Meet 21 Year Old Emilie McCauley Who is Fighting MELAS and Multiple Other Medical Problems
"I have been sick for over 6 years now and have so far been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome-Unknown type, A form of Dysautonmia called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Osteoarthritis (from my EDS), Asthma, Hip Dysplasia, Mitochondrial Dysfunction & MELAS, Granuloma Annulare, GERD, Migraines, Anemia, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, sensitivities and intolerances to medications and A severe gold allergy, Raynaud's, herniated discs, Ovarian Cysts, unknown autoimmune disorder, unknown problems with my gastrointestinal system and bowels (Have been diagnosed with gastroparesis but possibly something else as well)My Gastroenterologist will be doing more tests to hopefully find an answer. I also have a few mental health problems as well which are Anxiety, OCD, and ADD! I'll explain what a few of those things are..The main one is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, or EDS, which can cause a lot of the other conditions I have. EDS is a genetic connective tissue disorder that causes your body to produce faulty collagen. Collagen is pretty much like the glue that holds your body together! If your glue doesn't stick correctly then things fall apart and its the same with my body. You have connective tissues and collagen in your entire body! Your skin, joints, teeth, organs, muscles..everywhere! So it causes problems throughout my body like constant joint dislocations and subluxations (yes, it hurts!), soft and velvety skin that is stretchy, sensitive, and fragile, problems with organs, little soft tumor growths around joints, a hard time healing (my stitches will rip out constantly after surgery, my incision comes back open, it can take me much, much longer to heal even from simple things) easy bruising, and so much more. One thing leads to another, which leads to another and so on! I am not as good at explaining POTS which is a disregulation of your autonomic nervous system and it causes problems with your heart rate and blood pressure, temperature intolerance, stomach problems, and so much more When I was a baby I had sleep apnea and was on an apnea monitor for awhile, I have always had low muscle tone and had trouble meeting normal developmental milestones I had physical therapy to help when I was younger. I also was often in pain as a child and would complain of joint pain and stomach aches often. I was diagnosed with asthma around 8 years old and have always had trouble keeping up with kids my age physically. when I was 14 my health plummeted when I got mono and has been a crazy roller coaster ever since. I have had so many different medical tests and continue to add more to my list (I dont really keep a list and actually don't remember many of them lol) I have periods of time where my weight plummets and I am severely underweight for my height and am really weak, barely able to eat or keep anything down. With my EDS there are days that I am physically unable to walk because my hips won't allow me too and I end up in excruciating pain. I never know what each day will bring which can be frustrating at times but luckily I have some amazing friends all over the world to help me get through! " - Emilie McCauley
To follow Emilie please go to her Facebook Prayer Page called Zebra Em's Journey at https://www.facebook.com/ZebraEmsJourney