Michael Freeland spent most of his life trying his best not to think about his incredibly rare disorder. Not only was it incredibly painful, but the symptoms were debilitating, and he didn’t like to dwell on what he felt nobody could understand. The combination of physical and emotional stress made the subject simply unbearable.
“I used it to pray for leaving this planet rather than enduring another five minutes of pain.”
After a lifetime of learning to live with such a difficult health situation before finding success and joy in music, he’s found a comfortable rhythm in recently years. Now instead of trying to give the disease as little space as possible, Freeland has decided to face the topic head on, unwrapping his progress in writing.
In new novel, “Free Your Land: Developing Your Mental Real Estate,” Freeland bring us down his treacherous health journey, examining his relationship with an illness that seemed insurmountable the enormous challenge of acceptance, and the joy of finding his.
Milroy Disease
Milroy disease is an ultra-rare endocrine disorder that affects the lymphatic system. This causes people to experience swelling in the feet and legs, and sometimes other parts of the body. They also experience changes in the skin, increasing risk of infections or cancer. Other symptoms include visible veins, fluid build-up in the scrotum and lower limbs, upward slanting toenails, wart like growths, and skin infections. The genetic condition can be treated symptomatically, with therapists, compression stocking and bandaging, and surgeries. There is no cure.
“In my memory, no one else has congenital lymphedema. “
Michael’s mother first noticed something was wrong when he was a child in the bathtub. He described how she lifted his feet in horror, and gave a scream. His legs were extremely swollen— what they came to learn was congenital lymphedema, characteristic of Milroy disease.
When Michael received his diagnosis at age 5, he didn’t realize how long it would be before he encountered another people with his same condition. The disorder has 200 documented cases worldwide.
“Free Your Land: Developing Your Mental Real Estate”
A theme of Michael’s life has been learning how to bear the enormous pain that his disease has entrenched into everything he does. He said, “Illness has plagued my entire life. Even when I’m standing here, I have to wear leg compressions.”
Four and a half decades since his diagnosis though, Michael has learned how to find other ways to feel well. At first, that came in the form of music, his great passion, under the stage name DJ Mike. He realized music was helping him heal, and he could use it.
Over the years, he became skilled at easing the burden of his disease. More recently, he wanted to go one step further. He didn’t want to just heal himself, but to help others do the same by unpack the great challenge he’s gone through and sharing it. For him, this conquers his lifelong fear of his disease that made him not want to look at it.
“I spent a lot of time covering myself up … I didn’t talk about Milroy’s disease … I didn’t show people what I was dealing with and my feet.”
Now, he’s hoping his truth will inspire others and show them success in circumstances you would give everything to change. He learned what perseverance meant.
“If it helps you, I will give you my journey. [I will] Carry you on your back and take you with me. ”
“Free Your Land: Developing Your Mental Real Estate” was released on on Sunday, January 24th.
