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Jonty: Son of Scleroderma Patient

Hyderabad, India

My dear mother has been suffering from scleroderma for the past ten years. When I was a small boy, my mother's fingers would turn blue. This was more noticeable during winter when it was cold.

She consulted all the specialists in the town where we were living, but none of the doctors diagnosed it as scleroderma or Raynaud's phenomenon.

In 1997, I secured a seat in a medical college in Hyderabad and enrolled for the MBBS degree course. I then took my mother to meet Dr. Narasimhalu in Rheumatology at Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad. The doctor advised my mother to test for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

When we received the report, it showed the presence of SSA and SSB autoantibodies, and then my mother was diagnosed with scleroderma. My mother's symptoms include Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP), digital infarcts, dyspnoea (breathlessness) and slight fever.

In one year, she has been treated for these symptoms and they are under control. Many patients are undiagnosed or diagnosed very late. I am writing this story so that people will know that they have to approach the right specialist, as early as possible, and obtain the appropriate treatment.

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This Story is Featured in Voices of Scleroderma Volume 1

The story on this page is featured in the top-notch Voices of Scleroderma Volume 1 which features articles by top scleroderma experts, including Dr. Joseph Korn, as well as 100 true patient and caregiver stories from this website! The book delivers excellent information and support for scleroderma patients and caregivers. It's a great way to inform family and friends about scleroderma, too!

ISN Story Editor: Kishori Mundargi

Kishori Mundargi is the ISN Story Editor for this story. She is also the Translator for ISN: Kannada Version.

ISN Story Editor: Judith Thompson Devlin

Judith Thompson Devlin is the ISN Story Editor for this story. She is also lead editor of the ISN's wonderful Voices of Scleroderma book series!

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