Scleroderma and the Ordinary Girl

With Scleroderma, Exercise Comes at a Cost

My cardiologist has given me the OK to go back to the gym. I’ve been waiting for his clearance for a long time. Working out at the gym was how I stayed healthy and in shape before being diagnosed with scleroderma. Since becoming ill, I…

Grappling with My Identity as a Scleroderma Patient

It’s been an eventful couple of weeks.   I am currently dealing with several crises at the same time, all of which include seriously unwell significant others. My mother has been making an excellent recovery, but unfortunately, other people in my life have been facing life-changing…

Finding Hope in the Hospital Despite Adversity

Last week began like any other. I usually play catch-up on Monday, my favorite day of the week. It gives me a chance to recover from the weekend, which generally involves seeing people outside of our home, something I find to be draining. As I settled…

Navigating the Uncharted Waters of Scleroderma

I like to read online about how other patients experience systemic scleroderma, especially when I encounter unusual symptoms that don’t seem to have any relevance to the disease. So far, I have amassed a small collection of minor, but annoying and somewhat peculiar, ailments that puzzle…

How I’m Surviving My Worst Waiting Room

I’ve had a rough run lately. Three separate kidney infections, medications to treat them, and additional medicines to deal with the side effects of the first lot have left me with little energy for anything. The addition of a nasty head cold and an inefficient immune system…