Florida, united States of America
Showing posts with label USA: Florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA: Florida. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Saturday, May 28, 2022
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Monday, March 26, 2018
A.S. Face 2069: Dylan
A.S. Face 2069: Dylan
My name is Dylan and I am 14 years old, this is a picture of my mom and me.
We are BOTH Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis!
Florida, United States of America
My name is Dylan and I am 14 years old, this is a picture of my mom and me.
We are BOTH Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis!
Florida, United States of America
A.S. Face 2068: Alisha Kennison
A.S. Face 2068: Alisha Kennison
My 14-year-old son Dylan and myself.
We are both Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis!!
Florida, United States of America
My 14-year-old son Dylan and myself.
We are both Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis!!
Florida, United States of America
Sunday, March 4, 2018
A.S. Face 1985: Johnny Varner
A.S. Face 1985: Johnny Varner
Been in pain forever, same as everyone else. Stay active, each healthy and clean, no starches what so ever. Be strong, never stop moving.
Florida, United States of America
Been in pain forever, same as everyone else. Stay active, each healthy and clean, no starches what so ever. Be strong, never stop moving.
Florida, United States of America
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
A.S. Face 1937: Cecelia
A.S. Face 1937: Cecelia
I just realized something. 10 years ago around this time I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Back then I had no idea what that diagnoses meant and I didn't realize what exactly it meant for me.
All I knew is that it had been causing me pain since I was a kid and had caused me to be unable to walk at all at times, and when I was 10, it had caused me to miss so much school. I went from doctor to doctor starting at 7 or 8 because it had began with migraines. Imagine being that young having severe migraines that sent you to the ER every time! And from there having severe hip pain and limping all the time because it hurt so badly, and being made fun of because of the limp.
Every time my parents took me to the hospital and everytime the doctors said it was "growing pains", "she will grow out of it", and so on. So I lived with these migraines and the intense pain for years in my spine and hips without knowing why. Finally 10 years ago a doctor on Mountain Home AFB did a genetic test and found I was HLA-B27 positive. She said "after all these years I have a diagnoses for you"... "you have Ankylosing Spondylitis" little did I know how much it would change my life and effect me. Being so young i didn't give it a second thought. I shrugged it off like i was diagnosed with a cold and continued my life.
As time went on, I was put on medication after medication to help treat my AS. But unfortunately it damaged my stomach so bad that I had to stop. I thought that it was supposed to get rid of my pain. I didn't know it was only supposed to slow the progression of the disease. So i stopped taking them. Instead I began to get steroid injections into my SI Joints because being diagnosed so late had already caused so much damage that my right SI joint was already almost fused into bone.
Later, I made a decision to have a medical device unrelated to my AS and I still did not know a lot about my disease and that decision would really change the direction my AS was going. Unbeknownst to me the device made my progression speed up. It created even more damage made my left SI joint fuse into bone and caused so much more pain that it made my pain as a child seem like nothing.
I was put on a biologic medication (i.e. Humira, Enbrel, Simponi, and so on) to which i have to get through injecting myself. It lowers the immune system so that my body won't attack itself so severely. Unfortunately, if I get sick even with just a cold it will take longer to get better or worse send me to the hospital, but for others it is only a nuisance.
Now, I have progressed to where I need to take pain medications like Oxycodone everyday just to take the edge off the pain but it never fully goes away. I need a service dog to help me and sometimes a walker. I need to park in handicapped spaces because it is painful to walk around a store and my the time I am done I am in more pain then I began with so I need to be as close to the store as possible. I have trouble with washing my own hair now because it creates too much pain in my back so I need someone to do it for me. These are some of the ways this illness has changed my life. Sometimes I wish that I would have gotten diagnosed earlier to prevent the damage that was already done. I wish that I had never gotten that medical device that sped up my progression and caused more damage, and sometimes I wish I never had this illness at all. But it has made me who I am today. It has made me enjoy things that most people take for granted, and it has made me not take things for granted, and it has only strengthened my faith in Jesus. So 10 years ago today I was diagnosed with an illness that changed my life forever.
Also, I am so glad for my parents because they never not believed me that I was in pain. They continued to take me to doctor's even though no one could figure out what was wrong with me and they never made me feel like it was in my head. Many others have been told they were imagining it, or hypochondriacs, or seeking attention. And not once was I made to feel that way and it was what made me not to give up on getting my diagnoses.
Cecelia Kuhn
Thank you helping me share my story! 💙
I just realized something. 10 years ago around this time I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Back then I had no idea what that diagnoses meant and I didn't realize what exactly it meant for me.
All I knew is that it had been causing me pain since I was a kid and had caused me to be unable to walk at all at times, and when I was 10, it had caused me to miss so much school. I went from doctor to doctor starting at 7 or 8 because it had began with migraines. Imagine being that young having severe migraines that sent you to the ER every time! And from there having severe hip pain and limping all the time because it hurt so badly, and being made fun of because of the limp.
