Crystal's Story

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I have been a registered nurse for more than 30 years, someone who was very proactive about her health. In September 2008, while receiving medical care for something else, I experienced recurring, unexplained complications. Five months later, I thought I was finally getting better. Then I had two episodes of extreme exhaustion, severe headache, shaking, hot and cold chills, muscle spasms and aching, rapid heart rate, fever, joint pain, and was lightheaded. One physician thought it might be drug side effects, while a second doctor thought it was a severe flu. A third physician suggested seeing a therapist, as perhaps it was all in my head!

Deb's Story

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When Deb Claxton was diagnosed with Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in 2005, it was the last straw in a series of sad and tragic events that marked her life. Her first husband ran off with a married woman and she learned about it when she came home from work and found half her furniture and possessions missing. Her second husband was verbally abusive. She lost a son that died at birth, and the biggest tragedy in her life was the unexpected death of her 16 year old daughter.

Hoping and Coping

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By Mryna Rootham, December 2006

I am 54 years old, a mother of two sons and one honorary daughter and a grandmother. I teach little kids to speak French, publish literary fiction and poetry, direct a choir, sing and travel a lot. I have had to give up figure skating, cross-country and downhill skiing, portage canoeing and some dancing because of this disease. BUT! Oh the life I do live is just grand!

The Light Within

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By Robbyn, June 2007

I have to say that I am really not sure if I had symptoms of MPA in the beginning. I was awaiting heart surgery and had symptoms from that for two years prior. That being said I had open-heart surgery in February 2004. I was starting to feel great in April, because of the improvements in my heart. But soon after that I started going downhill. I thought I was just out of shape and started walking. Difficult and unsuccessful I might add. 

Wrestling the Unknown

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By Cindy Webber, VF Education and Awareness Council, December 2006

For the first 43 years of my life I was "boring" from a medical perspective. I was neither underweight, nor overweight. I worked out regularly and had no real medical history.