"I suffer with scleroderma and my Consultant is now at Solihull Hospital "

I was diagnosed with scleroderma over 10 years ago and have been very lucky to have followed my consultant from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, to Heartlands Hospital and now Solihull Hospital. This has been very important to me as seeing the same person has been a huge benefit in order for them to be able to see if I am better or worse, how I am coping with the various new drugs I try and my overall health in battling with this. I also have Raynaulds disease and it is very common to suffer with both.

Over the last 10 years medicine has come a long way and I am grateful to have tried many of the new stuff on the market. My disease is a lot more manageable now and I was once given a set of electric gloves and socks from Queen Elizabeth that are fantastic as my hands often go black in the cold winter months.

Throughout all of my treatment at the various hospitals I have always been treated with dignity and respect. I now have regular checks and often visit the Day Hospital, ward 9 and rheumatology outpatients departments where again all the staff are very friendly and I am never kept waiting for my appointments.

I am also a member of the Scleroderma Society where they keep you informed on the latest treatments and tips on how to treat my condition and this again is very useful. I like the fact that there I am also anonymous and each member is referred to as a person rather than a sufferer or a number. There is no cure from this and I am unable to work so being part of the society helps me.