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Scleroderma
At first, Emily Nitz Woods's symptoms didn't seem serious. Her rings didn't fit because her hands were a little swollen. So were her ankles. Then she noticed something strange: Sometimes her hands would turn blue or purple and briefly stiffen as if she had frostbite. She consulted one doctor, who thought it might be an allergic reaction, then another, but neither was able to give her a diagnosis. Meanwhile, Emily, who'd been riding in horse shows since she was five, continued to compete and placed in the top ten for a national event.But her hands were still giving her problems, and soon she couldn't control the reins like she used to. A rheumatologist finally solved the mystery in 1999 through careful analysis of her symptoms, medical history and a blood test for certain antibodies: She had scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disorder. The then-29-year-old mom from Plano, Texas, didn't know how to react. She'd never heard of the disease, which affects an estimated 300,000 Americans, mostly women.
No one knows what causes scleroderma, but experts believe it's the result of the immune system triggering the body to produce too much collagen, a protein found in connective tissues. Theories to explain the gender disparity include links to hormones, differences in inflammatory response or fetal cells from previous pregnancies. There are two main forms of the disease, and Emily had the more serious, which attacks not only skin but also blood vessels, joints and internal organs, including the heart, lungs and kidneys. Due to the dangerous complications, about 50 percent of people with this type die within five years of diagnosis.
"That was very scary to learn," says Emily, "but I told myself it wasn't going to happen to me."
For two years after the diagnosis, Emily's energy ebbed and her hands grew increasingly swollen and stiff. She was forced to give up riding, which was very hard for her: "Showing and competing were the passions I lived for." Her doctor prescribed several medications for her swelling and pain. Emily also tried acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Nothing brought complete relief, but for a time she was able to continue her advertising job.
In early 2002, she married her boss, Kevin Woods, and in September their daughter, Emma Alexandra, was born. She was six weeks early but in perfect health: a five-and-a-half-pound beauty with big brown eyes and a full head of silky hair. "Emma was such a good baby, I could take her anywhere," says Emily, who settled into life as a stay-at-home mom. "Everyone told me how lucky I was." She was glad to learn that scleroderma is not passed on from parent to child.
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