Empowering Behcet's Disease Awareness: EBL's Reliable Support for Backpacking

Hi, I’m Cindy Todd, and I suffer from Behcet’s Disease. This is a rare inflammatory autoimmune disease that can attack almost any system in the human body. Before I developed symptoms, I was an extremely active person, enjoying sports like volleyball and competing in the track and field team at school, and that continued as an adult. I loved cycling, kayaking, hiking and backpacking. If there was a chance to get out there into nature I took it, exploring the world under my own power.

But then I started having trouble, periods of time where I could barely walk, let alone be off hiking. They lasted for several weeks at a time and began impacting every aspect of my life. Just moving became a huge effort. Have you ever tried running underwater? It felt like that, but I was not in a swimming pool, just trying to get across the parking lot from my car to the office.

Suddenly, getting through each day became the battle. It was all I could focus on, and that started to affect me in other ways. I became withdrawn and, as my spouse described, lost all my personality. The frequency and duration of these attacks also increased, leading to several unusual neurological issues too. One day as I was trying to walk using a cane, I stopped feeling the presence of clothing on my skin. It was like nothing was there, even though I could see it. Another attack lost all feeling below my ankles, like my feet simply didn’t exist.

Finding an answer

Not only were these symptoms disruptive to my life, but they were quite scary too, after all, at this point I had no idea what the problem might be, and you can’t help but think the worst. So, I began seeking answers, first through my doctor and then to every specialist I could find.

It was a traumatic period of my life, first the focus was on Multiple Sclerosis, then on to other diseases that may fit my problem, but it was never the right one. It was only after three years of tests and examinations, all while my symptoms continued to worsen, that I finally found an answer. At the University of Southern California, a rheumatologist suggested Behcet’s Disease could be the cause.

Further tests showed that was indeed the case, and while that was not the end of my journey, it was the point I found some hope again. Now, after years of trying different medication combinations and treatments, I am in a place where I can think about the future.

Backpacking For Behcet’s

I am so grateful for the help and support I received, and of course, the diagnosis that saved me from a life of hell. But that experience also changed me in other ways. I became determined to make sure that others can avoid all those years of suffering and worry. So, I started thinking about what I could do to raise awareness of this disease and how I could help others who are suffering as I did.

I decided that Backpacking for Behcet’s Disease Awareness would be the best way I could help. It gives me a chance to get back to doing something I truly love, and bring more attention to this overlooked disease, that can have such an impact on quality of life.

Backpacking into the backcountry is an amazing experience. Waking up to birds singing, the mountains the color of orange due to the sunrise and the sound of the wind blowing the trees. But I couldn’t do this alone, so I began talking with pharmaceutical companies, people from different organizations and people on the trails about my mission and how I could make it all happen.

EBL’s incredible Support

Out on the trail I need power to maintain communications, make life a little easier with some gadgets, and of course, keep me safe. I have been using EBL Rechargeable Batteries for a while, and they have become incredibly useful in my mission. I use their batteries in a variety of items, including my headlamps, lanterns, camera and more.

When you are miles from civilization, you need a power option you can trust, and EBL batteries have never let me down. I love their combo set of AA & AAA batteries that come in their own cases so are super easy to carry on any trip. They have compact chargers too, perfect for life on the go.

So, backpacking for Behcet’s Disease is not just me. It’s a team effort, and I want to thank EBL Batteries for their support and the peace of mind and confidence that comes from having gear I can trust wherever I find myself. With reliable power and determination to make a difference, my mission is as clear today as it was when I first had the idea.

See you out on the trails!