My name is Faye, and I am Scottish. Here is my story. At the age of about six or seven, I developed what looked like a bruise on the front of my left thigh. It started off as a small purplish spot. My mother was very worried when it did not go away, so I was taken back and forth to the hospital.

Many a doctor scratched their head as no one seemed to know what this strange thing was. "Could it be leprosy?" I was asked. "Have you any pain?" "No," I replied. And because I had no problems walking they lost interest. I was later told it was a rare skin condition called morphea, and from then on I have been left in the dark.

My mum thinks that I was knocked hard on my leg while out playing, and that is what caused it.

I do not recall the time scale as it is all a bit of a blur now, but the bruise grew to full size in my teenage years and has now, thankfully, stopped growing. It is about seven inches long and four inches wide. It is shaped like a picture of a rabbit, of all things!

I have lost some of my thigh muscle as it has grown, but I am in perfect health. For this I am grateful! I can walk, run, swim and ski. It does not stop me from doing anything at all. But sometimes at night I get aching pains and I worry about people staring at me when I am in my swim wear, but that is no big deal. I do get very tired and very stressed easily which I have been learning to control over the years.

I am now twenty-nine, living in Sydney, Australia, and getting married in February, so I have lots to look forward too!

If anybody wants to write to me I would be really interested to hear similar stories.