The Faces Of Ankylosing Spondylitis

At the age of fifteen, you shouldn’t be worried about chronic pain or giving yourself shots or missing out on a normal school experience. But that was my life at the age of fifteen. I first started to notice a pain in the SI joint area in March of ’04 (of course I didn’t know it was the SI joints at the time.) , but thought it might have been from my old mattress. I continued on for three months with this pain, always getting better as the day progressed. But my observant mother realized I was starting to change. Normally a very outgoing person, I was quiet. Normally always so eager to get up and go, I was spending more and more time in the house. Finally, in June of ’04 she decided that I was going to see our family doctor, if I wanted to or not. The visit was pretty normal at first. He thought the back pain was most likely the mattress as well, and told me to get a new one. But on a offhandedly sort of way, just as I was about to leave, I mentioned my right pinky was also sore and looked a bit odd. That, combined with my family history of rheumatoid arthritis, changed his whole attitude that very second. He realized right then that what was causing the problem was probably AS, or something similar. He ran some test and drew some blood, also sending me in for MRIs and X-Rays. My mother and I went home, sick with worry and fear of what the results may show. Two weeks went by, and I hadn’theard from them. I didn’t know how long these results would take, so I didn’t know if it had been long enough to call or not. On June 18th, 2004 I received a phone call from my dear, beloved, late aunt Mimi saying she had something very important she needed to tell me, but just couldn’t over the phone, that she would be by in a bit. Little did I know that she had seen the same doctor (everyone in my family saw him) that day and that he had given her the news of my diagnosis, asking her to past it on. As unprofessional as that is, I am glad I received the news from my aunt who, along with my mother, showed the utmost compassion and sympathy for what I was dealing with. So much more sympathy than what a doctor could give me.

So that is my diagnosis story. Since the seven and a half years since, after dealing with a good deal of depression because of the pain, the loss of my teen years, and the loss of friends who just couldn’t or wouldn’t understand what I was going through, I came to terms with this part of who I am. After struggling for years with the “why me”s and the “I wish it would all go away”s, I’m proud of being an Ankylosing Spondylitis fighter (I hate the idea of being a “patient”). It’s just another side note in the story that is my life. Yes, I may be a Face of AS, but I am also a mother of a beautiful almost two year old son, engaged to an amazing man named Tim, I am a friend, a gamer, a proud nerd, and so so much more. I deal with this pain every day, but it finally doesn’t leave me depressed, because I know it is making me a stronger person. And the online community I have found via Twitter has helped me feel like I am not alone in dealing with this. There are others out there like me, who have dealt with these same issues and deal with the same pain. As much as I hate to see others go through the pain I go through because of AS, it is always comforting to find a kindred spirit. Someone who has been there. Who knows EXACTLY what I am feeling, emotionally and physically. Thank you so much, Cookie, for creating this site. Not only does it help raise awareness, but it brings us together. Helps us feel less alone.

You can find me on Twitter under the username @AbbyDLyn, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/abby.d.lyn

Stand Tall, you guys! Much <3 to you all, Abby Lynch

You can find me on Twitter under the username @AbbyDLyn, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/abby.d.lyn

Stand Tall, you guys!
Much <3 to you all,
Abby Lynch

Houston, Texas United States of America

• HOME
• NEXT
• PREVIOUS