A Life-Changing Experience With Raynaud's Illness

My new illness completely flipped my world upside down. I went from being a three season athlete to not being able to play any sports at all due to my inflamed and sore joints. The pain often made it hard for me to go to school, which resulted in me falling behind in many classes. I struggled with the fact that this disease had completely changed everything and that I would carry it with me for the rest of my life. After letting this illness get the best of me for a few months, I finally realized that I needed to accept my diagnosis and start

I have faced many adversities in my life; the most significant one being the passing of my dad. My dad battled with Multiple Myeloma since 2012, and unfortunately lost that battle on March 22nd, 2015. He was being treated for his cancer in Mexico, so when he became seriously ill I had to travel to see him. I visited him during winter break of my junior year and stayed a few days after my break was over. When I came back, I was behind in Chemistry. I went in on a daily basis to receive extra help from my teacher. All my hard work payed off as I earned an A in Chemistry my entire junior

Being diagnosed with cancer has impacted my outlook on life in many different ways. At first I saw cancer as a burden on my life and only the negative attributes stood out on how it was going to change my life and the way I saw people around me, but now after being two years cancer free, I have gone to realize the positive aspects cancer has had on my life.

Few people are aware of Raynaud's disease even though it is a fairly common condition. Raynaulds Disease is also referred to as Raynauld’s phenonmenon. Raynaud's is a condition in which cold temperatures or stress cause blood vessel spasms that block blood flow to fingers, toes, nose, and ears. This causes these body parts to suddenly turn ice cold and to become a purple or blue color. Later when the blood flow becomes normal the area turns a reddish color and later returns to normal. There are two types of Raynaud's Disease, primary Raynaud's disease and secondary Raynaud's disease. Primary Raynaud's is when a person has no other cause or condition. Secondary Raynaud's is when there is another condition that

Andy was embarking on his second semester of his junior year in college. After a long bout with a cold and the sudden emergence of a protruding mass on his chest, he knew something was not right. Within a week, he received devastating news - a diagnosis of an aggressive form of bone cancer. The treatment regiment included two years of chemotherapy and radiation. The extensiveness of his cancer made surgical treatment impossible. After just his first dose of chemotherapy, he became septic and spent six weeks in an intensive care unit followed by weeks of rehabilitation. Although he had been optimistic about continuing to attend classes and staying involved with campus organizations throughout the treatment course, a disabled immune system and countless days in the hospital prevented this. His friends and peers became distant because his appearance and prognosis made them uncomfortable and speechless. He eventually relied on his mother and closest friends to take him to appointments because of increasing weakness and chronic pain. When his world was virtually turned upside down and he eventually lost much of his independence, Andy started to display symptoms of major depressive disorder.

Life recurrently hands everyone challenges. March 2015 was a time that I now look back on as a learning experience, a period that not only challenged my strength, but showed me that I was capable of handling anything. It was when my five-year battle with scoliosis was finally put to an end due to a procedure called spinal fusion. Going through major surgery has been one of the most challenging experiences in my life thus far, and still scars me with a slew of painful memories. The restless hospital nights-in which I was up all night in agonizing pain-or the embarrassing days of learning how to walk again-are things I will never forget, despite my constant efforts to try. Being a freshman in high school was already hard enough, and missing

Early presenting signs and symptoms of both, Primary Raynaud’s (PR) and Secondary Raynaud’s include complaints of or evidence of sudden intermittent episodes of skin color changes, pain, feeling of coldness, and pins-and-needles sensation in the affected areas. When an episode or an attack occurs, the area first becomes white, as the blood flow decreases; a blue color follows, due to decreased oxygen delivery to the tissues; and lastly, the area becomes red when the blood flow returns. Attacks can last minutes to hours, and can be initiated by temperature change or stress. The intermittent attacks of PR generally do not result in tissue injury, and is not associated with an underlying disease process. The diagnosis usually occurs between the ages of 15-30. Attacks with Secondary Raynaud’s are triggered by cold exposure and stress as well, can last longer and result in damage to the tissues, leading to ulcers, gangrene, and loss of the digit(s). Secondary Raynaud’s is associated with an underlying disease, and is usually diagnosed after the

