Bio

I was born in 1965 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada my given name is Stephan and most of my life I have gone by Stephen and now Steve.

Since 1985 I have resided in many locations throughout Hamilton, Ontario. A part of the Niagara Escarpment which stretches a 725km distance from Niagara to Tobermory, it is classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Also, the home to over 100 waterfalls in the immediate area. There is much more to Hamilton than Steel Mills, pollution and a decrepit downtown core.

Until January 2010 my life was fairly typical. I'm married and we have two young children and a dog. I worked as a Quality Assurance Specialist for the past twenty three years and trying to advance my career like everybody else. Just another squirrel trying to get a nut.

I stay home now and keep the house and watch our three year old daughter.

Currently I am unable to work but I hope in the not so distant future I will be able to return to work. Unfortunately, I don't have a job to return to as my last employer terminated my employment through a restructure plan. Hmm, how convenient. Definitely an opportunity for some law changes here.

I realize I will likely not be able to return to my old career and I will be OK with that. When I was younger I wanted to be a journalist. I hope I can partially realize this dream now by being a freelance writer. This blog will be a great practice ground in honing my craft.

Each day brings a new set of challenges for me and my family. I am still a work in progress on being able to accept that I can only do my best and what ever happens has happened for some reason.

Although I would like to be able to understand it, it no longer seems as important to be able to do so.

I fell in love with my wife Lisa twelve years ago. A week after my best man Paul's 40th Birthday Party, we started dating, a year later we were married and now we have two wonderful girls, Annalise (8) and Genevieve (3). We also have the "World's Greatest Water Dog" Sasha (5).

My other loves are music, poetry, hockey, photography and the great outdoors. As I become less able, I find myself reaching more often for a good book. The less I am able to sleep the more I love it as well. I used to think sleep was over rated, now I realize I was very wrong.

Perhaps I am perceived to some as unsociable but I prefer to consider myself as socially reserved. I love being around the right people not just any people, then I find hanging out to be a great past time.

I have always enjoyed making people laugh, I hope I can do more of that with this blog.

Although the nature of this blog will mostly be of a serious nature, I believe in the importance of a balanced life. So with every tear we shed together we shall share some laughs as well.

I hope we can just hang out together because if you enjoy this blog then obviously you're the right kind of people.

Introduction

This is a real time biographical journal of my journey through everyday life with an undiagnosed chronic illness.

I suffer from a chronic whole body pain condition which eludes diagnosis.

This is a human interest story that is full of real fear, frustration , and hope combined with real love, hatred and some laughter followed with a touch of sadness.

Of course, I hope that someone will read this, who will be able to help in the diagnosis and treatment of my illness and then my life can go back to normal again. My therapist tells me I must never give up hope. She is right but she is also not living with an undiagnosed illness.

In the meantime I need to write this journal as a therapeutic means to cope with this devastating situation.

To understand the world around us I believe we must understand the people in it. I am one of those people and this is my story.