The story of Willow
My name is willow and I’m from Washington, USA. I was diagnosed with PFAPA when I was just 6 years old. PFAPA stands for Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis. I started getting symptoms when I was around 8 months old. It started with very high fevers and constant trips to the hospital. It took over 5 1/2 years for doctors to be able to diagnose me. It was very frustrating for me and for my family because all we knew was that I was ill and there was no answers. My pediatrician decided to go to a doctors press conference and while she was there, she was asking other doctors for suggestions as to what I might have. Finally a doctor at the conference spoke to my doctor about PFAPA. She knew immediately that that’s what I had. She was so excited to give us answers that she called us on the phone that day and told us everything! The sad part was that there was no cure and no way to prevent it. Growing up I was very hesitant and told little people that I was dealing with this. I missed many days of school and lots of important events because I would get a flare up and spike my fevers again. I am now 16 and rarely get flare ups. But in my 16 years I have learned that there are many things that can trigger my episodes. One being too much sugar consumed, Which is very hard because I have the biggest sweet tooth anyone’s ever seen! In my 16 years of living with PFAPA, I have learned a lot about myself.