Hello, my name is Vaishnavi Guntewar from Chandrapur, Maharashtra. My illness journey started in Feb 2012; I was writing my 12 exams; it was my first paper where I noticed stiffness in my fingers, which did not happen before, and occurred while writing the next exam. After urgently consulting the doctor regarding this, they advised me to continuously exercise to avoid this stiffness and give me some medicines. After taking the medication, I could feel completely relaxed and pass the exam properly without any stiffness. 

After completing exams and the medicines, I started observing various changes in my body that were not normal. Hence, my parents and I rushed to Nagpur to consult the Rheumatologist. After doing different tests, we got to know that I was suffering from MCTD. But at that time, my parents and some of my relatives advised me to go through Ayurvedic treatment. So I had started taking the ayurvedic medicine with a complete Diet. But things were getting worse day by day, even severe. Finally, after eight months of treatment, my parents noticed that I could not sit correctly and become unconscious every now-n-then.  So finally, my father decided to quit the Ayurvedic and to start Allopathy. 

Soon I was rushed to the Private Hospital, where I was hospitalized. It was Diwali, that five days of Diwali in hospital with complete injections, salines, medicines, various tests, etc. After that, it was utterly changed, where the five days before I could not sit appropriately. After that, I started walking. Those were positive symptoms for me. After one month, I had started taking treatment from the Rheumatologist in Nagpur, which was complete Allopathy and the things got better day by day, started doing the items in a way which every average person do, from cooking in the kitchen, doing exercise, walking, dancing to attend the college and the practicals. Feeling relaxed and thought now everything is good and will find hereafter. 

Everything was good; years passed I was on continuous medicine and completely normal. And a day came in 2018 we noticed symptoms like Breathless in everything while walking, bending, wearing clothes, even talking, furthermore more. First thought it must be expected due to MCTD, but again things were getting abnormal. So urgently got an appointment with the doctor. After explaining all the symptoms, she advised me to go through ECO,  which dealt with severe PAH ( Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension). After listening to this, I was completely blank, unable to think, broken from inside. So many many issues were coming to mind regarding illness, expensive medicines, and depression. 

Now has been three years i AM fighting through this illness, in a stable condition. PAH level goes on increase decrease every now-n-then but living life in regular way, doing job in college, taking medicines, physiotherapy, 1 hour of walking, proper diet. But keeping this at the side I enjoy my social life too, enjoying my life, wearing every type of clothes I want.

In this journey, two people were with me, giving me positive vibes and believing that I am not alone, my parents. Will like to say one thing Never regret your parents in any situation because in your tough times once, you believed God would not be with you, but your parents will in any condition. 

I have been a fighter for the last nine years and will be fine after that. Want to say don’t get depressed with what others think about you. They Don’t know what we are dealing with and they don’t even have the ability to deal with it. 

“I know what I’m capable of; I am a soldier now, a warrior. “