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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Lauren Gibilisco

It’s been 10 years since I graduated from High School. We had our 10th year reunion this last weekend. I had to find someone who could help lead me around. I love my mom but going to a reunion with your mom is just not cool, so I asked my friend Meredith to take me.

The first festivity was a float in a parade. The class reunions are always during our town’s celebration weekend. As much as I wanted to sit on the float with my classmates, I knew it would be impossible. The weather was 85 degrees which is way too hot for me to be outside long and then there was the problem of needing a restroom. We had to line up on our float an hour before the parade and then the parade was an hour long. I can’t go that long without needing the restroom. It really disappointed me but I’ve learned there are things I just can’t partake in.

The next festivity was out at a cabin.   I talked with my mom and decided it would just be too hard for me to walk across an uneven surface, be outside in the heat, and again needing the restroom. So we decided to just skip that also. Then my friend Meredith said she was only going to stay out there for an hour and would help guide me around. I was very excited about that. I really did want to go but didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. But Meredith insisted that I wouldn’t be a burden and she would be glad to take me there. I was really happy I went. I got to see a lot of my classmates. Well I couldn’t SEE them but I was able to talk with them and say hello. Meredith took me around and let me know who was there so I could say hello to everyone.

Then that evening there was a dinner banquet. Meredith again took me there and helped me to the table. Unfortunately not many of my classmates came. So I was really glad I was able to go to the cabin because I saw many more classmates then I would have been able to see at the banquet.

After the banquet everyone was heading to the bar to celebrate. There was a live band playing and it was less than ½ block to my house. Unfortunately by this time I was getting very tired. That darn fatigue was getting in the way of my continuing the celebration. I told everyone that I would be the designated driver to drive them home but no one took me up on that one. I wonder why? But overall it was a great experience and I’m glad I went and I’m glad that my friend Meredith took the time to help me enjoy the celebration. I am very grateful to her.

Image of Lauren Gibilisco's class reunion.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome

Maybe or Maybe Not

image of a golf cartOriginally, I was told that Vocational Rehabilitation could provide financial assistance towards a street legal golf cart. When I first heard these words I was exhilarated to think that independent transportation is a possibility. I am still not full time at the wellness and rehabilitation center I work for so financial assistance is needed to acquire a street legal golf cart. It was explained that I must obtain a quote for a golf cart, add it to my file, Vocational Rehabilitation would purchase the golf cart, and then Vocational Rehabilitation would receive a tax rebate. It was all planned out and I was feeling optimistic that a Wolfram Patient, like me, could increase level of independence. Although, I try my best to be cautiously optimistic by saying that it may happen or it may not.

The next stop I was making was at the Vocational Rehabilitation office to add the golf cart quote to my existing file. While in the office a close review of the vehicle purchase policy took place and it was discovered that only 15% of the total vehicle value (down payment) could be offered. This information seemed logical but was and still is a slight stretch for me financially. Secondly, it was discovered that a street legal golf cart requires registration, tags, auto insurance, and a valid license. Obviously, the golf cart scenario has put on hold. It is times like these when I tell myself to “count my blessing, cope with the hand I was dealt, and keep pressing on.”

On a lighter note, my next eye appointment is on July 10th and it will provide me with details as to where my vision stands. I know that rapid aging and detonation of my central nervous system (Wolfram Syndrome) is a tough hand to me dealt in life but I do my best to stay optimistic and keep a realistic outlook in life. It’s one of my favorite clichés: “It may happen and it may not.”

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Lauren Gibilisco

For once I can say that I have had a busy couple of weeks. It was really nice.  My sister took a vacation to Cancun. We got to dog sit Emmy, my sister’s dog, for a whole week. I have written about her before so I know you know her. It was fun to have extra company and someone to play with. But there were some problems.

Wolfram syndrome patient Lauren GibiliscoEmmy needed to be taken out to go to the bathroom. I couldn’t do that. First of all, I couldn’t see to put her leash on and hook her up to the stake. I also couldn’t see if she went to the bathroom. I am also not allowed to go outside by myself because I can so easily lose my direction and have trouble finding the house again. That was the rule put down after I got lost outside my house for an hour and 15 minutes in a tee shirt and shorts when it was 28 degrees. So my mom had to come home every couple of hours to let Emmy outside.

Emmy was very distracted while outside. My mom said she was a city dog in the country. My mom would tell her to go potty and she would start to but… oh a bird, I hear an owl, there are kids playing, leaves are blowing, etc. It did not take much to distract her. It would sometimes take a half hour to get her to settle down and go potty.

