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| If one of us went down, so did the other. #unity |
Some of the most common early symptoms, often appearing in people who don't even know they have the disease, include
- Foot weakness and numbness
- Foot deformities such as high arches and claw toes
- Muscle loss in the lower legs
- Balance problems
- "Foot drop" (difficulty lifting the front of the foot)
- Reduced reflexes
I've had all of those symptoms for as long as I can remember. From a very early age - before I started preschool - I began wearing leg braces called AFO's to support my legs and ankles while I walked, prevent tripping due to foot drop, and slow the development of deformities in my feet.
Just a few months ago, I learned that not everybody is subject to this test every time they go to the doctor. I'm still convinced it's pretty common, but for anyone who doesn't know, it's called a reflex test, and it involves a medical professional hitting your joints (usually knees, elbows, and ankles) with a little hammer-like tool to check your reflexes. I fail this one pretty hard, but they persist in doing it every single time. Optimists? Sadists? I'll never know.
On a related note, one test I haven't always failed is the one where they ask me to squeeze their fingers as hard as I can. Especially if it was after the reflex test, I used to have one heck of a grip.
Two of the other main symptoms I had as a young child were hip dysplasia and scoliosis. These symptoms are mostly seen in people with "severe" CMT, which is definitely me. Neither of these were discovered by doctors until I was ten, but they were probably there all along.
Throughout middle school, I had a series of surgeries to put pins and rods in my hips and spine.Plus two extra surgeries to fix mistakes the surgeon made, but that's another story. The end result of those surgeries was that I was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. That was bound to happen either way, but I reserve the right to be a little bit bitter about how it went down.
In high school, I needed another surgery to help with the deformities in my ankles and feet. It was called a "triple tendon transfer," and it gifted me with flat, rectangular feet, rather than the high arches typical of CMT. I was offered the option of an additional surgery to correct my hammer toes, but I opted out. (Click this link to find out why. Maybe not while eating. Ain't no straight toes worth that, thank you.)
All of those same deformities eventually occur in the hands and arms as the disease progresses. So far, I just have muscle weakness and a barely-noticeable (please don't tell me otherwise) deformity in my wrists. Basically, I can no longer open jars, reliably pick up small objects, or squeeze my doctor's fingers to the point of breaking, and my hands get tired pretty easily when I write by hand. (I can still type just fine, thank goodness.)
Some of the other symptoms I have include tremors; constant burning and tingling nerve pain in my fingers, feet, and legs; lessened ability to detect and adjust to temperature changes; constantly cold feet and hands; dry skin; hair thinning in affected areas (which does not yet mean no shaving my legs, sadly, but I have hope); a lessened sense of touch in my fingertips; foot numbness; difficulty breathing due to a weakened diaphragm; and partial hearing loss.
I have to check my feet and legs often for injuries, because I don't always notice when I'm hurt. Injuries that do occur heal very, very slowly or not at all - I've had a bruise on one of my toes since October, and a bug bite I got on my foot in July seems to be a permanent scar.
Overall, the symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth are a pretty huge part of my life. People tend to frown on saying that an illness defines you, and there are definitely other more important factors in my life, but having this disease has had a major role in shaping who I am. How could it not?
These two awesome videos show the lighter side to living with CMT. Highly recommend.
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| Not pictured: I had tie-dye braces in middle school. I was the coolest. |
Just a few months ago, I learned that not everybody is subject to this test every time they go to the doctor. I'm still convinced it's pretty common, but for anyone who doesn't know, it's called a reflex test, and it involves a medical professional hitting your joints (usually knees, elbows, and ankles) with a little hammer-like tool to check your reflexes. I fail this one pretty hard, but they persist in doing it every single time. Optimists? Sadists? I'll never know.
On a related note, one test I haven't always failed is the one where they ask me to squeeze their fingers as hard as I can. Especially if it was after the reflex test, I used to have one heck of a grip.
 |
| If you kick them, you're good. |
Two of the other main symptoms I had as a young child were hip dysplasia and scoliosis. These symptoms are mostly seen in people with "severe" CMT, which is definitely me. Neither of these were discovered by doctors until I was ten, but they were probably there all along.
How that discovery was announced to me:
Doctor, reading my x-ray: Oh my god, look at that spine!
Other doctor: Forget the spine, look at those hips!
Smooth.
Throughout middle school, I had a series of surgeries to put pins and rods in my hips and spine.
 |
| Middle school: The BEST time to become dependent on a wheelchair. ;) |
In high school, I needed another surgery to help with the deformities in my ankles and feet. It was called a "triple tendon transfer," and it gifted me with flat, rectangular feet, rather than the high arches typical of CMT. I was offered the option of an additional surgery to correct my hammer toes, but I opted out. (Click this link to find out why. Maybe not while eating. Ain't no straight toes worth that, thank you.)
All of those same deformities eventually occur in the hands and arms as the disease progresses. So far, I just have muscle weakness and a barely-noticeable (please don't tell me otherwise) deformity in my wrists. Basically, I can no longer open jars, reliably pick up small objects, or squeeze my doctor's fingers to the point of breaking, and my hands get tired pretty easily when I write by hand. (I can still type just fine, thank goodness.)
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| He appears to be making more progress with that than I ever could. |
Some of the other symptoms I have include tremors; constant burning and tingling nerve pain in my fingers, feet, and legs; lessened ability to detect and adjust to temperature changes; constantly cold feet and hands; dry skin; hair thinning in affected areas (which does not yet mean no shaving my legs, sadly, but I have hope); a lessened sense of touch in my fingertips; foot numbness; difficulty breathing due to a weakened diaphragm; and partial hearing loss.
I have to check my feet and legs often for injuries, because I don't always notice when I'm hurt. Injuries that do occur heal very, very slowly or not at all - I've had a bruise on one of my toes since October, and a bug bite I got on my foot in July seems to be a permanent scar.
Overall, the symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth are a pretty huge part of my life. People tend to frown on saying that an illness defines you, and there are definitely other more important factors in my life, but having this disease has had a major role in shaping who I am. How could it not?
These two awesome videos show the lighter side to living with CMT. Highly recommend.
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