Tricia's Story

Tricia, Age 17

I guess the health problems started about 3 years ago. I went about a year and a half without a diagnosis. I had numerous tests done, many of which came back with weird results. Finally, I had a first diagnosis. In May of 98' I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and Esophagitis. I was put on medications for both, but some of the symptoms still existed. The problem I have with chronic pain and inflammation may be related to this since UC is thought to be an autoimmune disease. But no one really knows.

Tricia I went to a neurologist and was diagnosed as having chronic daily migraines and abdominal migraines. Needless to say, by this point I was in terrible pain. I started taking Tylenol's every day and that didn't help either. I was on 26 pills at one point and still had symptoms that just would not stop.

Then, one day, I was at a doctor's appointment and again no answers. My mom got really mad at the Doctor saying that she was sick and tired of seeing me sick and tired all the time. I thought the doctor was mad at first because she left the room. But she came back with papers and started poking me all over. After she finished torturing me, she said that she thought I had fibromyalgia and referred me to a rheumatologist. So, after the 2-month wait, in March of 99', I was diagnosed as having Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I was then put in a physiotherapy program and that's where I stand today.

I have hope that I can beat these illnesses and become as normal as anyone else can be.

October 25th, 2004

Ok, so I guess it's been about 5 years since the above was written. Seems like a lifetime ago. The dream of being normal has long since come and gone. I've learned to accept that I am not now, nor will I ever be normal. Over the past 5 years I've had my ups and downs, walking with a cane and being in a wheel chair for close to 2 years. I've quit physiotherapy, by now there isn't something they can teach me about myself that I haven't learned in the past 8 years.

I know to a lot of people it sounds like I'm giving up. Truth is with chronic diseases it wears you down to chase cure after cure. In my case, I've found what has worked best for me is accepting it and adjusting my life to what I can and can't do. It's been hard, yes, but how many things in life aren't?