Its not nature but sickness.
A mother
who endures the pain of her joints dislocating up to 20 times a week now
fears her three children suffer the same crippling condition.
Sarah Wells was diagnosed with Ehler Danlos Syndrome (EDS) two years ago.
The
38-year-old has suffered dislocated joints all her life, and has even
popped her wrist out of place lifting a kettle full of water.
Mrs
Wells' EDS means that the connective tissue in her body, which support
the skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, organs and bones is weaker
than usual.
This
means it cannot support the body to do even the most menial of tasks -
meaning her bones can dislocate dozens of times a week.
And
now, she believes her children, Alfie, 11, Charlie, 8, and Rubie, 5,
are all suffering with the same condition - after they regularly manage
to twist their limbs into eye-watering positions.
Sarah Wells, 38, was diagnosed with
Ehler Danlos Syndrome (EDS) two years ago after suffering with
dislocated joints all her life. Now she believes her children Alfie, 11,
Charlie, 8, and Rubie, 5, also have EDS
Mrs Wells'
children are all extremely hypermobile and can bend their bodies into
eye-watering positions. She believes this is an indicator of EDS. Her
daughter Rubie and son Charlie are pictured
Mrs Wells, from Hillingdon, London, said: 'I must have dislocated my knee hundreds of times in my 20s, which limits me being able to run about with the kids.
'But unless I have dislocated a joint and have it strapped up, people can't really see it so they don't believe it's real.
'There
was a time when I dislocated my knee walking into a nightclub with my
friends. The bouncer didn't understand and tried to stop me coming in
because he thought I was too drunk.
'Eventually I strapped up my knee and then went to have a drink. I just got on with it.
'I don't tend to pick the kids up as my wrists can't take it.
'I don't have a kettle at home anymore as I can't lift it when it's full of water. It puts my wrists out of joint.
'I
can't write for more than half a page because it causes my thumb to
dislocate. There was an occasion recently where I couldn't sign my own
name.
'My condition doesn't limit my life span but it does get worse as I get older.'
During her twenties Mrs Wells' chalked up hundreds of injuries as her knees would dislocate doing normal activities.
Mrs
Wells, who worked as a nursery teacher before her condition forced her
to quit her job, said: 'For years, the doctors would not believe my
symptoms and in the end I was made to feel as if I was making everything
up.
'The number of misdiagnoses I have had is ridiculous.
'Doctors have diagnosed me with everything ranging from glandular fever, to strokes and heart attacks.
'At one point, I was sent to hospital by my GP as they thought I was having a heart attack.
'When the doctors realised it wasn't they then thought I had had a pulmonary embolism.
'After
I had children, my health went into a downward spiral. I was a teacher
before my health went downhill, but I don't work anymore.
'When I was working I could come home and sleep in the afternoon, but once other people depended on me I couldn't.
She
was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), an umbrella term
for a group of inherited conditions that damage the peripheral nerves,
when she was younger – but knew this didn't explain all of her symptoms.
Now, she sees her own children suffering the same symptoms she had and believes they are also suffering from EDS.
'The
doctors made me feel like I was making it up and I want it to be
different for my children,' Mrs Wells said, adding that she wants to
help them as much as possible as the condition progresses
Mrs Wells carries out a daily physiotherapy session with her family in order to help strengthen their bodies
Her
eldest son, Alfie, has already been diagnosed with a connective tissue
disorder and her daughter has been diagnosed with CMT.
'The doctors made me feel like I was making it up and I want it to be different for my children,' she said.
Source: Dailymail
0 comments:
Post a Comment
What's On Your Mind?