Erica’s Story
Erica’s Story
I remember always being sick as a child…or so I thought.
My symptoms included constipation, vomiting and fatigue. My family thought I was just a lazy kid. In high school my symptoms worsened, and I ended up being hospitalized. The doctors had no clue what was wrong with me.
Test results showed my potassium and magnesium levels were extremely low.
Weeks later I was diagnosed with Gitelman’s Syndrome.
I am 30 now. I wake up every morning in pain both physically and mentally. It is a struggle just getting through the day. I feel like I’m trapped in an old, sickly body. Even when lab test results are normal, I feel terrible and nothing really seems to help. I’ve tried changing my diet…exercising…staying on top of my meds….nothing. I have people who depend on me, and so I try to be as strong as I can. I’ve come to grips with the fact that the pain is a part of me that I have to live with.
It is hard but it is my reality.