The summer I turned eight was the worst summer of my life. About three weeks into the summer I began experiencing severe migraines, and eventually bulls-eye rashes showed up on my knee, and the back of my neck. They took me both to the local clinic and hospital where I was treated for Lyme's Disease. Once it was "cured" everything should've been okay, right?
Not how it worked.
For the next six years I dealt with chronic fatigue, frequent aches, pains, and migraines. When I was eleven, I also had shingles, which is normally something much older people experience. Accompanying all that I was diagnosed with acid reflux, and around the time I turned fourteen I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. So much for being cured, right? Doctors dismissed it as left-overs of the Lyme's, but my mom and I weren't satisfied. Finally in December of 2012 Mom ordered blood tests for absolutely anything and everything. (My Mom actually has type-1 diabetes and my Nana has RA, so autoimmune disorders run in our family). Two weeks later, and it came back that I had an extremely high RA factor, but had not tested positive for RA. Or anything else. So they sent me to a pediatric Rheumatologist in Portland, Maine.
Once there, I went through a few tests, and finally I had somewhat of an answer. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, along with possible IBS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (those two not officially diagnosed, but my Rheumatologist really believed those went hand and hand with my Fibro). Fibromyalgia causes simple things like a common cold to make me feel like I'm suffering from the worst case of the flu. My joints are constantly stiff, I'm always forgetting things, EVERYTHING hurts, and almost everything I described above are side effects of this. It takes a huge toll on my body, and mental health.
So two years later, and here I am, taking many different medications...and just stumbling though life. I truly have to take one day at a time. I can start out feeling absolutely fantastic, and then by lunch have to go home from school because I feel like I'm dying. It can strike at any moment, even with being on medication. I'm fighting an invisible battle. If I even miss an hour of sleep one night, I'm done for for at least two days. It's tiring, and somedays I just can't take it anymore. People and faculty at school will comment, "Oh you LOOK fine."
Yeah, trust me, I know I LOOK fine. I hide my pain a lot, I don't want to be a burden to people. And being a type-a personality, giving up and being lazy isn't an option. I can't let this horrible disorder ruin my life.
So yeah, there's a little insight into my life. Hopefully in the next few years I will be able to enter a pageant system and spread a large light on these silent killers. The rest of my life won't be any better unless a cure can be found, but I'm going to try and stay positive. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me, or comment below.
Laura xx
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