I decided to set up a blog on scleroderma and my specific case of it. I wanted to do this anonymously so there won't be any direct reference to my name or specific location.
Who am I?
I'm a 40 something year old male. I'm married and have children. I am otherwise extremely healthy.
Where am I?
I live in the US and more specifically, the Northeast.
When did I find out I had scleroderma?
In the winter of 2005 I noticed my hands would get uncomfortably cold. This continued into the spring of 2005. In the spring of 2005, my hands also started to swell up. That's when I went to the doctor to get checked out. They took some blood and I the results indicated I tested positive for ANA (anti-nuclear antibody). I was told to see a rheumatologist.
I saw an excellent rheumatologist who initially diagnosed me as having raynaud's. Additional blood tests were taken and came back that I tested positive for scleroderma. The rheumatologist wasn't 100% convinced but after another visit or two he was much more willing to commit to it.
So in the beginning of the fall of 2005 I was officially diagnosed as having scleroderma.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Welcome to Scleroderma Blog!
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2 comments:
Thank you for sharing. My husband is a 43 year old male that has recently been diagnozed with scleroderma. Your blog has shed some light on the disease. Keep posting and stay positive.
I too am having symptoms of scleroderma. I've been diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and part of this diagnosis has symptoms of scleroderma. From what I've been told though, this diagnosis could just be initial to a future diagnosis of another connective tissue disease such as Scleroderma.
I also have been blessed(ha)with Epilepsy at age 17 and Multiple Sclerosis on my birthday(of all days)at age 35. The seizure disorder is controlled by meds and the MS has been in remission for
5+ yrs now. So I guess it was time to have another disease! Not funny.
My first problem began with Anemia. Nearly all vitamins I was found to be deficient in. My doctor couldn't find a reason for this so he did many tests...one being the ANA. Which of course came back positive. I then started having many strange rashes. This presented a problem because when I had one of these rashes I could't always get in to see a doctor immediately to see it. I can describe these areas of skin as red, circular, intensely itchy areas on the soles of my feet. They hurt to the touch and feel very much like I have been burned. They each get a white center after a day or so, then seem to fade away without any scarring. I always notice the skin peels after they disappear.
In the beginning I was only bothered by them for two consecutive summers. I just thought I was having a reaction to sand fleas from the beach until they started coming no matter what the season. Like I said earlier, these used to just appear on the soles of my feet. After those two yrs passed the spots came on my palms too, with all the same qualities as the ones on the feet. I was referred to a pediatrist who did two different biopsies at times the spots were active.
>More to follow, at a later time....
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