Hi! My name is Annie and I'm 51 years old. I am currently a highway patrol trooper working the highways but possibly transferring to the office to finish my 5 years before retiring. I have 2 boys 30 and 32 and three grandchildren. I love to bowl and have started to learn how to play golf. I was always very active and the last one to tire out but now that has all changed.

My personal physician suspected me of having CREST or parts of it in 1999. Then I developed a lump on the side of my neck that the neurologist thought was a growth on my neck bone. When he did the removal of this lump he discovered it was not bone but what he called a calcinosis with no explanation of where it came from. After returning to my personal physician and going over the lab report she told me that I had all the symptoms of CREST and that I needed to see a rheumatologist. The first one I saw offered no information or explanation on this condition. The second doctor I saw did a very extensive exam and explained a lot more than the first one and he keeps a very close eye on me. However, so far I still have a lot of pain and fatigue. I have had a problem with one of my fingers that would not heal with three different antibiotics and so about 3 weeks ago a hand specialist did surgery and I'm on another very strong antibiotics but it is still very painful and the healing is going very slowly. As for my job, transferring into an office position is going to be a little frustrating but the weather elements are to painful for my hands and the fatigue in the afternoon is to hazardous to be driving a vehicle on the highway.

Like the rest of you this disease has changed my life, and I'm not afraid to admit that I am scared to death. If anyone could offer some help for either medical or natural remedies to help with the sores on the fingers please feel free to contact me at reppiz50@aol.com  In reading some of your stories especially the one from sbates I don't feel so alone and maybe some of you can give me some ideas to talk to my doctor about and let's all pray that maybe someday there will be a cure.

Annie