The other problem I had with Emmy is that she is very energetic. She liked to play a lot. I get tired in the afternoons and need to rest. But Emmy would bark at me to play. She wouldn’t let me sleep until I played with her. Luckily I didn’t have to play a long time. Overall, the rest of the time she was Emmy, my favorite dog and great company for me.

Here is the great news. I found another volunteer job. I am going to work at our local museum helping to catalog, fold clothes and put away special papers to preserve them. It is really fun. I work with this lady called Deb. She likes to talk as much as I do so my nonstop talking doesn’t bother her. It is very interesting the things we are preserving. A lot of the items I have never heard about or know how they were used, so it is fun learning about history while working. We have been folding linens this week. Although I can’t see them, Deb describes them to me and I feel the textures of the fabric. It is amazing to wonder how those people back then could create such intricate work.

I work at the museum on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons for about 4 hours. Then I am still working Wednesday morning at the telephone company. This will really help keep me occupied and I won’t be stuck at home being bored. Although I am not getting paid, it is so great to be out around people again and having someone else to talk to than just my mom. There is only one problem. My mom thought that when I got this job I would be talking to other people and so I would not have to talk to her so much. Oh she was so wrong. I come home and have stories to tell and conversations to repeat. So although I am not bored anymore, my mom unfortunately is still stuck with me talking non-stop.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Adam Zwan

New Beginnings

a group of children in the sunset with a sign that says HOPE above them.Wolfram Syndrome is a rapid aging and deterioration of the central nervous system. The damages consist of diabetes, chronic kidney failure, deafness, and blindness; it’s not anything to be ashamed of, it’s just not something worth bragging about on the first date.

Throughout life I have experienced my fair share of health issues, some resulting in hospitalization, some ending with a seizure, and others finalized with constipation. I now look at all my past complications and can comfortably say it is water under the bridge because there is hope in the future for improved living. Things started improving when I first decided to move out on my own. Next is the golf cart I will acquire through vocational rehabilitation that will provide independent transportation to and from work. The next thing I hope will happen is a clinical trial for Wolfram syndrome. I understand that there are multiple hurdles before the trial starts. If trials are successful (first in the U.S. since 1938) then my mind will be put at ease from thinking that health struggles will continue getting worse. Thus, I will be forever grateful to The Snow Foundation and Dr. Urano for making such a life-altering path.Road sign that says the future is now.

All in all, I have proven to myself as well as people I come in contact with that patience is a virtue and perseverance can pay back in full. I will maintain hope and keep on being patient until the trial starts. It is amazing to imagine what the future may hold and that I may now start setting long term goals to be accomplished decades from now.

 

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Adam Zwan

Independence

wolfram syndrome independenceI recently moved out of my parents’ home to live on my own in an apartment all in an effort to gain some independence and self-sufficiency. It has been a start to the next chapter in my life with both pros and cons. It feels good to depend on myself to fulfill everyday tasks but it will take some time for my family to relax and feel confident that I can fend for myself.

The whole scenario was made possible after acquiring the Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring system with Share. This device accurately monitors my glucose levels and through Bluetooth communicates with five chosen followers who can also see what my glucose levels are. For the first time in my life other people can see part of what my body is experiencing. As some may have guessed, when my glucose level is below 150 mg/dL all my following family members believe that my glucose is plummeting and I need assistance. The drama has settled somewhat and they now see that an assistant is not needed to feed me orange juice and peanut butter but I am fully capable of serving myself.

Next in line is the cell phone chaos. When my glucose falls a little bit I receive phone calls from three or four of my followers, regardless of the time of day. If I do not have my phone by my side, I am in the shower, using the restroom, or in the gym and someone is trying to call me but I am unable to talk it is all perceived that I am in trouble. Thus, a family member is dispatched to my apartment or 911 is called and then canceled when I become available. I know I should just be thankful that I have a family who cares for me as much as I do but it make everyday living a bit difficult. Although, the yo-yo effect my glucose readings go through is mostly my fault. It seems the harder I try to control my glucose levels the harder it becomes. The exercise I participate in six times a week, my Gastro Paresis, and my limited diet all play a part in my frequent glucose fluctuations.

Everyone has a story and everyone has something he or she struggles with, my struggle in life is health (Wolfram Syndrome). I remind myself everyday that challenges in life are a given but coping and pushing forward are choices. My prayers rest with the Snow Foundation to fund research and Dr. Urano in finding a treatment for Wolfram Syndrome.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Lauren Gibilisco

When I was 13 I saw a low vision specialist. He was trying different devices on me to get my vision a little better. Then he told me “you will never ever drive.” Well that about told me what my future was going to be like.

Me and my wonderful Mom.

