It's Survivor Series Saturday Featuring Sunshine Hance!

🫵We want YOU to be the shining star in someone else's life by sharing your story as a patient, survivor or caregiver.

❤️Whether it's Aortic Valve Disease, Aortic Aneurysms or an Aortic Dissection, your ability to validate another person's experience is not only therapeutic but inspiring.

❤️Help us show others how to Thrive and not just Survive.

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It is our privilege to share the inspiring story of Sunshine Hance.

I was asked to share my so-called story because I am also fighting chronic Lyme and I guess not everyone has other diseases and for the ones who do, you may relate and maybe feel less alone.

My name is Sunshine and I am 49 years old. I have been battling Lyme on and off for most of my life. It has given me arthritis throughout my body, most major joints and quite a few other places too. I also have Degenerative Disc Disease and a few other issues with my back. On top of that there is severe PTSD and depression.

I know, quite the list, but it is what it is. There are times I can go out and function and earn a living and almost feel like a normal person. I was 2 years in and had worked my way to assistant manager of our local Family Dollar. It was a little stressful as working for any corporation is but I was doing it. Home life as you all know has stressors as well and I always do my best to get through one thing at a time. My blood pressure was up and down for quite a few years and I was off and on meds to help.

        It all changed on January 8th 2026. Things were pretty stressful. My husband was in the hospital. My 12 year old kitty, Quinn was very sick and he had thyroid issues and wasn’t doing well at all. I had left the hospital and agreed to meet my daughter at the vet's office for Quinn’s appointment. I got there and saw a car that I thought was my daughter's so I headed over towards the vehicle to see that it was in fact not her. So I tried not to look to foolish and started back to my own vehicle. As I was walking back, she pulled in and got out of her car and went to get the kitty out to bring him in. As I started to walk to her, it happened, the worst back and chest pain I had ever felt. Immediately I broke into a cold sweat and had a hard time breathing and talking.

I remember getting help into the closest room as the vet tech was calling 911. I remember knowing I needed help and felt so guilty for scaring my daughter. The ambulance came and off I went. I got to our local hospital where I felt very sick to my stomach and started to vomit. I was sent to get a CT scan with contrast, they did an EKG and a bunch of other tests I really don’t remember.

I was told I needed to get transported to UVM which was a 2 hour drive away. I honestly don’t remember much after saying goodbye to my cousin and daughter. Both were so scared, I think they understood a bit better than I did at the time what was happening and why I had to be transported. I had dissected and our local hospital was not set up to help me. We made it in record time to UVM where I was immediately put into the ICU.

I was told I needed to stay still, very still as I could make the dissection worse. I was told it was a type B aortic dissection, it was a long one and I started getting IV meds to lower my pressure. There were a lot of tests done and I was hooked up to so much stuff, it was scary to say the least. With my chronic back issues staying still was very difficult and also very painful. The staff and nurses were all top notch and very informative and helpful. It took almost 2 weeks to get me off IV meds and ready to go home. Granted I was on about 20 different meds and still scared of what was happening. I was sent home and was ready to be with my family and animals again.

        January 26th came and I was still too weak to go anywhere so my daughter once again brought our sick kitty to the vet. There was nothing more anyone could do, his kidneys were shutting down and he wasn’t going to make it. I never got the chance to say goodbye. I wasn’t with him to comfort or tell him how loved he was. This was so incredibly hard. There are no words for how one feels when you have to have your child be there for you because you are too weak to be there yourself. I felt not only devastated by the loss but the guilt of not being there was so very prominent.

        January 27th, my daughter’s birthday, I started having chest pains and just not feeling right.I waited it out for a while, took my blood pressure and it was over 140 which they wanted it 120. I called UVM and they told me to go to our local hospital to be checked out. They did another CT scan and it showed the dissection had grown. So off to UVM again. This time I was told I needed surgery, two stents and a graft. The surgery went well and back to the ICU for recovery. Again the staff and my surgical team and the many amazing nurses helped me to recover in just a couple more weeks.

        Going slow is not a personal strong suit for me. So frustrations of not being better really got to me, in fact it still does annoy me. It messes with your head and makes you feel useless and depressed. I know that’s not how things really are but again sometimes we can be our worst enemies.

        A few weeks ago I had my one month follow up, I am healing well and the stents and graft looked great, BUT I still have a 3.2 cm aneurysm. It’s in my abdomen and restricts blood flow to my intestines. I was still losing weight because eating hurt so I tried not to. I was told if I lost another 10 pounds I would have to come back immediately. I needed to start eating more. It took about 3 weeks to get off pain meds and start eating regularly again but I did it and have actually gained a bit of weight back.

        I am still trying to find my new normal and I don’t know what the future holds but I am thankful to have a future. My mind still tries to make me feel inadequate but therapy is starting to help. Thanks to the help and support of not only my family but my friends, neighbors and the whole community. I know I can do it- make this new chance something beautiful. The support of not only prayers and well wishes but financial help too will never be forgotten. I owe so many thank you cards it’s not funny but I am happy to fill them out one by one because I really am thankful for every single person and every prayer and everyone who has checked in. It makes a world of difference. I hope all of you reading this gets a chance to feel this kind of support.

        Thank you for reading my story. I hope it helps even one person feel less alone, I hope some of you relate and find comfort knowing you are not alone. I hope you all know it's ok to not be ok.

It will come in time for all of us.