Welcome To My New Life Fighting A Disease I've Never Heard Of Before....... Ankylosing Spondylitis

  Today I received a call from my son's school nurse. My son wasn't running a temperature, but he felt dizzy, light headed, and nauseous. My oldest son went to the school and brought his brother home. As soon as he came in the door, I sent him to his bed. I tucked him in the bed and asked if he needed anything. He went to sleep quickly. I checked on him a few times. He looked so peaceful sleeping.   This incident made me think about all of my children's futures. I pray they never have to face Ankylosing Spondylitis or any of the other illnesses that affect me daily. If you are a mother, you know how I feel. I would suffer any disease if it meant my children didn't have to experience it.   My daughter has already been diagnosed with Raynaud's Syndrome. I don't think she takes the disease very seriously. I constantly remind her to wear socks or appropriate shoes to protect her toes. She does take better care of her hands thankfully. She wears gloves when it...

 I have been dedicating my blog to ankylosing spondylitis awareness, but I have several other diagnoses as well. I believe while AS is my main fight, these other diseases aren't making it easy for me to keep fighting. Today I want to share one of the other enemies of my body.   It all began in my childhood. I can remember as an 8 year old crying with back pain. My aunt babysat me daily while my parents worked. She was an older lady, the kind who tells all those intriguing tales of the good ole days. My aunt was born in 1918, she was in her 60s when I was a child. I guess I equated her to a grandmother, since a majority of my grandparents passed away before I was born.  My aunt told my parents I needed to see a doctor about my severe back pain. Mom and dad were tobacco farmers, with a few cattle, plus they worked on a job 40 hours a week. They stayed so busy they really didn't see me very much. I mean I slept in their home, but I was dropped at my aunt's house when I wa...