--- In sclerodermafriendsandfamily@y..., "carolemanderson"
<carolemanderson@y...> wrote:
> Hello there, My name is Carole and I was diagnosed with this
> condition in December last year. However, it transpires that i have
> probably suffered with it for at least 5 years.
>
> At this minute i am confused, depressed, frustrated and sometimes
in
> absolute agony. I hasten to add that normally I am a socially
> outgoing person with a good sense of humour who likes meeting
people.
> Is there someone out there who understands what I am going through.
> Thanks Carole

I symapthise with you.
I only have CREST (limited scleroderma) compared to most others in
the group who have diffuse, i consider myself lucky. The group chats
have helped me enormously & what I find amazing is how others with a
worse outlook than my condition have sympathised & helped me. So a
big thankyou to you all.
I was diagnosed about 5 years ago although I had displayed symptoms
for much longer, even then all the things I had wrong with me
(stomach & bowel problems, migraines & aching limbs) were not
mentioned as being part of my condition.
I didn't understand scleroderma until August last year when my
stomach was playing up & a locum GP shocked me by saying "well you do
have scleroderma, which is a progressively worsening condition, I
should expect these things to happen"). Up untill then all I knew was
that I had a condition called CREST, which caused me to have raynauds
& made my fingers rot (as i call it). Since then everything has added
up & my health has deteriated rapidly. I sometimes feel its better
off not knowing.
However last month it was my 35th birthday & I was determined to
enjoy myself. A load of us painted the town red & went to a 70's
nightclub & although I was in a bit of pain I danced the night away &
thoroughly enjoyed myself for the first time in over a year. I did
suffer because of it for the following week but it was worth it.