We have our life back, and we have our family back.

Sharon: My name is Sharon S., and I’m here because I really believe in the power of GeneSight genetic testing to help people be healthier.

Michayla: My name is Michayla S., and we got here today because I was critically ill for two years.

Sharon: Our daughter was in law school and suffering from a little bit of stress and went to the counseling center and they gave her medicines. And when she started showing side effects, they gave her more medicines over the years. I just can’t begin to say how many different medicines I think that if there was medicine out there, Michayla was probably on it at some point.

Michayla: Most of the time, I was aware that I was losing it and to me, I have always valued my intellectual capabilities so much. I was a kid that loved school and drove the other students crazy. And to lose that and to lose a grip on reality and just to watch myself losing that more and more every day that was worse than dying for me.

Sharon: I will never forget the night that Michayla’s doctor called me. It was after dinner, and I remember him saying the words “Are you sitting down? I think we have finally found the problem.” And he had just gotten Michayla’s GeneSight test back. She couldn’t process all the medicines they had tried on and off over the years.

Michayla: It was a process. It wasn’t just one day a light turned on and, oh, you’re better now.

Sharon: The biggest lesson I think we’ve learned coming out of this as a parent is to be persistent and keep asking questions. And one of those I would say is if you see things that don’t make sense, to ask for testing, ask for lab testing, ask for genetic testing, ask for the GeneSight testing. And I think every parent knows when something just doesn’t feel right. And you’re your best advocate for your child. And so, I would say just keep asking questions and just keep pursuing answers.

Michayla: My life right now is great. It’s not the same as it was before because you can’t be the same person you were before when you are chronically ill for two years and almost completely removed from society. But now I am in a career I love. I’m a librarian. After I got better, I went back to graduate school and got two master’s degrees. And so now I’m using both of them in a library position. And I love it so much. I have a social life. I see friends.

Sharon: I think what the GeneSight test has done for me has done for our family. We have our life back and we have our family back. It’s been a blessing in so many ways, and we are just so very thankful.