Thursday, June 25, 2015

Introduction

Hi! My name is Amber, and I am 24 years old.

Am I a Zebra has been created to track my journey to find out what is wrong with me. I believe I have EDS type 3. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type.

Lets first begin with telling you guys my current diagnosis and the things I am in the process of being tested for.

  • I was diagnosed with an "extra" vertebrae, (L6-S1) It inst technically extra, because it is supposed to be there, however it never fused to my sacral (tail bone), so they classified it as extra. 
  • I was diagnosed as hypermobile, meaning that all of my joints have more of a range of motion than most people. Some people call it double jointed. My thumbs can touch my wrists, my knees hyper extend more than 10 degrees, I can bend over and put my hands flat on the floor without bending my knees, I can get my knees to touch the ground when sitting cris-cross-applesauce. 
  • I have been diagnosed with a constant vitamin D deficiency. 
  • I have an appointment with Rheumatology in September to test for EDS.
  • I have an appointment with Neurology in October to test for M.S (Multiple Sclerosis).



I have been experiencing numerous symptoms of EDS.

  • Chronic Pain (mainly in my lower back, but it effects everywhere).
  • Hypermobility
  • Easily Bruised (my fiancee likes to joke with me about this, he tells me that I can get a bruise just by looking in the mirror).
  • Frequent subluxation and dislocations. (Mainly in my right hip, but have occurred in my shoulders, elbows, fingers, and ankles.)
  • My skin has more elasticity than most. Especially in my hands. 
  • I have horrible veins, they roll, and they are tiny. Taking blood is always a challenge.
  • Persistent tiredness.
  • Varicose veins.
  • Very poor healing times. I can get a cat scratch, and it lasts about  month.
  • I am never hungry, I have to force myself to eat, yet I still gain weight like crazy.


So... if you are a zebra, and have any tips or suggestions, please let me know. Anything helps. 

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