The Full story (PT. 1)

One of my friends became curious about the beginning of my journey with being hearing impaired and diagnosed with CRMO (go to intro), and would like me to write about the entire experience.

Here is part one of my story.

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At the age of 13, I began experiencing harsh pains at my lower back. As a former gymnast, I was advised to keep up with my usual stretching routines which helped for short periods. However, one night I woke up with the most excruciating pain near my coccyx. Standing seemed impossible, and I was crying incessantly. My father took me to the hospital right away. I had an x-ray performed, and the doctor informed us that I had a gap between my vertebrae where the pain situated. Before any major decisions, the doctor injected me with a steroid substance, hoping that it relieved the pain permanently.

At the age of 14, my left ear suddenly became congested. My father took me to an ear specialist who syringed both ears—my left having the most bacteria. After the procedure, I was given ear drops to prevent any build-up following that day. One month had past, and my ear felt congested again. I continued using the drops, expecting that it returned to its normal state. As time went by, my hearing became weak, but that was not the main focus as I got older.

At the age of 15, I came to America for the summer holidays. My family planned a road trip from Virginia to Miami. Although it was indeed amusing traveling to different locations along the way, I suffered with severe knee pain after driving so many hours. When the excitement came to an end, everything was ordinary until one day I was lying on the floor, unable to stand. My temperature escalated above normal. I was frail. My grandma, along with my mother and brother, took me to the hospital immediately.