The story of Carrie
I’ve had pachyonychia congenita since I was born (obviously), but I was not officially diagnosed until I was 22 years old.
Every doctor’s appointment, other doctors and nurses come in to look at “my condition” which makes you feel special and like a freak of nature.
Every dentist appointment, they think I have thrush.
To that point, being a little girl with this condition was not really as fun as it may sound. Between the thick nails and constant limping, people were not always the kindest. Despite these challenges, I loved to dance and was actually an officer on my high school drill team and danced for most my life. I am proud of this accomplishment, because dancing was fun, but it proved my personal strength to not let something hold me back.
In high school, I would limp to my classes and my football player would actually throw me over his shoulder and carry me to my classes so I would be on time. My backpack would hit me in the head, but it was worth it not to walk. 20 years later, I am currently engaged to this lovely man and feel truly blessed to have become the person that I am today.
I also have a very healthy, soon-to-be 7-year-old boy. God blessed me with this child, and nothing bonds a mother and son better than crawling side-by-side.
Despite my setbacks, I could not be more thankful for the life I have today, and PC has truly given me a huge heart, strength, and a lot of calluses, blisters and infections!
I currently work for Galderma and we are “advancing dermatology” so it’s funny to see how what you may think are your challenges can be leveraged to make you happy, strong, and successful. Always keep your head up and know you are not alone!