Humble beginnings
Where to start, I was born an 8-month baby, almost died due to lung problems (I got 3 scars on my sides from the tubes that my life saviors inserted into my small body) but after one month into ER, I had won my first battle! After that and since the age of 10, I've been living with an enlarged spleen(The reason why I never learned to ride a bicycle), constant nosebleeds, bone pains, and being shorter than all my classmates. Even though I was actually a skinny kid I had a large belly which enraged me and I always knew that something was very wrong with me, I was alive but that was not living and the worse part was that I was aware of it.
My journey starts
My long journey started one sunny day of July (actually few days after my birthday) while I was on holiday with my father he noticed some weird looking bruises on my face and opted for us to go to the hospital. We went there and met with a pediatrician who took interest in me, there I would get my first of countless blood checks. The results were shocking to my dad, anemia and low haematocrit. The doctor advised us that we should go to a hospital in Athens as soon as possible after our holidays. Here I want to take a moment to tell you about my feelings at the time: I was feeling anxious and scared but I was also determined to find out what the hell was wrong with me !!!The worst August of my life, Hospital, and the upcoming splenectomy
In August we returned to Athens and went to the hospital just as the doctor suggested. To tell you the truth I thought that I would continue the medical tests and I would get back home but that was not the case, I had to stay there. So in the small examining room of the hospital, I got my first ever iv needle in my arm. I remember being scared as hell, in pain and after that experience was over I cried. With tears still in my eyes, I layed to my "new" bed in my "new" room which I shared with other 6 kids. I didn't want them to see me cry so I layed to the side that my parents were, who comforted me as best as they could, even though they were as scared as I was. I could see it in their eyes.The first day in the hospital passed slowly, I ate, talked with my parents and nothing much.
The second day some blood tests and then waiting for something to happen (something that I did quite often which enraged me even more)
I was at a low point in my life and I was only 10, my will was broken, my psychology hit rock bottom and I felt hopeless
Somewhere between the third and fourth day, my mother told me that the doctors were considering a splenectomy and asked me how I felt about it. I told her "Anything that it takes to take me out of this place"
On day 5 finally, yours truly would get some action. I got in an ambulance and went to another hospital for an ultrasound. The doctors were kind and caring something that my new bred hatred for doctors, in general, couldn't handle(you've got to understand that I was at a point of my life that I felt imprisoned and doctors were something like wardens in my head ).Got back to my hospital ate and waited some more.
At that time I started reading superhero magazines to pass the time, I was big into professional wrestling (I still am to this day) and made stories in my head to amuse myself.
Through days 6 to 8 nothing much changed, Still waiting for something. In the meantime, Greece had major fires to forests and mountains, one after another the beautiful Greek forests became nothing more than ashes.(I even saw the forest near the hospital I was, Forest of Mount Pentelicus, burning)
Glimpses of hope- Back home
On days 9 to 11 my parents, as well as my sister, had a blood test.They had found something and wanted to make sure that that was the case. I was still scared but I had found my hope once again and I was adjusting back to my former self little by little.During those days I got visits by my Sister, My best friend and his parents, my cousin with her husband and my parent's friends who brought me a jersey of Panathinaikos(my only gift during those times)On day 12 I finally got what I was looking forward all this time "You're free to go, for the time being, We will call you when we get the results".That was one of the best days of my life, I think it was the first time after all this that I genuinely smiled.
The big reveal
A week passed and we get the phone call. My parents went to the hospital and finally the big reveal of what the hell was wrong with me. I had Gaucher's disease my parents were carriers and because of that I was a patient but not only me but my sister had it as well.
