outlook, are so inspiring.
Have you ever received conflicting diagnoses before? How did you deal with it? Let us know in the comments below!
Be sure to watch the video at the end, and please SHARE if you think second opinions are crucial!
h/t: DailyMail
When Jean Abbott was just 4 years old, doctors diagnosed her with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. For decades she endured muscle spasms, weakness, near immobility, and painful surgical procedures. Jean was often bedridden and forced to depend upon loved ones to complete everyday tasks.
And because her neurologist was considered one of the best in the country, second opinions never yielded any alternate conclusions, so Jean never doubted her original diagnosis. She chose to accept her condition and move forward, trying to have fun and live a normal life despite it all.
But one sporadic trip to a new doctor would soon turn Jean's life upside down forever. Thirty-three years after her original diagnoses, Jean was told she didn't suffer from any form of cerebral palsy — and she never had.
Rather, she suffered from a condition called DRD, or dopa-responsive dystonia — and with one little pill called L-Dopa, the conditions she'd lived with for 33 years would almost entirely disappear.
At first, Jean refused to believe her new diagnosis — or fill her new prescription — but her husband was finally able to persuade her. "When I began taking it, I was the biggest skeptic," Jean told DailyMail. "I was expecting no results whatsoever and couldn’t imagine a life any other way."
But just two days into taking L-Dopa, Jean was able to stand without assistance for the first time in her life. Her strength and mobility only continued to increase. Soon, she and her husband were able to hike around their honeymoon spot, Lake Superior. The last time they'd been there, Jean had to be carried.
But Jean doesn't harbor any anger or resentment for her misdiagnosed life. Never one to live with regrets, she says she had a fantastic childhood, and that her faux cerebral palsy led her to her husband. "I can do things that I never would have even considered before, so I have no reason to be angry or upset," she said. "I’m just so darn happy!"
So happy, in fact, that she's jumping for joy — literally! "I’m so lucky to have this 'miracle drug,'" said Jean. "It has not only changed my life, but the lives of my husband and kids."
To see the impact Jean's new medication has made on her life, be sure to watch the video below. In it, she demonstrates what her mobility was like before L-Dopa, and what it looks like now. The difference is shocking. Please SHARE if you think second opinions are critical!
