Illinois woman, 33, claims she developed scary ‘human statue’ condition after a soccer match

A 33-12 months-previous Illinois girl says it took health professionals ten many years to diagnose her with a joint affliction right after she collapsed for the duration of a soccer match.

Megan King, an artist, was 15 when she jumped to capture the soccer, but when she fell to the ground she hurt her correct ankle, tore the muscle off the two her shoulder blades and damaged her backbone.

She was on crutches for 16 months and needed various surgical procedures, but doctors stored telling her she was ‘depressed’ or becoming a ‘dramatic teenager’.

But at some point, Ms King was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic disorder that stops collagen — a essential joint tissue — from forming adequately. Final year Celine Dion unveiled she had the condition, which she said was earning her muscle tissue stiff and leaving her not able to ‘sing the way I’m used to’.

She has now experienced 37 surgical procedures and is fused from her cranium down to her pelvis, which means she can no longer change her head up, down, remaining or appropriate. But Ms King is good about the long run indicating she is ‘still smiling’ and ‘holding on to hope’.

Megan King, now 33, from Illinois, claimed it took medics ten decades to diagnose her connective tissue ailment known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She is pictured above 

Ms King said surgeons have now fused her from her skull down to her pelvis. This indicates she is no for a longer period capable to convert her head from left to appropriate or up or down

Describing her problem now, Ms King said: ‘It can be challenging for numerous to recognize that there is definitely zero backbone movement.

‘I simply cannot curl into a ball when I have a abdomen-ache. I’m like a statue. My torso does not go, only my arms and legs.

‘My moms and dads went from using me to soccer games and practices to health practitioner appointments, actual physical therapy, and surgical procedure- several of which were being out of state.’

There are 13 sorts of EDS, but the issue influences about a single in 20,000 to one particular in 40,000 Americans struggling from it.

It is a genetic ailment, and at existing medical practitioners have no heal for sufferers with therapy concentrated on easing signs.

It is induced by a defect in the genetics coding for collagen, a protein that adds versatility and power to connective tissue. 

Ms King experienced even more accidents in 2020 when she was attacked by a free pet dog. It led to her needing even more surgeries

Ms King is demonstrated above 

Men and women without having this can quickly suffer symptoms which includes unstable or extremely versatile joints that dislocate easily and skin that bruises conveniently.

Ms King didn’t realize she might have the ailment right until 2005, when she endured significant accidents just after jumping to catch a soccer during a game.

She mentioned: ‘I landed completely wrong on my correct leg.

‘I ruined my ankle, knee and hips and I was on crutches for a put together total of 16 months.’

She went to medical practitioners for assistance but was instructed that she likely did not have yet another condition. She stated health professionals explained to her, ‘you’re depressed’, ‘you’re becoming a spectacular teenager’, and ‘this is all in your head’. 

But in 2014 she met a surgeon who believed she may possibly be suffering from EDS. What adopted was a battery of checks that then verified the prognosis.

‘I went with out an EDS analysis for ten a long time despite significant joint troubles and unsuccessful surgeries for serious instability. EDS created its visual appearance the day my incident happened September 21, 2005. My incident did not cause EDS. EDS “woke up”.’

She additional: ‘Initially all health care personnel believed I only wounded my appropriate ankle that working day. The truth is I wounded my appropriate ankle, right knee, and ideal hip all from just one poor landing from when I jumped up to catch a soccer. My tissue was weak and ripped.

‘My remaining hip and my shoulder blades were ruined from a mixed total of 16 months on crutches.

‘A domino outcome of injuries took place all at the moment. My at the time quite robust athletic football body is what retained my non-existent indicators at bay.

‘After my personal injury, all the physical exercise ceased and that’s when my joint difficulties started.’

She has now been by means of 37 surgeries to support repair her connective tissue, but these have mostly led to lessened mobility.

Her to start with spinal medical procedures was in 2016, and incorporated fitting a halo brace and fusing her skull down to her backbone.

She has also experienced five leg surgical procedures and some 22 operations concluded on her shoulder blades.

But in 2020 she suffered additional accidents after being attacked by a free dog while she was on a walk. It took place just eight months immediately after her backbone and pelvis surgical procedures to fuse them with each other.

She fell to the ground for the duration of this triggering the rods in her again to break, and the screws to turn into loosened. This led to her dealing with more surgery.

Ms King is pictured over when at actual physical treatment. She is from Illinois

Ms King is demonstrated over in her personalized wheelchair when visiting a stadium

‘To say it was horrifying is an understatement,’ she said chatting about the pet dog assault.

‘My health practitioner told me it took an exceptional volume of pressure for the rods to split.

‘I was taken by ambulance to the medical center where by I was admitted.

‘The rods in my small back again at L5/S1 broke on equally sides. The screws in my left SI (sacroiliac) joint loosened.

‘I had to bear surgical procedures on March 12, 2021, to have operation from T10-pelvis. The surgical procedure was effective in repairing the broken components.

‘Unfortunately, I’ve had long lasting injury to my sciatic nerves. I have serious reduced back again ache and hassle going for walks.

‘The nerve soreness I experience in my legs burns like outrageous. I walk with a limp and cannot walk significantly owing to serious ache.

‘A customized wheelchair fitted 100{e538325c9cf657983df5f7d849dafd1e35f75768f2b9bd53b354eb0ae408bb3c} to me, had to be developed to assistance alleviate some of the ache. My wheelchair opened up my earth.’

Ms King said she was talking out to raise consciousness about the affliction.

She reported: ‘I just want to emphasize how critical it is to advocate for you.

‘By mother nature I’m quiet and I’m extremely shy. The considered of possessing to stand up for myself or suggest an concept to the doctors who went to medicalschool was horrifying to me. You know your physique best.

‘You know what you have been enduring. Find out as a lot as you can. The hours of exploration I have performed is infinite.

‘When my medical practitioners did not know what was mistaken I figured then I might as well attempt to enable. Finding out the language of drugs and getting able to converse with my medical practitioners built a huge distinction.

‘When I think back again on what I’ve been via, it’s frightening to imagine where by I’d be if I hadn’t spoken up.

‘With discomfort, there are a lot of times I really don’t want to go out. Then it dawned on me that I’m both going to damage at property or I’m likely to harm though owning exciting heading to a motion picture or out to a cafe.

‘I believe obtaining a healthy balance of remaining in a position to get out & about with suffering is important to living your lifetime. Really don’t place on a cap on what you are in a position to accomplish. Attainable objectives go considerably.’