| I have scleroderma mainly in my lungs. I am 40 years old and I teach Fourth
Grade. My husband, Steve, is in his last year at the University of Alberta (Commerce) and
my son, Nathan, is 15 and going into Grade Ten. After I was diagnosed with scleroderma I
had to re-evaluate my life and one of the things I decided to do was to start painting
watercolours because I had always wanted to but kept putting it off. Now I paint on
holidays and really enjoy it. I also make greeting cards with rubber stamps and I've begun
to really get my body in shape so I can be as healthy as possible. I've lost 27 pounds and
I go for long walks and lift weights. I'm feeling so much better I can hardly believe it! |
I was
diagnosed with scleroderma about four years ago after having many, many tests and going
through a few good and not so good doctors. I finally found two doctors who work very well
together, a rheumatologist and a lung specialist. They put me on cyclophosphamide for six
months; it was given by IV and I showed some improvement but was always sick after
treatment. I wasn't keen on going on the oral dose of Cyclo but it seemed to be the only
way to go so I did. I went on the oral cyclo and started showing more improvement. I was
very careful to drink tons of water so I wouldn't have any of the side effects of the
medication. I finished taking the Cyclo in April, after 1 year and 3 months and my skin
now shows wrinkles - wrinkles are good! |
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