Joy Warrior

It took years for Jennifer Robinson's healing team to reach a diagnosis for the symptoms that had been plaguing this go-getter. While coordinating multiple special events professionally and for family, Robinson masked the symptoms of fatigue, pain, thirst, dimming vision, muscle weakness, constant headache and loss of body mass with Benadryl, M & Ms and caffeine. It took a trip to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to uncover Jennifer's thyroid cancer, but that wasn't the whole story. The real problem started years earlier when she went on a lengthy walk for a breast cancer benefit. She did not realize she had been bitten by an infected tick. There was no bullseye rash. When doctors told Jennifer she had Chronic Lyme Disease all she could think of was that she didn't have a dog. How could she have been exposed to a tick? She quickly discovered she was in for the fight of her life with a disease that is growing in epidemic proportions. A disease that doesn't have a cure and is nearly impossible to diagnose. A disease with treatment protocols that few insurance companies will even cover. But Jennifer Robinson had #TeamJennifer, a tribe of family, friends and healers who helped her find a way through the hell of ill health and near death. In joy warrior Robinson traces the saga of her disease and her comeback, a saga made possible only when a woman who aimed for perfection and the masking of her emotional baggage became quiet enough to hear the whispers of the universe. She learned to meditate. She found the Hansa Center for Optimal Health and a number of medical professionals. She found strength from her beloved husband, family and wonderful friends. And now she has a new purpose as a para-educator who teaches mindfulness and meditation at a local middle school. This new joy warrior wants to spread the word about the need for education and advocacy on the Lyme Disease epidemic. Her first book is another step on her journey to wholeness and healing from the years she was living at only half of her potential.