Every time my parents took me to the hospital and everytime the doctors said it was "growing pains", "she will grow out of it", and so on. So I lived with these migraines and the intense pain for years in my spine and hips without knowing why. Finally 10 years ago a doctor on Mountain Home AFB did a genetic test and found I was HLA-B27 positive. She said "after all these years I have a diagnoses for you"... "you have Ankylosing Spondylitis" little did I know how much it would change my life and effect me. Being so young i didn't give it a second thought. I shrugged it off like i was diagnosed with a cold and continued my life.
As time went on, I was put on medication after medication to help treat my AS. But unfortunately it damaged my stomach so bad that I had to stop. I thought that it was supposed to get rid of my pain. I didn't know it was only supposed to slow the progression of the disease. So i stopped taking them. Instead I began to get steroid injections into my SI Joints because being diagnosed so late had already caused so much damage that my right SI joint was already almost fused into bone.
Later, I made a decision to have a medical device unrelated to my AS and I still did not know a lot about my disease and that decision would really change the direction my AS was going. Unbeknownst to me the device made my progression speed up. It created even more damage made my left SI joint fuse into bone and caused so much more pain that it made my pain as a child seem like nothing.
I was put on a biologic medication (i.e. Humira, Enbrel, Simponi, and so on) to which i have to get through injecting myself. It lowers the immune system so that my body won't attack itself so severely. Unfortunately, if I get sick even with just a cold it will take longer to get better or worse send me to the hospital, but for others it is only a nuisance.
Now, I have progressed to where I need to take pain medications like Oxycodone everyday just to take the edge off the pain but it never fully goes away. I need a service dog to help me and sometimes a walker. I need to park in handicapped spaces because it is painful to walk around a store and my the time I am done I am in more pain then I began with so I need to be as close to the store as possible. I have trouble with washing my own hair now because it creates too much pain in my back so I need someone to do it for me. These are some of the ways this illness has changed my life. Sometimes I wish that I would have gotten diagnosed earlier to prevent the damage that was already done. I wish that I had never gotten that medical device that sped up my progression and caused more damage, and sometimes I wish I never had this illness at all. But it has made me who I am today. It has made me enjoy things that most people take for granted, and it has made me not take things for granted, and it has only strengthened my faith in Jesus. So 10 years ago today I was diagnosed with an illness that changed my life forever.
Also, I am so glad for my parents because they never not believed me that I was in pain. They continued to take me to doctor's even though no one could figure out what was wrong with me and they never made me feel like it was in my head. Many others have been told they were imagining it, or hypochondriacs, or seeking attention. And not once was I made to feel that way and it was what made me not to give up on getting my diagnoses.
Cecelia Kuhn
Thank you helping me share my story! 💙
A.S. Face 1922: Sloane Netane
A.S. Face 1922: Sloane Netane
My name is Sloane Netane
I was diagnosed with AS when I was 16yrs old and am 27 now. Everyday is a struggle but the good days are so much more worth it! My father and my younger sister also have AS. We are all fighters. I’m also a hairstylist so I’m on my feet for 12 hrs a day but I love what I do and I’m so good at it! I never wish for my disease to go away I just want better treatment for us all.
I know that we are never given anything more then we can handle and I’m reminded everyday that i am so strong! I can do anything!
My name is Sloane Netane
I was diagnosed with AS when I was 16yrs old and am 27 now. Everyday is a struggle but the good days are so much more worth it! My father and my younger sister also have AS. We are all fighters. I’m also a hairstylist so I’m on my feet for 12 hrs a day but I love what I do and I’m so good at it! I never wish for my disease to go away I just want better treatment for us all.
I know that we are never given anything more then we can handle and I’m reminded everyday that i am so strong! I can do anything!
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
A.S. Face 1900: Mia
A.S. Face 1900: Mia
Hello, I’m Mia and I was diagnosed November 2016. I am 11 years old. I love gymnastic and my goal is to feel better and compete again in 2018!
Florida, United States of America
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
A.S. Face 1894: Jill Kendall
A.S. Face 1894: Jill Kendall
I’m Jill Kendall. I was finally diagnosed with AS in March 2009 after thinking I was going crazy. I was having horrible back pain and not sleeping, so I went to see my PCP. I explained the fact that my back hurts very badly at night but, when I got up and moved around or took a shower I felt better. She ran blood tests and I got a call later that day that I needed to go see a rheumatologist.
After my first visit with my rheumatologist, she wanted to run some x-rays. After I had the x-rays taken, I got a phone call from the doctor saying she wanted me to come in to discuss the results. It’s never good news when the doctor keeps calling you the same day you have something run. So, I sit with this very sweet, young doctor who tells me I now have a condition that I not only have never heard of, I couldn’t spell it!!
