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Tammy's Story
Tammy

My name is Tammy. I'm 40 years old and had AS since I was 12. I finally found a doctor to tell me what I had last year.

I come from a family of 3 children. My dad has been told by doctors that he will die since he was 21 years old. He has most of the things that I have but they say it is not AS. It is hard to get him to go to a doctor anymore because he hates them to tell him that he has something else.

When I was in school the doctor would not let me run for they said that I had a lack of calium in my knees. Once the PE teacher made me run and I could not walk for a day. I have had doctors tell me that they would have to replace my knee caps before I turned 19, but still have the same old knees.

I have always had to use my arms to get up from a chair, car or anything. It hurts to set to long. I went to doctors in every town, I have lived in, and believe me that is a lot to places. I have moved 43 times since I was 16 years old. But all the doctors told me that it was in my head and that I need to go see someone else. I wish that I had all the money I have spent to hear those words.

About 4 years ago I took the summer off from work and went bowling that next week. That Night I got home and work called and needed me to come in at 6:oo am and work. I told them I would. When I woke the next day I could not even get out of bed. My husband tired to help me but with no luck. I laid in that bed for the rest of the day. My sister came over and called the ambulance and they took me to the hospital and the doctor gave me one shot and another shot and keep telling me that he did not know what was wrong with me. He said that I should be able to move around with those shots and feel no pain. But I could not. So he gave me another one and sent me home in the ambulance with another one right behind us. The drivers could not believe that he sent me home because I was in so much pain. I laid there for two months before I could even crawl to the bathroom, which was 5 feet away. It   took me a hour just to go to the bathroom so I used the bed pan mostly. When I got to the point that I could go  to a back doctor it only made it worse so I did exercises and finally got better. What a summer.

One day I was watching tv and a movie was on about AS. This guy had it and it sound like what I had, so I call the doctor to see if he could run a blood test on me. He told me I did not have that so I call a doctor that my sister works for and asked him to run the test. He did and guess what I had it. The doctors son has it much worse then me. It felt so good to know that I was not making up all this pain.

Since I have been told that I have AS it has gotten a lot worse. It is in my ankles, knees, hips, back and neck. I do not know if I have it in the eyes yet.

About 6 months ago I hurt so bad that I could not sit, stand, lay or even move. My husband took me the the hospital and the doctor made me sit there for a hour and a half while I watched him drink coffee. Boy did my husband hit the ceiling when he finally come to talk to me. Now when I get that bad I take anexsia 5/500 and it knocks me out and relaxes me. I also take flexeril 10 mg and Indocin 75mg.

I have just start to swim and take walks. I think that it hurts to do these things but it seems to be helping me too.

I really enjoy this kickas. It helps to know that I can talk to you all. My family is such worry warts that I do not always tell them what is going on.

Thanks for your time and keep kickin AS, tammy

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