The story of Courtney
For six years I noticed my inability to catch my breath worsening, my fingers changing colors, chronic reflux and problems swallowing. I saw specialists for each part of my body affected, none of them even considered their issue to be part of one giant underlying condition. I was losing hope, thinking I would never feel normal again another day of my life. I was 30 and couldn’t walk across a room without turning purple. Finally, a med student suggested a test for a scleroderma antibody, and it was positive! At first, I was relieved knowing what I had been experience finally had a name! Then, I was sent to a rheumatologist that explained I would be dead most likely in ten years, I was crushed! Luckily, the Mayo Clinic is very near me and my pulmonologist referred me and she states no one on in my area knew how to treat me. The doctor gave me hope, and a treatment. Within six months I could walk ten minutes without dropping into dangerous oxygen saturation levels. For right now, it’s controlled, but the treatment can’t restore the damage that has already been done. Hopefully with support and other voices we can find a cure and truly begin to heal! Until then, hang in there, we’ve got this.