I'm not your typical 19 year old young lady. I'm a full time college student, hoping to go into a theraputic occupation for children. That's where my "typical-ness" ends. I don't care to party, and I don't need a huge group of a friends. My weekends usually consist of cooking, watching movies, reading, studying, or going to horse shows. I'm a dedicated equestrian. I volunteer a lot, especially with special-needs children. I've trained guide dogs before. And, unlike most of my peers, I'm not healthy. Just a month after turning 19, I finally recieved a diagnosis for the joint pain, fatigue, and memory problems I'd been suffering through for the past year.
About UCTD
I was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disorder. Like me when I first heard the term, you probably just asked "What!?" A simple explanation is that I'm showing symptoms of an autoimmune disorder, but not enough to give it a name. Getting more complicated, my condition is likely an early stage of Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis in accordance with family history. I'm showing symptoms from both of those disorders, but nothing that explicitly puts me into one or the other.
UCTD affects me in many different ways. One of the most prominent has been the joint pain and stiffness. Fine motor skills such as opening water bottles, writing, buttoning a shirt, etc. are painful and difficult to do because my fingers won't cooperate. Another main way I'm affected is through fatigue. Just a normal day of class leaves me exhusted and needing about an hour long nap or so to restore some spoons for the rest of the day. For my fellow equestrians, the "horse-show hangover" is even worse for me. The most frustrating affect, though, has been the memory problems. Just remembering one course without a problem while at a show has become a major accomplishment. It's endlessly frustrating to constantly have a name of an object or phrase on the tip of your tounge and not quite being able to get it out.
About Strides and Spoons
Strides and Spoons was born out of my wish to have a place to vent when my disorder becomes more of a struggle than usual. Having a way to chronicle my process with this disorder as both a college student and an equestrian is another wish for my little corner of the internet. If anyone wants to come along for the journey, that's fine, but if not, I'll just keep on talking to myself.