Me and my wonderful Mom.

But I was going to prove the doctor wrong. My mom took me to a very large, empty parking lot. There I was able to satisfy my need for speed. I would go very fast and then slam on the brakes so the car would spin around. Then my mom would take me out into the country and I would drive fast on the gravel roads. One day she said “Lauren look out for that ditch,” and I said, “What ditch?” I was heading straight for it. My mom said that was enough. No more driving on the country roads or parking lots. My dad asked my mom if I would be a good driver if I could see. My mom said “No. The way she likes to drive fast she would get a whole lot of speeding tickets.” After our driving attempts I think that was when my mom started coloring her hair. Riding with me turned her hair gray.

This week on TV I saw something that may change my life. They are coming closer to having cars that drive themselves. I knew there were already cars out there that could parallel park. Could you imagine me trying to park between two cars? Well now they actually have cars that drive themselves. You just tell it where to go and it will drive you right there. They say it will be a lot safer driving than some of the people on the roads today. This would solve my problems. Right now I am reliant on my mom to drive me everywhere. She takes me shopping, out to eat or go to our many doctor appointments. Now I would be able to just jump in the car and say “take me there.” How cool would that be?

So technology has come a long way. They have come up with things that can really help people like me. They have talking watches, talking alarm clocks, talking scales, talking meters and many more. So there are great possibilities out there in technology that will make our life easier.

The only downfall I can see right now to getting a car that drives itself, is that I would probably visit the ice cream store a whole lot more.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Lauren Gibilisco

A couple of weeks ago I was asked if one thing could be healed on me, what would it be? I thought about it for a while and decided it would be my hearing. I asked my mom what she thought and she answered blindness of course. She couldn’t believe I said my hearing.

Photo of Lauren Gibilisco

Lauren Gibilisco

My hearing went before my blindness. But with the hearing I was able to get hearing aids that definitely helped me hear. Life went on and I slowly lost my vision. It wasn’t something that went at once so I was able to adapt. My cane instructor worked with me to listen for sounds in order to cross streets and even know where I was. So vision was directly affected by hearing.

Last week, my one hearing aid quit working and the other one had the ear mold fall off. This happened both at the same time. Suddenly I almost couldn’t hear anything. My mom called up our hearing doctor and asked if we could drop off my hearing aid that day and have them glue it back together. We had a hearing appointment scheduled for the next week but I couldn’t wait that long. It was right before Easter when all our relatives were coming to our house. They of course said they would be happy to do it for me. This is out of town for us, so my mom and me went out to lunch and then did some shopping to waste time until they called to say it was fixed.

Now just think about it. Here I was, not able to see anything, and now couldn’t hardly hear anything. My mom had to yell in my ear for me to hear. All of the sudden my vision became much worse because I did not have my hearing to help guide me. The dark became darker.

The following week I went to my hearing appointment. My hearing had been getting really bad and my mom made the appointment because she was tired of having to scream all the time. The good news is that the doctor said my hearing had decreased but not that much. It was my hearing aids that were shot. I needed a new pair. He also was telling us about the improvements in hearing aids since I had my other pair. He said they made them moisture proof so when I sweat in the summer it won’t affect them. He said I would be able to hear much better for the advancements but would still have difficulty understanding what was being said. It’s like I can’t tell if you said “pink or sink”. This makes me take time to understand what you are saying because here I am thinking you are talking about something being pink and you instead are talking about the sink. This takes the brain a little longer to catch up.

Now even though he said the understanding would still be a problem, there would be an improvement. I was happy to hear this. I talk with kids all over the world and understanding their accents is sometimes very difficult. I hope this will help me so I will be better able to connect with the world.

Now my mother understood why I would want my hearing fixed soon. I can get around pretty good with my cane and with my hearing I can do almost anything. After thinking it all through my mom had thought without being able to hear and see I would only have a few options. Would a cochlear implant help me or would we have to start learning sign language in the hand like Helen Keller did. My mom admitted it was more stressful to always having to repeat things than picking up something I bumped into and broke. Life is always amusing.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Adam Zwan

Worst So Far – My Hypoglycemic Seizure

Moving out on my own in April 2015 is a chance for me to increase my confidence and begin experiencing more of life’s treasures. On the other hand, there are some health risks and family worries due to my taking a chance on my own. I tell myself to be thankful to have such a close-knit family that loves and cares as much as they do.

