• I have Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency
    3 replies, posted
Hello Facepunch, I'd like to take the time to talk to all of you about a condition I was born with. It is called Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic mutation of sorts that makes me develop very low amounts of the protein alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT). Because of this condition I was born with, I have had and still have a hard time getting by physically. My deficiency not only screws with my blood, but it has screwed with my liver, so I have cirrhosis. I also have the early forms of emphysema, and I will probably develop asthma by 30/40. I have problems gaining weight, I experience depression on a day-to-day basis, and I feel exhausted constantly. This isn't to say I'm feeble or anything, I've done sports throughout most of my life (i'm currently only nineteen years old so not that long of a life), so I'm rather athletically built. It wouldn't be so bad that I have all of these problems if not for the fact that I can't do anything about it. I can't get treatment to fix anything (cirrhosis is irreparable damage to the liver), and I am not allowed to take most medications, as it would cause problems with my lungs and liver. I can't even drown my sorrows in alcohol or smoke cigarettes, that would just complicate problems. I just wanted to bring all of you this information as a hope of enlightening all of you to this problem, and hoping it can make all of you feel better about yourselves. Oh, and here is the wikipedia page if you want to read a little more on the condition, [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_1[/url] Thanks.
that sucks.
[QUOTE=Orckrast;32017086]that sucks.[/QUOTE] Yea, but I've learned to live with it.
I have a birth defect, my bladder formed outside of my body somehow, and didn't grow as I got older (yeah they put it inside when I was born). I had a lot of operations and all that shit with other complications that made my life (I'm 20) a living horror. I have seen kids only 10-12 say they know they don't have much left, and they still could be happy. I have a friend who is intensely brain damaged (but he's a nice guy really) because he nearly died 3-4 times, and he's the same age as me. I don't mean to offend but no one gives a shit about what problems you live with. We all have hardships some are big and some are like nothing. Those who can't live with them commit suicide or just give up. I'm glad you can live with yours, but I'm certain you have it better than most of the non-handicapped. The main thing is, no one cares.
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