Turner Syndrome Foundation
I would like to start by thanking you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you will gain knowledge and comfort from my experiences with Turners. My name is Christina Quint and I was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome at birth, thirty years ago. I was blessed with parents who have helped and guided me through many medical questions and challenges. When I was younger Turners never concerned me, presented me with challenges, or made me feel different from my peers. My older sister has Colitis and growing up I watched her suffer through pain and medical procedures. Seeing what she went through made me grateful that I was not in pain.
Arising Challenges
However, this past year, everything changed. I underwent open heart surgery to repair an aortic dissection. It took many visits to the doctor to figure out what was causing my discomfort. I would like to share my story so no one ever has to go through the disheartening experience that I did. Visiting one doctor after another and being told they did not know what was wrong, and to just go home and rest, was very challenging.
You Are Not Alone
Turners can lead to many confusing doctor’s appointments, medicines, and even downright scary heart conditions. For anyone with Turners, know that whatever you are feeling or experiencing, you are not alone. Growing up my mom always told me that everyone has something that they are dealing with. Watching my older sister, and now that I am older being more aware of the struggles of my peers, I see that I am not alone. I am grateful to have a wonderful support system as well the Turner Syndrome Foundation to always turn to for support and advice.
To any parent or Turners patient, know that despite some challenges, your life is not limited. I have lived to the fullest, receiving my Master’s Degree in Education, and recently marrying my very supportive husband. In the world of education today there are countless support systems in place to help students in need, if you are willing to utilize them.
You can learn more from Christina’s Turner Syndrome story in her monthly blogs. Expect to learn about her heart surgery, education, and more. Make sure to follow the blog so you receive notifications when she posts! You can also connect with us on Facebook for updates.
Do you have a question related to Turners that you’d like Christina to write about? Let us know in the comments below!
You can share your story, just like Christina, to help us raise awareness!
Photo by Irina Iriser on Unsplash
Hi Christina. Thanks for sharing your story. My daughter has Turners too. She is about your age. How did you know you needed the aortic dissection? Were there symptoms? My daughter hadn’t gotten medical treatment for many years. I recently found her a new Endocrinologist who has some experience with Turner Syndrome. My daughter was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. She wanted to get on estrogen replacement so she would get her period. The Endocrinologist told my daughter that she’d have to get a Gyno dr. to prescribe hormones (in the form of birht control pills) but the Gyno wouldn’t prescribe because her blood pressure was too high. We are so frustrated. We feel like the doctors sort of “pass the buck” because they don’t really seem to know much about Turners and how to treat it so they end up doing nothing and I’m worried that my daughter will suffer for it. I’m especially concerned about the possibility problems with her aorta. Did you have symptoms that lead to that diagnosis? If so, what were they? What should we look out for? Can you recommend how we get doctors that are experienced with Turners? Have you heard of other women with Turners having trouble getting hormone medication? Any advice you can offer would be appreciated.