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A ray of hope

Posted , 9 users are following.

lily65668
lily65668

I'll have to be a bit cryptic if I'm to avoid this post being taken down, but I think everyone will know what I'm talking about.

It's true that Sjogren's affects all of us in different ways, and some more seriously than others. As I've said in other posts on these boards, some people get very unlucky, but for the majority it's not a life-threatening, or even seriously life-altering, disease. Most people manage to live with it, some very successfully indeed.

So... it's that time of year again, isn't it? Over most of Europe, and probably further afield, we're all having our TV schedules disrupted yet again by that seemingly endless tennis tournament in a south-western suburb of London. (Like I said - cryptic.)

And as I'm sure we all know by now, a prominent 37-year-old Sjogren's sufferer has just gone through to her 9th women's singles final, having already won it 5 times. She's won a total of 49 of her 81 world-class singles matches, as well as numerous doubles, plus 4 Olympic gold medals.

Just in case you were wondering, this isn't the VW fan club. This lady has had advantages in life that most of us haven't, not least the fact that she's 6ft 1in (1.83) which has undoubtedly helped in her chosen sport. She's also been able to afford the kind of top-class medical treatment that eludes most of us.

However, none of this detracts from the fact that she's been able to live an extremely successful life in spite of receiving a diagnosis of SS at the age of only 31, which would suggest that she's been quite badly affected. (In general, SS tends to be more severe the earlier it occurs.)

I can't say I'll be glued to my TV on Saturday afternoon. However, I think we can all take encouragement from this example of how a Sjogrens diagnosis doesn't have to be the end of the world.

(I'll be saving this one before I hit the "post" button... Just in case!)

2 likes, 20 replies

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  • cazeraz
    cazeraz lily65668

    Posted

    I have to say I enjoyed reading your thread so much lily and also Jennifer's thread too, I'm sorry to say Ive not got a good way of putting my thoughts into text  but I must agree whole heartedly with your threads. 

              

  • christine_73623
    christine_73623 lily65668

    Posted

    Ss for me has not been or doom and gloom I have had it now diagnoised now for 23 years and am now 54 I went back and got higher education and a degree and have travelled the world It has only been the last 5 years that it has all caught up with me I had to give up work that I loved. And nearly died a few years ago and spend 11 days in intensive care. Complications of ss. I have really bad fatigue now. But I am so thankful that I have only had problems the last 5 years and have had a great and full life even ever I start feeling sorry for myself I think there is some one else off than me and I kept an extremely postive attitude and people will comment and say to me wow you are so positive and that's how I live my life everyday

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