My fingers were swollen and my gum line was receding. What exactly was behind these worrying symptoms? By Maxine Harris, 61, of Manchester
Placing the pencil down on the desk, I stretched my swollen, aching fingers.
They’re getting worse, I thought.
I’d been experiencing swelling for weeks, particularly after writing,
and my hands would often go numb. It was seriously affecting my job as a teaching assistant.
Tests confirmed I had osteoarthritis. But I was sure there was something else at play.
Not only had the swelling worsened, I had trouble walking.
‘Maybe you should cut down your hours,’ my boss suggested gently.
I agreed but when I couldn’t walk downstairs to safely exit the school during a fire drill, I made the heartbreaking decision to quit.
Over the coming months, my list of symptoms grew.
I developed veiny marks on my face and neck, and my gum line began to recede, causing several loose teeth, and I regularly suffered from indigestion, heartburn and water infections.
But I still managed to stay sunny and positive.
‘Look at my big sausage fingers!’ I laughed to my daughter Gabby, 25, one day.
In time, a rheumatologist diagnosed me with Raynaud’s – a disease where blood stops flowing properly to the fingers
and toes.
Tests confirmed I also had scleroderma, a potentially serious health condition that affects just 0.1% of people with Raynaud’s.
Further tests showed my heart had two leaky valves and my right kidney wasn’t functioning as it should.
Both were symptoms
of scleroderma.
I was given morphine patches for pain relief and an array of medication to help ease the other symptoms.
Now Gabby lives with me as my carer.
I have to walk with a stick in case I fall. I even use a wheelchair on days when the pain is severe.
I used to be so active and independent and it has taken a huge toll on my mental health.
But I’ve managed to keep my sense of humour.
‘Look how sexy I am,’ I joked to Gabby one day after I fell and gave myself a black eye.
My future is uncertain so, in the meantime, all I can do is try to live life to the fullest and take each day as it comes.