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24-12-09
20-06-09
18-06-09
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Scleroderma is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease. Scleroderma is both a rheumatic disease and a connective tissue disease.
The skin thickens and tightens, becoming deformed and unyielding. Then, the skin around the body's joints allows for less and less bending. Hands, elbows and knees all become stiff.
There are two main types of scleroderma, localized and systemic. The systemic forms can affect any part of the body (skin, blood vessels, and internal organs.) The localized forms are morphea and linear. They affect only the skin and sometimes the underlying tissues, but do not affect the internal organs, or reduce one's life expectancy in any way.
Sclero Since 1996
I have had Juvenile Linearic Scleroderma since I was 6 years old. During the first ten years the only thing in my body telling about sclero was pigmentation changes. I didn't have any pain or other symptoms. Nowadays the situation is very different: About two years ago I started to experience pain and my skin started to get tighter. It seems that at the moment it's my left ankle which is most affected, meaning that my ability to move will be more limited in the future. My daily life is now different than it was two years ago because of all the new symptoms. This is something that limits your daily choices, something that you just simply can not get out of your system.
In the past I used to hope that I could make people understand how I'm feeling, but after a while I realized that it is impossible. But by telling about scleroderma I can make people understand why I'm not able to do same things as my friends, why I do feel bad physically or emotionally somedays.