It all started when I got the fantastic news that I was going to have a baby. My husband and I had just been married about 3 months when we found out about our unexpected arrival. My husband and I were excited. I had always noticed a small light brown patch about the size of a quarter on the inside of my left ankle but never though anything of it. It didn't hurt or bother me so I never gave it a second thought.

I was about 61/2 months pregnant when I notice that this small light brown spot started running up my leg and it itched so bad I though I was going to scratch my skin off my leg. I went to a great dermatologist here in my town of Lake Havasu City, AZ. and he took a little biopsy out of my ankle and the test results came back as something other than what it actually was.

I remember the last two months of my pregnancy my leg got darker and this thing kept running up my leg further and further. As all women know, EVERYTHING grows when your pregnant. I finally gave birth on May 24, 1997 to a beautiful daughter. A couple of months after I had her I went back to my doctor and he told me that I don't have what he first thought I had that I have something called linear scleroderma.

I have been doing a lot of research on this subject and it is nice to know that I am not the "only one". The only news that I didn't like hearing was that if I got pregnant again that there was a 50/50 chance that it could spread worse or that it could spread to my internal organs. That scared me so I went and had my tubes tied. I figured it was better to be around for my daughter then possibly not be around for two children.

So far I have been very lucky and it has stayed only on my left leg between my ankle and my knee. I get a lot of peculiar stares and weird looks but that's o.k. A lot of people are just not aware of what it is, so if they ask me I am more than happy to let them know. I visit my doctor once a year and I am still very active. I go to the gym and work out. I still play volleyball, ride my bike, bowl, etc..

I don't let it stop me to often. I do have some days when my leg just aches all over, but then it passes and there is new day. I don't know what anybody is going to get out of this story but I know that reading all of the other stories here it made me feel somewhat better. I hope this helps you too.

GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS.

TONIA