Linda

My name is Linda. I am 37years old and I have scleroderma and raynoids for 17 years. Here is my story: I have had alot of hospital stays in the hospital including intensive care. In brief this is my health history:

1985 - Diagnosed with scleroderma and Raynoids
1987 - Laminectomy (Back)
1989 - Congestive heart failure and Pneumonia
1990 - Sympathetomy
1991 - Diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis
1995 - Amputation of half of left foot and half on index finger
Removal of Galbladder
Diagnosed with ITP (platelet disorder)
1996 - Blood clot
Insertion of Vena Cava Filter
1997 - Closure of ulcer on stump
1999 - Removal of fingertip on right hand
2000 - Internal Bleeding In abdomen
2001 - Broke Ankle

My worst experience was in August 2000, when I was admitted to hospital. I was having alot of trouble eating, and losing alot of weight fast.I was very nausea and had pains in my stomach and a bad ulcer on my finger. They did alot of tests but couldn't find anything wrong. Then one night I woke up with extreme pain in my right leg and by the next morning I had lost all the feeling in my leg. That day, they did a full body scan and thats when they found that I had internal bleeding. They decided to put me in ICU, because my blood pressure was very low and dropping fast. I dont remember much because I was sedated because the pain in my leg was so bad. I had alot of blood transfusions to try and stop the bleeding. They put a feeding tube in, was put on the respiratory, because I was having seizures (which I never had before). I was also put on dialysis because my kidneys shut down.

The scarest part was when I woke up I was tied to the bed, I really thought I was in the nut house. They said they did that so I wouldn't pull out my respirator. The respirator was later replace by a trake and then that was replace by an oxygen mask. I did regain my kidneys back and was taken off dialysis completely. I started to regain my strength back slowly. They finally took out the feeding tube. I spent a month and a half in ICU and a month and a half on the medical floor and then I was transferred to rehab where I stayed until I regained my strength and full use of my leg again. Seven months later I was finally released. Bad luck struck again and at Easter 2001 I was back in ICU with pneumonia. And then again in May 2001, where I broke my ankle. Its been over two years since that bad episode. I am feeling good. I am still not back to work but hopefully one day that will happen. My current medications that I am on are: Lovenox, Prevacid, Zofran, Domperidone and Neurotin. I would love to talk to anyone with the disease or just want to ask any questions, because I believe that I have been through it all. My email address is: lindallport

Linda - lindallport@hotmail.com