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Everyday Girl
By Brittney Price
Hello! My name is Brittney Price. I am 13 years
old and have lived in the cozy town of Canton,
Michigan all my life. I am in the 7th grade and
my favorite subject in school is math because I am very
good at it! I love to hang out with my two best friends,
Dana and Julia, after school. It’s easy for us to get
together during the school week because we all live in
the same neighborhood. On the weekends, Dana, Julia,
and I like to go to the movies or have a quick bite at our
favorite restaurant, Panera Bread. On my own, I like to
spend my time listening to music by Taylor Swift, the
Jonas Brothers, and Hannah Montana and watching "The
Hills" and "Zoey 101" on TV. On weeknights, my mom and I
watch "Grey’s Anatomy," "House," and "Desperate Housewives"
together. My favorite place to visit is Walt Disney World in
Orlando, Florida. I’ve been there three times, and I can’t
wait until I can go again! I suppose I am just your everyday
normal teenager, except, perhaps, for one thing. Just this
past year, I was diagnosed with both systemic sclerosis and
Sjögren’s syndrome. I was only 12 at the time.
I didn’t think that my 6th grade field trip to the iceskating
rink would be the starting point to my eventual
diagnosis. At the ice rink, I tried to slide across the
ice when all of a sudden I fell and bumped my head on
the ice. A week or two later, I came down with a severe
fever that lasted a week straight. My parents were very
concerned about me and took me to the emergency room
at the hospital where they did a lot of different tests on
me. First they did my blood work, then TB-tests, then
X-rays, and finally ultrasounds. I was poked and prodded
all over. Looking back, I realize now why people always
tell me that a diagnosis for scleroderma is so difficult. I
suppose it makes sense, then, why the doctors needed to do
so many tests on me before they were able to tell me that
I did in fact have a form of scleroderma called systemic
sclerosis. The doctors said that my lungs were affected by
scleroderma, and that I would have to go through three
rounds of chemotherapy. I was prescribed four antibiotic
medications to treat my symptoms.
A few months after I had been diagnosed, my mom
noticed that I kept having red-eyes all the time. My mom
took me to the doctor again and after my eye biopsy, the
doctor gave me another serious bit of news: I had Sjögren’s
syndrome. This diagnosis helped to explain my dry eyes
and mouth, since the disease attacks the body’s moisture
glands.
I was a little scared when they first told me that I had
systemic sclerosis and then Sjögren’s syndrome because I
didn’t know what would happen to me. Having experienced both diseases for a year now, I can see how some things in
my life have changed, and others have stayed the same.
Some changes have been difficult to get used to. For one, I
had been very athletic and active before my diagnosis, and
now I’ve had to take it easy and make sure I don’t get too
tired. Also, trying to get up early in the morning is very
difficult for me. Most days I sleep in until 10 a.m. and take
classes from home with my tutor. My mom usually drops
me off at school, though, for 5th and 6th period so I can
take Language Arts and Math with my friends at school. I
make an effort to go to the gym with my Dad, and I do the
best I can despite how tired I feel. Some days I’ll want to do
things with my friends, but if I’m not feeling good, I have to
say “no” even though I’d really like to hang out with them.
I am also very sensitive to the cold, and have to make sure
that I bundle up more than others to stay warm.
Some things have stayed the same for me, though. I still
have the same great best friends, and we hang out a lot! I
still have my warm family that supports me when things
are difficult. I’m still able to take part in most activities
that I have always
enjoyed, like going to the
movies and listening to
my favorite music.
I’ve learned to adjust
to things, and I try not
to think about the fact
that I have systemic
sclerosis and Sjögren’s
syndrome. Although
some days are harder
than others, I just keep
reminding myself that
despite everything, I’m
still a normal kid. |
