Shannon,
I am going to re-post something I said to a member named Charlotte recently, hopefully you will find some comfort in what I want to share with you.

Hi Charlotte697. Just a heads up to give input about life expectency with this condition. There are too many factors to really say for sure. Please if you don't read anything I ever write understand this: when you google this condition and it comes up with average life expectancy of 2 yrs. Please Please don't pay attention to that. (i did and it was hell) You will find that there are many people associated with this group who have lived with this for years and years. So again I will say with the right medications it aint as bleak as what google states.