Diabetes is the cause of most worries and I make the best of it by saying “that’s just the hand I was dealt in life.” On April 2nd this year I moved into my new one bedroom apartment where everything I will need is in walking distance. In order to relieve my father having to take me to the gym every morning as early as 5 a.m. I moved into an apartment located only one mile down the street from the gym. Along with the gym there is a Wal-Mart, doctor offices, and restaurants just beyond the parking lot. Obviously my mission was accomplished moving within walking distance of necessities. However, a health glitch occurred due to my slight change in routine upon the move in day.

Image of hypoglycemic seizureMy everyday routine, regarding exercise and nutrition, was altered resulting in a hypoglycemic seizure. My glucose dropped as I was home alone and the orange juice I drank did not do the trick. I ended up getting exhausted and after taking a shower I decided to lie down for 20 minutes. Two hours later I woke up to a room filled with family members and EMT. I was lying in bed in a puddle of sweat with an IV in my arm. I was told that I survived one of the worst seizures I have ever had and that due to the seizure I got dehydrated.

Further, the seizure was explained in detail informing me that this was the first time my heart rate plummeted and I lost consciousness. I was given a glucagon shot that caused my liver to release glycogen and increase my glucose level. An ambulance ride was offered and I declined because all was fine after gaining my bearings. Knowing what happened and why made the whole occurrence a learning experience. I now know how important it is for me to follow routine and stay regimented.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Lauren Gibilisco

blood sugars scaleThe Blood Sugars Balance

By: Lauren Gibilisco

I had a few weeks where my blood sugars were unstable. If I ate something that would make me go high, I was still low. This happened for about 2 weeks. Now the bad thing about the timing of low blood sugars is that I’d probably be able to have a lot of ice-cream since it usually makes me go high. But I gave it up for Lent and couldn’t indulge. L Since then the blood sugars have been erratic. I could eat the same thing at the same time and do the same thing and my blood sugars were very different from day to day. Now unfortunately this was a problem because I was going to have another Botox injection into my bladder. I couldn’t eat or drink anything after midnight. So not knowing how my blood sugars would be, I ate a carb full supper. I ate pizza and did not give any Humalog and cut my Lantus down by 5 units. We had to drive into Omaha for the surgery which is 2 hours away. We were afraid that I would be low and get lower on the drive. So cutting down on the insulin would really help keep me from going low. After all this my blood sugar was only 199 which aren’t great but considering everything I did it was something we were comfortable with. By the end of the time I was in the hospital, which was about 10 hours, my blood sugars were 128. Thank goodness my blood sugars cooperated that day.

Now when I was in the hospital they asked me if I wore a pump. I told them “no” because I can’t see it and they said they didn’t think about that. Right now I am totally independent in taking care of my diabetes. I use pens to dispense the insulin and I have a talking meter. Now I know the pump would be very beneficial to me but it would make me dependent on someone again. I’m not quite sure how they work but I think someone would have to dispense the insulin in. I know it also beeps to let you know if you are going high or low. That is something else I would have a problem with. Right now one of my hearing aids seems not to be working well. I also believe my hearing has decreased again. I am having a very hard time hearing. When you are blind you rely on your hearing. But with me being hard of hearing I can’t rely on my sight. So unfortunately it makes it very difficult to use the pump and remain independent. They have talking meters; hopefully someday they will have talking pumps. But they would need to have the volume be very loud. Now mom WHAT did you say????? Sometimes it is very convenient to not being able to hear your mom.

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Living With Wolfram Syndrome – Adam Zwan

PHD: Pray, Hope, & Don’t Worry

Wolfram syndrome moving vanMy whole life has revolved around health status and trying to control the progression of Wolfram syndrome. Even though the harder I try, the more difficult it seems to get. I decided to take a big chance and try living on my own. It has been made clear to me that everyone around me worries regardless of the circumstances. Thus, worrying will continue the rest of my life so I must make a change and do something for myself.

Wolfram syndrome is just a diagnosis of lifetime worrying: diabetes, kidney failure, deafness, blindness, and paralysis; it’s like a never-ending story. The worrying began for me at age seven and only became worse as of today: food, glucose levels, seizures, kidney/bladder infections, gastro paresis, sanitary conditions for catheterization as well as visual and hearing difficulties. I made a pact with myself to stop worrying about making others worry and try to broaden my horizon by enjoying life. It all starts with the first decision I have made, on my own behalf, of moving out and getting a place of my own. Sure living on my own will be difficult at first, but life as a whole is difficult and coping is something I have done since the beginning.

In the end, I will be able to boost my confidence by saying, “living on my own is a possibility and I am proving it.” Increasing awareness and funding research at Washington University in St. Louis is a fantastic venue but today I must rely on myself to slow progression as much as I can through fitness and nutrition while I experience the now. However, if living on my own does not work out I give everyone permission to say “I told you so.”

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