To Father Scott Nell diagnosed with an insidious disease and given only a few years to live after noticing that his fingers had changed color after being in the snow. After undergoing tests, doctors discovered that he was suffering from a disease called Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis, which can lead to serious organ problems and be life-threatening. , the man pointed out that he managed to overcome the bad prognosis of the doctors and according to his words, he will live for a very long time.
He suffers from an insidious disease
Scott, 47, in November 2017 began experiencing unusual pain in his fingers after spending time in the cold. He pulled off his gloves and noticed that his fingertips were as white as a sheet of paper. A few days later, fluid appeared under the skin of one of his fingers and he reported feeling very tired. “One morning I woke me up and I couldn’t straighten my arms and legs, it took me several minutes,” noted Scott and he made an appointment with a doctor who took samples of his stool and blood, and later also with a rheumatologist.
After passing tests and visiting specialists the garden designer was diagnosed with diffuse skin systemic sclerosis. It is one of the types of scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease that is caused by the body producing too much collagen, which leads to hardening of the skin.
He is undergoing exhaustive treatment
After a serious diagnosis, Scott’s doctors they took him for an x-ray examination of the lungs, because this disease can have a bad effect on the internal organs. However, at the time, he did not detect any problems, so he was given medication to help alleviate the initial symptoms. A few months later, however, he found that he had difficulty breathing. “When I tilted to one side, my vents closed completely. I tried to sleep sitting up but I got to the point where I couldn’t breathe at all,” Scott added, starting to take morphine.
Experts advised Scott to undergo chemotherapy because the chemicals in it they can help soften the skin and tissue around internal organs. “It’s not intense like a cancer patient. That’s why I lost very little hair,” he explained. In addition he takes around 250 tablets a week, which include morphine, paracetamol and antibiotics.
Despite this intensive treatment, Scott has major problems with lung function and pain due to muscle exhaustion. In 2022, he doctors said he had less than two years to live. However, the 47-year-old man managed to beat those prognoses and now wants to raise awareness about scleroderma. “I would say to anyone who has a confirmed diagnosis not to panic. Because new methods of treatment are constantly emerging. The key to success is early diagnosis. The earlier the sooner you start treatment, the longer you will live“, he pointed out.
