The story of Lindsay
At the age of one I was diagnosed with scleroderma and as I’ve grown older I’ve been diagnosed with many other diseases due to my scleroderma. From the ages of 1-15, each week I would receive an injection of a cancer drug called methotrexate along with a countless number of pills. The medicine always put me on edge making me feel angry and sick to my stomach. Sometimes, especially as a younger child I would just curl into a ball and cry hoping the pain would go away. But luckily for me, I’ve been in remission for 2 years now and have been able to stop taking the medicine, allowing me to feel better than ever. But the disease is not solely a physical issue, it is also an emotional problem. I have scars along my arms from scleroderma and usually I am pretty confident about them, but every once in a while when someone stares or asks me what’s on my arm, I shell up and become very insecure about my scars. Additionally, when you feel sick and nauseous all of the time, it starts to weigh heavily on you, sometimes making it hard to keep a positive attitude. My family always keeps a positive attitude about my disease which to me is the best cure. There is no cure for scleroderma, but as long as you don’t give up, you can fight it. I am now 17 years old living with the disease and plan to fight it forever. Living with a rare disease can become confusing and frustrating many times, for most people have never heard of it so they do not understand the struggle. The cure for all of these diseases is to spread awareness, stay positive and keep a fantastic support group, as long we have these values, we can fight these rare diseases.
Talk with others about scleroderma:
https://www.rareconnect.org/topics/topics/scleroderma.html