Vicki's CVS Story
My name is Vicki, I am 40 years old
I have gotten sick for as long as I can remember, I was quite sick as a baby and they could never find a cause, I missed a lot of school as a result, I was told for the longest time that it was all in my head because they could not find a medical reason why I was always getting sick. I have heard all the different ways Drs have of saying that it is not real.
When I was 21 I got really sick to the point of having to be hospitalized, for 3 years I bounced in and out of the hospital trying to find out what was wrong, when I get an episode it usually lasts at least 7 -14 days, I found a gastro Dr in 2000, after he reviewed my medical file, he diagnosed me with CVS, another name for it is abdominal migraine, he put me on some meds and I went into remission for 10 years, in 2010 it came back worse than ever, I bounced in and out of the hospital for 2 years again, I have since suffered with the daily symptoms of nausea, vomiting, pain, migraines, I have found a way to abort most episodes but not without a fight, I thankfully have had no hospital admissions lately because of my CVS. I cannot work and as a result spent 10 years trying to get disability, finally getting approved on the third try. CVS also took my ability to have children away from me, I am thankful for my furkids and my CVS family, if it was not for them and a few select family and friends, I would be lost, I have found support in some various groups for CVS on Facebook, I eventually created my own for Sufferers Only to help create a family of CVS Sufferers, no offense to our caregivers for those that have them, but I figured we needed a safe place for just us. I hate CVS but I love the fact that it gave me a family I did not know I had. Some of the best people in my life I have never met in person only online but we have made a family. I met a couple of my CVS sisters and those days were the first time I felt I fit in. I have found support in the Facebook CVS groups where I found it nowhere else, there is no bigger relief than finding someone to share stories with that also goes through the same daily struggles. As adults we learn coping mechanisms for our each individual cases that works best, I have fought this illness for 40 yrs and will continue to fight it for the rest of my life.
One of my coping mechanisms is to make awareness pics and edit photos, it calms me down when my CVS acts up. Since 2012 I have been in almost constant episode. I also created a CVS Girls Only group for the ladies.
I have been with my better half for 23 years and am thankful everyday for him, he supports me, it takes a strong person to live with a CVS sufferer. I don't know if I could do it, he makes me a stronger person, I honestly do not know where I would be right now without him, he has been with me through everything and never given up on me. I love my support system and rely heavily on them.
~Princess Pink~
Vicki Cruickshank
40 year old CVS Sufferer
Symptoms of CVS are
⦁ Severe and constant, unremitting nausea
⦁ Onset of vomiting is most commonly during the night or early morning
⦁ Repeated vomiting, peaking at up to 5-6 times per hour
⦁ Retching, often violently
⦁ Pallor, often extreme paleness of the skin
⦁ Headache
⦁ Intense abdominal pain
⦁ Low grade fever
⦁ Vomiting episodes may repeat with regular spacing of days or weeks
⦁ Lethargy or unresponsiveness
⦁ Dizziness
⦁ Excessive salivation, and/or spitting
⦁ "Perplexing" or unusual behaviors
PLEASE SHARE MY STORY AND HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF CVS
#CyclicVomitingSyndromeStories
Please Share to raise awareness
or donate at www.cvsaonline.org
I have gotten sick for as long as I can remember, I was quite sick as a baby and they could never find a cause, I missed a lot of school as a result, I was told for the longest time that it was all in my head because they could not find a medical reason why I was always getting sick. I have heard all the different ways Drs have of saying that it is not real.
When I was 21 I got really sick to the point of having to be hospitalized, for 3 years I bounced in and out of the hospital trying to find out what was wrong, when I get an episode it usually lasts at least 7 -14 days, I found a gastro Dr in 2000, after he reviewed my medical file, he diagnosed me with CVS, another name for it is abdominal migraine, he put me on some meds and I went into remission for 10 years, in 2010 it came back worse than ever, I bounced in and out of the hospital for 2 years again, I have since suffered with the daily symptoms of nausea, vomiting, pain, migraines, I have found a way to abort most episodes but not without a fight, I thankfully have had no hospital admissions lately because of my CVS. I cannot work and as a result spent 10 years trying to get disability, finally getting approved on the third try. CVS also took my ability to have children away from me, I am thankful for my furkids and my CVS family, if it was not for them and a few select family and friends, I would be lost, I have found support in some various groups for CVS on Facebook, I eventually created my own for Sufferers Only to help create a family of CVS Sufferers, no offense to our caregivers for those that have them, but I figured we needed a safe place for just us. I hate CVS but I love the fact that it gave me a family I did not know I had. Some of the best people in my life I have never met in person only online but we have made a family. I met a couple of my CVS sisters and those days were the first time I felt I fit in. I have found support in the Facebook CVS groups where I found it nowhere else, there is no bigger relief than finding someone to share stories with that also goes through the same daily struggles. As adults we learn coping mechanisms for our each individual cases that works best, I have fought this illness for 40 yrs and will continue to fight it for the rest of my life.
One of my coping mechanisms is to make awareness pics and edit photos, it calms me down when my CVS acts up. Since 2012 I have been in almost constant episode. I also created a CVS Girls Only group for the ladies.
I have been with my better half for 23 years and am thankful everyday for him, he supports me, it takes a strong person to live with a CVS sufferer. I don't know if I could do it, he makes me a stronger person, I honestly do not know where I would be right now without him, he has been with me through everything and never given up on me. I love my support system and rely heavily on them.
~Princess Pink~
Vicki Cruickshank
40 year old CVS Sufferer
Symptoms of CVS are
⦁ Severe and constant, unremitting nausea
⦁ Onset of vomiting is most commonly during the night or early morning
⦁ Repeated vomiting, peaking at up to 5-6 times per hour
⦁ Retching, often violently
⦁ Pallor, often extreme paleness of the skin
⦁ Headache
⦁ Intense abdominal pain
⦁ Low grade fever
⦁ Vomiting episodes may repeat with regular spacing of days or weeks
⦁ Lethargy or unresponsiveness
⦁ Dizziness
⦁ Excessive salivation, and/or spitting
⦁ "Perplexing" or unusual behaviors
PLEASE SHARE MY STORY AND HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF CVS
#CyclicVomitingSyndromeStories
Please Share to raise awareness
or donate at www.cvsaonline.org
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