I was born in 1968 with an odd rash that covered my body. It came and went and couldn't be explained by doctors. As I learned to walk and grew into a toddler, any joint that encountered the slightest impact would go into paralysis. In fact, for the next 17 years, when any of my joints hit a rigid surface, it caused joint paralysis and severe pain, leaving me motionless and often requiring sedation. The "attacks" lasted from days to months, and I spent most of my time confined to bed or dependent on wheelchairs, crutches and canes. In 1975 I became a research project for the Mayo Clinic and was admitted into Shriner's Crippled Children's Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois. I spent nine years as a subject in medical research/testing studies. In 1977 my affliction was formally labeled a form of juvenile rheumatoid crippling arthritis. At about age 16, the frequency of attacks began to decrease and I lived a pretty normal life. I graduated from high school at 103 pounds. I went to the gym sporadically, but three years ago my metabolism slowed and I gained unsightly pounds, so I adopted a weight routine. I hired Mike Francois as my trainer last spring and have seen phenomenal results. I now weigh 200 pounds with 10% bodyfat and competed in my first contest in May. Besides some minor joint deformity, I'm as healthy and active as the next guy in the gym thanks to medical science, rehab and perseverance.
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Aagenaes syndrome