Million Dollar Baby

When I was born my parents called me their million dollar baby, as they had been told they would never be able to have another after my brother. By the time I was an adult they said I had definetly cost them a million dollars in medical bills over the years. When I was born the doctor who delvered me yanked me out when I got stuck in the birth canal and damaged my left arm resulting in winged scapula and Erb's Palsey. My left arms bends out like that of a chicken wing. My pediatrician told my parents the good news was I would never be left handed... lol, low and behold I'm left handed. When I was about 18 months old I started to throw up any food that was put into me. After several tests it was discovered I had a thyroglossal duct cyst in my throat. My parents were uninsured at the time so the surgeons wouldn't do the surgery unless some organzation would pay for it. After encountering several dead ends Easter Seals agreed to pay for it because they were told if it wasnt done soon the cyst would crush my voice box and eventually cut off my air supply. By 2 I still wasn't walking to which the doctor told my mom it was nothing to worry about. I finally started walking at 3. When I started kindergarten I was the smallest kid in the class and very clumsy. My teachers would bring it up at every conference and also how my motor skills were delayed but noone seemed willing to refer me for help. If the doctor was asked about it she would say I was fine and would grow out of it. Finally in 2nd grade I had a teacher that said enough is enough and this child needs help. After more visits with specialist we were given a name for the condition I possibly had Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or EDS. I wasn't truely diagnosed until I was an adult. With that in hand I was given OT and some PT.  By 7th grade my handwriting was finally somewhat legible. Life consisted of me falling and having to go have x-rays to make sure nothing was broke. The school nurses always knew me on a first name basis. At 15 I was reevaluted by a physical therapist and told at the rate I was progressing I would be in a wheelchair by the time I was 30. Pretty soon I was an adult and married with a child. I was tired ALL the time, I could barely function or take care of a baby. It was only after I got divorced that I found out why I had been so tired. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called immune thrombocytopenia or ITP for short. It is a disease where your antibodies kill your platelets. A normal platelet count is no lower than 150,000 mine was 1,000. I spent a few days in the hospital and was given a new drug to which I responded very well. A year later when I was discharged by the hematologist he told me that he never expected me to leave the hospital alive and infact normally if someone had a count below 5,000 they were dead. I will have to have yearly bloodwork the rest of my life to make sure I don't come out of remission from it. Praise God that He had better plans for me. A few years down the road my fingers started to curl underand I began to start dropping things. When I brought it to my doctor's attention he sent me for a nerve conduction study. I then was sent to a neurologist, where I was told I had Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome also known as CMT. It is a degenrative nerve disease. I was finally given AFO's (leg braces) to help me with walking. Well that pretty well brings us up to date. I am proud to report I will be 30 next month and am not in a wheelchair :)