I’m now on my third rheumatologist, who I adore, and am blessed every day of my life. I have good and bad days. All things considered, I am doing fairly well. I am unable to work a full time job due to my limitations placed on me by my rheumatologist.
I am 54 years old and currently living in Tampa, FL. I have been married to my incredibly loving and supportive husband for 33 years. We have been blessed with a daughter and a son. We also have a 3 year old granddaughter who is the light of my life
I’m Jill Kendall. I was finally diagnosed with AS in March 2009 after thinking I was going crazy. I was having horrible back pain and not sleeping, so I went to see my PCP. I explained the fact that my back hurts very badly at night but, when I got up and moved around or took a shower I felt better. She ran blood tests and I got a call later that day that I needed to go see a rheumatologist.
After my first visit with my rheumatologist, she wanted to run some x-rays. After I had the x-rays taken, I got a phone call from the doctor saying she wanted me to come in to discuss the results. It’s never good news when the doctor keeps calling you the same day you have something run. So, I sit with this very sweet, young doctor who tells me I now have a condition that I not only have never heard of, I couldn’t spell it!!
I’m now on my third rheumatologist, who I adore, and am blessed every day of my life. I have good and bad days. All things considered, I am doing fairly well. I am unable to work a full time job due to my limitations placed on me by my rheumatologist.
I am 54 years old and currently living in Tampa, FL. I have been married to my incredibly loving and supportive husband for 33 years. We have been blessed with a daughter and a son. We also have a 3 year old granddaughter who is the light of my life
A.S. Face 1893: Deborah Reynolds
A.S. Face 1893: Deborah Reynolds
My name is Deborah Reynolds. I was diagnosed years ago. Also have Late Stage Neurological Lyme.
My name is Deborah Reynolds. I was diagnosed years ago. Also have Late Stage Neurological Lyme.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
A.S. Face 1810: Steve Bazydola
A.S. Face 1810: Steve Bazydola
I was diagnosed with AS when I was 38. Had felt symptoms for nearly 15 years prior to my diagnosis. Was told repeatedly I had a bad back. Saw a sports doc in my late 20’s who told me that sometimes you have to work through the pain.
I am now 53 been on TNF blockers for nearly 14 years. The medication has changed my life for the better. I’m fortunate to have the benefits of the meds without side effects.
I’ve recently been introduced to the great benefit of stretching. This has improved my posture and energy level.
Florida, United States of America
I was diagnosed with AS when I was 38. Had felt symptoms for nearly 15 years prior to my diagnosis. Was told repeatedly I had a bad back. Saw a sports doc in my late 20’s who told me that sometimes you have to work through the pain.I am now 53 been on TNF blockers for nearly 14 years. The medication has changed my life for the better. I’m fortunate to have the benefits of the meds without side effects.
I’ve recently been introduced to the great benefit of stretching. This has improved my posture and energy level.
Florida, United States of America
Monday, July 24, 2017
A.S. Face 1806: Colby
A.S. Face 1806: Colby
My name is Colby. Diagnosed in 2016 when I was on the verge of suicide from so much pain. While I can never run or jump or do sports again, Humira has given me much of my life back.
Florida, United States of America
My name is Colby. Diagnosed in 2016 when I was on the verge of suicide from so much pain. While I can never run or jump or do sports again, Humira has given me much of my life back.
Florida, United States of America
Friday, July 14, 2017
A.S. Face 1795: Amy Stowe
A.S. Face 1795: Amy Stowe
I first had symptoms in my late teens, but joint pains were
written off as athletic injuries. In my early 20s the GI symptoms hit hard and
caused me to miss a semester of college. Things got better, then much worse,
then good again throughout my 20s. At times I could barely pull myself out of
bed-“she’s depressed”- they wouldn’t listen that I was depressed because I
couldn’t get out of bed, not couldn’t get out of bed because I was depressed!),
to I felt great and nothing was wrong. I had a miscarriage at 31, this knocked
me on my butt emotionally, and I allowed it to do so physically as well; I
stopped activity, this triggered a huge flair (before I knew what a flair was),
slowly I recovered both emotionally and physically. Just after my 33rd birthday
I gave birth to my amazing son. While I love being a mom, the sleepless nights
and the emotional & physical toll of breastfeeding set off another flair.
This time it just would not go away. I didn’t know what was fatigue from
sleeplessness and what was fatigue that always came with the pain. After my son
was 13 months, I finally got my feet under me and out of survival mode to seek
help. I now have hope and piece of mind knowing its not just all in my head!
Friday, May 19, 2017
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
A.S. Face 1727: Debbie Miller-Kordic
A.S. Face 1727: Debbie Miller-Kordic
This is me on the right pictured with my mother.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
A.S. Face 1702: Sherry Moore Kane
A.S. Face 1702: Sherry Moore Kane
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