Nurse Emily Wheeler lives with HAE and is taking part in the study (IMAGE)
Caption
Nurse Emily Wheeler, aged 23, is one in 50,000 people – she is living with HAE and taking part in the study. As a result of HAE, Emily experiences swelling mainly in her stomach, adding up to 4kg of fluid to her abdomen during painful attacks that usually last a week. Before her diagnosis, she faced losing part of her bowel and being forced to go through menopause at 21 years before doctors thankfully discovered the reason for her unexplained swelling was actually HAE through a simple blood test. While it took Emily two years and countless surgeries to eventually be diagnosed with HAE, she hopes this research project will ensure a quicker diagnosis and brighter future for others. “If I can help one person by telling my story, I think that’s an achievement – if someone hears this and thinks ‘I have those symptoms’ or a doctor ticks a box of symptoms and it points to HAE, I just think that would be amazing,” she said.
Credit
Yasmine Phillips
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No restrictions.
License
Public Domain