Well like every story, it’s always best to start at the beginning, when my life was changed forever, and this was in the mid to late 80’s when I was just 10 years old and was first diagnosed with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. You see in the years before my diagnosis my parents had me join the local soccer team, and it didn’t take long for them to notice that I was having some issues keeping up with other children. I was struggling, having issues running from one end of the field to the other; I just could not keep up. I even remember a time once during gym class when we had to run from one end of the gym and back, I really hated it because every time we had to do it I was always the one finishing last. As a child this was very frustrating for me, especially learning at such a young age that running was something that was going to be difficult for me. And this is just the beginning of My Becker’s Story.
What led to my diagnosis of Becker's Muscular Dystrophy
With all the physical issues I was facing at just 10 years old, my parents eventually took me to our family Doctor who seemed to have an idea about what was going on. Shortly after this I was sent to a local children’s hospital to undergo some testing to see what could be the cause of all the physical issues that I had been facing. The testing took place over a two day period and included various tests, ranging from simple things such as the doctors watching me walk from one end of a hall and back, to even having me climb some stairs - simply to see how much of a challenge they were for me. Then the more serious and somewhat painful testing had to be completed. One such test involved doctors putting long needles into my calf muscles - to be honest what I remember most was the pain, which could only be described as excruciating. I couldn’t have been happier when this test was finally completed. Then the very last test they needed to perform on me involved surgery in the form of a muscle biopsy. This is where they removed a small piece of muscle tissue from my right arm. Once the surgery was complete all that remained were four stitches in my right arm.Being 10 years old at the time the whole experience was very interesting to me. It sure was a long two days and I will admit I was definitely glad when my hospital stay came to an end. After this life just went back to normal, it was back to hanging out with friends and doing the things most kids do. To be honest life was still good and honestly I thought that the entire experience was pretty cool. Plus I was very popular when I returned to school as everyone just wanted to see my stitches. Thinking back I really believe what I enjoyed the most was the fact that I got to miss a couple days of school.
The results of my muscle biopsy come in
Eventually the results of my muscle biopsy came in and it was at that point when my parents were given the news that I had been diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder known as Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. When it comes to Becker's it is just one out of many different forms of Muscular Dystrophy one can be diagnosed with. As far as Becker's is concerned it affects the body in many ways this can range from, muscle weakness, difficulty running, progressive difficulty walking, frequent falls and eventually the use of a wheelchair. So at this time in my life now I can't even imagine what my parents would have felt like when they were given this news. Ask any parent whose child has been diagnosed with any condition and I am sure they would tell you it’s quite devastating. My parents were even told I would be in a wheelchair by mid-twenties and I know they did their best to stay strong for me. Thankfully they didn’t focus too much on my diagnosis, sure they tried to learn as much as they could but they still allowed me to enjoy my childhood.
The story continues please (Click Here) to read
“My childhood with Becker Muscular Dystrophy.”
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