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From Darkness to Light by Rev. Virginia Anderson
I am accepting your invitation to tell of a life changing story. At the age of 41, I
almost died because of a misdiagnosis. It turned out that I had severe myxedema, lack of
thyroid. I was borderline comatose when I was diagnosed. It took me a long time to
regain my health, but I did. I went to doctors for several years with the symptoms of low
thyroid and no one caught it. I was also in a teaching hospital and had been there for
weeks before they caught it. By the time I was hospitalized by my orthopedist for a back
problem, I had suffered severe depression, paranoia and eventually uncontrollable rages.
I was tested for almost everything, but none tested me for the obvious. Thyroid treatment
solved all of this, but in the meantime it was a nightmare that cost me friends and almost my
beloved teaching. In that respect I have suffered mental illness, and I would rather be
physically ill any day. I have a few parishioners with diagnosed mental illness and as a
result of my experience I feel I can be more compassionate.
I was a special education teacher and returned to teaching the following spring and loved it as
always. However, I did feel God was leading me in new directions and felt the call into
the ministry very strongly at age 44. I went to the Chicago Theological Seminary at age
45, in 1980 and graduated in 1983. I was ordained in the United Church of Christ in
1984. Two years later I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. I was called, even
though the church knew of my disability, to serve a church in upstate New York and was pastor
there for thirteen years. At 65, I retired (for one month) and then became pastor of a
church in Syracuse where I have been for the last three years. It is part time, though I
am the only pastor, which means I am on call anytime. I love my new church. They
are wonderful dedicated Christians.
At the age of sixty, I became full time caretaker of a child of a friend. He was six when
he came to live in my home full time. He has numerous problems stemming from a
combination of abuse, developmental disability and mental illness. He is now 12 and just
began living in a facility nearby where they can deal with his many problems. He comes
home weekends and holidays. I love him very much and he will always be a big part of my
life. My special education background has been helpful in advocating for him.
Because he has multiple disabilities, but is bright, it has meant negotiating a complex system
of services, which at times has been frustrating.
My myasthenia is fairly well controlled, as is my thyroid problem, with medication. I
have good days and bad days and most are somewhere in between. I now have arthritis also
which slows me down somewhat, but my congregation, my neighbors and friends are
wonderful. For 68, I have a busy and full life being a pastor and guardian. In my
free time I love to write poetry and paint and play the flute.
Again I never was diagnosed with any mental illness, but if you feel that my journey into
darkness and return to the light will help anyone please use it. The child who lives with
me was misdiagnosed for four years with mental illness, only in the past few weeks have we
found that he has Prader Willi Syndrome, a genetic developmental disability. Meanwhile he
was on psychiatric drugs for the past four years. This has been very upsetting to
us. Also when his behavior got out of control this past summer, we were referred to the
courts and eventually he was placed in detention for two months. We watched helplessly as
he was sent far from home, an eleven year old housed with teen-agers. Luckily he
survived. It should never have happened. I am greatly concerned about the lack of
facilities to handle troubled children. Mentally ill children and adults are routinely
sent to prison facilities without treatment. Here in Syracuse there is being created a
special court to handle those with mental illness. It's a small step in the right
direction.
Rev. Ginny
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