SCLEROWHAT? PART II

Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a chronic and rare connective tissue disorder. Worry not my friends. This disease is not contagious, infectious or cancerous. So, you won't get this from me. The exact cause of this disease is still remain a mystery to this day. But scientist and medical researches still working hard to find those determination. It is known that this disease develops from overproduction of collagen but what triggers the overproduction of collagen in the body? (I didn't take any collagen product or other beauty products btw).

Scleroderma's signs and symptoms vary, depending on which parts of the body are involved:

• Skin. Nearly everyone who has scleroderma experiences a hardening and tightening of patches of skin. These patches may be shaped like ovals or straight lines, or cover wide areas of the trunk and limbs. The number, location and size of the patches vary by type of scleroderma. Skin can appear shiny because it's so tight, and movement of the affected area may be restricted.
• Fingers or toes. One of the earliest signs of scleroderma is an exaggerated response to cold temperatures or emotional distress, which can cause numbness, pain or color changes in the fingers or toes. Called Raynaud's disease, this condition also occurs in people who don't have scleroderma. (During high school, i always brag about how my hand cold when the weather is scorching hot. I thought it was a cool thing since I'm different from others 😌😮)
• Digestive system. In addition to acid reflux, which can damage the section of esophagus nearest the stomach, some people with scleroderma may also have problems absorbing nutrients if their intestinal muscles aren't moving food properly through the intestines.
• Heart, lungs or kidneys. Scleroderma can affect the function of the heart, lungs or kidneys to varying degrees. These problems, if left untreated, can become life-threatening

Since scleroderma can take many forms and affects so many different areas of the body, it might be difficult to be diagnosed. Myself had been misdiagnosed for about a year and half. During that time, I was diagnosed with various problems like muscle spasm, gout, AVN (avascular necrosis), frozen shoulder and vitiligo. Luckily, I get to be diagnosed correctly after that or else it might get worse than now. 

Doctors will always ask for blood test and urine test on every appointment. It is actually quite troublesome to drew blood from my body since the skin is hardening with minimum twice injection to collect the blood. I also had undergone chest x-ray, MRI, kidney ultrasound and echocardiogram (as I can remember since I've done a lot of things). Alhamdulillah praise to Allah. So far so good. All I need to do is maintaining this from not getting any worse. It will be better if it progressed towards a better condition. 

Having illnesses can give direct impact on mental health. Denial, anger and frustration are common in someone with chronic illness. Having support and understand from family members and friends are very important. Joining support group also can help by sharing experiences and feelings with each other. Currently, I still didn't found any support group in Malaysia, so i joined the USA support group. There are also doctors in the support group that always give us new information about new founding on recent research. I wonder how many Malaysian have scleroderma because I never heard any. Even at the hospital, I didn't found anyone that have the symptoms. Maybe they went on different day (if there were any). 

So, I am very thankful for those who were with me during ups and downs till this day. Love You All. 

~End of Sclerowhat?~ 

SCLEROWHAT?

Have you ever heard the word "scleroderma"? I'm sure that many of us have never heard that word. Neither do I. The first time i heard that "word" was from a dermatologist at General Hospital Penang on June 2018. I was having a medical appoinment that day due to my vitiligo problem. Parts of my body had been depigmentation (skin lose its natural colour) for quite some time since December 2016. So, going to the GH was a last resort when the condition continue to get worse. 

After having an examination by the MO, she went straight and called the specialist. He came to the room and informed me and my father, who was accompanying me that day, that I had a rare auto-immune disease called SCLERODERMA. We were stunned at first hearing that weird name and even having difficulties to mention it properly. My brain tried to find the right word. Secloderma? Scleroderma? Meh, so hard. I thought that i just need to googled it later. The doctor asked me to undergo chest x-ray right away since he worried that it would attack my lungs already. He also mentioned that this rare disease could harmed my internal organ. And i was like "okay, I'll do the reading about this sclero-whatever on my own."

As we were heading back to my hostel (btw, i'm still an undergraduate student in USM), i googled through the internet searching for the disease. Bbaamm. Reality hit me hard at that time. I was thinking about my future. All i saw at that time was darkness ahead of my teenage life. Is there still any hope for me to recover completely from this curse? What in the world is scleroderma? 

SCLERODERMA is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin hardening and thightening of skin and connective tissue. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Scleroderma results from an overproduction and accumulation of collagen in body tissues (who wants collagen can get it from me. i wish i can give you some 😝). Collagen is a fibrous type of protein that makes up your body's connective tissues, including your skin. Doctors aren't certain what prompts this abnormal collagen production, but the body's immune system appears to play a role.

Scleroderma complications range from mild to severe and can affect your:

• Fingertips. The variety of Raynaud's disease that occurs with scleroderma can be so severe that the restricted blood flow permanently damages the tissue at the fingertips, causing pits or skin sores (ulcers). In some cases, gangrene and amputation may follow.
• Lungs. Scarring of lung tissue (pulmonary fibrosis) can result in reduced lung function, reduced ability to breathe and reduced tolerance for exercise. You may also develop high blood pressure in the arteries to your lungs (pulmonary hypertension).
• Kidneys. When scleroderma affects your kidneys, you can develop elevated blood pressure and an increased level of protein in your urine. More-serious effects of kidney complications may include renal crisis, which involves a sudden increase in blood pressure and rapid kidney failure.
• Heart. Scarring of heart tissue increases your risk of abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias) and congestive heart failure, and can cause inflammation of the membranous sac surrounding your heart (pericarditis). Scleroderma can also raise the pressure on the right side of your heart and cause it to wear out.
• Teeth. Severe tightening of facial skin can cause your mouth to become smaller and narrower, which may make it hard to brush your teeth or to even have them professionally cleaned. People who have scleroderma often don't produce normal amounts of saliva, so the risk of dental decay increases even more.
• Digestive system. Digestive problems associated with scleroderma can lead to acid reflux and difficulty swallowing — some describe feeling as if food gets stuck midway down the esophagus — as well as bouts of constipation alternating with episodes of diarrhea. 

to be continued...

p/s: please do drop any question or suggestion or anything in the comments below. critiques are also welcomed to improve my writing skills. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION & TIME. 

REFERENCES 

Mayo Clinic. (2019). Scleroderma - Symptoms and causes. [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scleroderma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351952

William C. Shiel Jr., F. (2019). Scleroderma Diagnosis, Treatment, Causes & Symptoms. [online] MedicineNet. Available at: https://www.medicinenet.com/scleroderma/article.htm#what_are_medical_treatments_for_scleroderma