At the start of the seventh grade basketball year my coach had worked us really hard doing drill after drill. After the practice was over I felt a sharp pain in my feet like a rock had gotten stuck in my shoe. When I got home from my first practice I told my mom what was going on. She said that I should ice my feet and that maybe it’s just from running on it too much. The next two weeks of practice went the same way and finally my mom and dad found out what it was “plantar fasciitis”. After finding this out and telling my coach what had happened he told me to kind of take it easy. When games came around the pain got stronger and my feet hurt more and more. When eight grade year rolled around the pain wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but when I got up to high school is when the fun happened. After open gyms in the fall my feet and knees would feel like they were going to blow up. Finally, my mom had enough and took me into the Decatur Hospital for a check up. When the doctor examined me he

When I was 16 years old my life changed completely. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis a     Since I was 11 years I have been suffering from a disease I didn't even know it existed. chronic disease. This impact my life in a drastic way. Due to this diagnosed I fell in depression. But overall I learned a lesson from this big change in my life. I learned that sometimes it takes bad things that happens to you to become a better person. I learned to value my family because now     I know they are indispensable. I learned how to valued my family because now I know they are indispensable.

During an episode, the person affected by Raynaud comes in contact with either a cold environment such as during winter time, or they just come into contact with cold, such as when they get something out of a freezer. When an episode occurs the person affected will see their extremities, toes, fingers, nose or ears, turn to a pale white. Numbness, pain, tingling or loss of feeling in extremities may occur (Mawdsley, 2011) After turning a pale white they may become blue, then once blood flow returns the extremities turn bright red. This causes intense pain, throbbing, and often swelling. (Healthwise, 2016) The loss of blood flow causing the pale white fingers may also be caused by stressful situations. When a person’s body is under extreme stress

It all happened in a fourth grade soccer game. Just a little kick to the ankle causing years of pain.The first time I went to the doctor they said I broke my growth plate in my ankle so I was casted. Then, after 12 weeks I was taken out of it but still had pain. I went to doctor after doctor they could not find the solution to my pain. They thought it was in my head, or that I had RSD, or I had a pain syndrome. I went to psychiatrist and physical therapists to help but nothing did.

As a young girl being diagnosed with such a risky medical condition really made a dent into my life. When I was three years old i was diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency. Being diagnosed has caused a huge impact, and not only causing damages but having to live with the effects. Many doses of medication, many sleepless nights, and being raised in a hospital impact my life in many ways. Medical conditions developing throughout the treatments really changed my life forever. It was not a simple medical result that was a life changing diagnostic.

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a disease that affects the blood flow to your fingers, and rarely your toes, nose, ears, lips, nipples, and knees can be affected as well. It is a result of an abnormal response of the blood vessels after being exposed to cold temperatures, increased stress, or excitement. It was first recognized by Maurice Raynaud MD in 1862, and was subsequently named after him. He stated that, “local asphyxia of the extremities’ was a result of ‘increased irritability of the central parts of the cord presiding over vascular innervation”, (Herrick, 2005. para 1). A person with Raynaud’s suffers periodic attacks, where the blood vessels, mainly in the fingers, narrow causing spasm of the blood vessels. This results in a decreased blood flow to the tissues of the fingers; then leads to first pallor, then

Please obtain a trough infliximab level and antibody. Please have this drawn one or two days prior to his next

Raynaud’s phenomenon is an episodic vasospasm of the peripheral digital arteries and veins that is triggered by extreme heat or cold, emotional stress, or chemical stress such as exposure to polyvinylchloride1-3. It is characterized by a signature three-color progression of the fingers or toes starting with pallor and moving to cyanosis and ending with erythema as the digits are reperfused. Primary Raynaud’s phenomenon is having these attacks as an isolated symptom without any underlying conditions. Secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon commonly occurs in individuals with connective tissue disease, most often systemic sclerosis1,2. Treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors such as tadalafil, sildenafil, and udenafil are effective at reducing