As a woman with scleroderma I’ve faced many unknowns regarding my body and health over the last 21 years. Every day is a new adventure in my own “series of unfortunate events.”
Since my diagnosis, I’ve restructured my life to make my health a priority and become hyperaware of any potential illnesses or infections. I now stay away from people who are sick, use all-natural products, and avoid touching surfaces such as door handles, railings, and elevator buttons. It may seem ridiculous to some, but this is my new normal now that my immune system is compromised. 

​How many times have you asked yourself, “Is this scleroderma?” Odd sensations, abnormal changes, pain, and even visible deformities — there’s no shortage of strange symptoms with this disease.
I used to embark on a fruitless journey to discover answers, spending hours researching and probing fellow patients in support groups. I never found answers that helped. I only found people experiencing the same thing, but not an explanation for why it was happening. Nothing I discovered helped to stop the pain or heal the damage.