My name is Stacy and I'm 25 years old and I live in Indiana. Where to
begin. A year ago, I had noticed this spot on my right forearm. It was
dark and had a shine to it. I didn't know what it was. I had shown my
oldest sister and her husband cause they are both doctors. My
brother-in-law is a family doctor in Iowa and she's a podiatrist. But
anyways, I shown them when they came down for my college graduation and
they were concerned...also during that time, I had and still have a shiny
spot on my right hand. Sometime during the year last year, I realized I
couldn't extend my right index finger and I couldn't extend my right thumb
either. I can't even do a simple thumbs up. At first, I thought it was
arthritis from cracking my knuckles too much cause my finger is swollen
and my right hand has like a small mound. It's hard to explain. At first
that was the only thing.
Well in March of 2003, I visited my sister and her family in Iowa. They
were concerned, so while we toured their clinic they both worked in, my
brother-in-law took a biopsy of my skin on my right forearm. I was so
impatient. All these bad thoughts came into my head. We finally got the
results and my sister told me that it looks like scleroderma, specifically
morphea.
I saw and still seeing this dermatologist, which I didn't really that much
faith in and I didn't think he knew or had seen Scleroderma alot. Since
all this, new patches have formed. I forgot to mention, I had a third
patch on my right breast. I still have the dark, shiny patch on my hand. I
knew something was wrong with that hand, when I couldn't pinch it. I
thought that was odd. Now the patch on my right forearm, upper arm are
like these patches with white spots. My doctor said it was something, but
i can't remember. He has already prescribed me two prescription meds...Dovonex
and Desonide.
My last doctor visit, I had told him that I did some research and how
rheumatologists were specially trained for this, so he has finally sent me
to one. I don't see the rheumatologist until July 28th. I just hope he
knows what he's talking about.
I've read as much as I can about scleroderma. I know and my doctor has
told me that it could take quite a while for it to go away, but that it
can also come back, which is quite scary. I just hope and pray that the
rheumatologist I'm gonna see has some kind of definitive answers for me.
It's hard that when I told my friends I had this, it was hard for me to
explain what it was, considering part of me didn't know either.
I think my dad is kind of in denial about this. I know I don't have the
systematic type, but I do have localized and he's just not taking this
seriously.
That's all.
Update - August 2003: I went to the rheumatologist and I had an MRI. He
said inflammation and prescribed me something, sorry I can't remember it.
It was a taper pack, which meant I only took it for 6 days and the dosage
got less each day. Well it didn't work. My finger is still swollen and I
still can't extend my fingers. I should have called him back, but I
haven't yet.
Stacy - sweet_girl08@yahoo.com
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