Air Force Member Diagnosed With Heart Failure: "I Could Barely Move"

stiffened. She lost weight. Her skin got darker, shinier and tighter. It felt like her body was on fire. It hurt to get out of bed and get dressed. Her fingers started to curl.

“I could barely move,” she says. “I thought I was about ready to be lights out.”

It was another problem: scleroderma, a connective tissue autoimmune disease. It involves hardening and tightening of the skin and can lead to problems with blood vessels and internal organs. It was unclear whether her heart issue and scleroderma were connected.

Benson had regular doctor’s appointments. “I was fearful, mad, upset and confused,” she shares. Still, she pressed on with work. “I just wanted to keep going. I’m not good at asking for help, I’m good at giving it.” Her movements were slow and she was in pain.

Water therapy and riding a stationary bike at physical therapy helped. So did medication. But the skin around her stomach was thickening, which made it difficult to give herself the weekly scleroderma injections she needed. The medicine also made her nauseous and she lost her appetite. Because of the scleroderma, her esophagus was stiff, too.

She worked with a nutritionist to find foods she could digest and keep down. “Smoothies became my friend,” she adds.

A year after her scleroderma diagnosis, and with her heart condition, Benson retired from the military as a senior master sergeant. She was 44 and had been in the service for more than 25 years. She was disappointed because she’d planned to retire after 30 years of active duty. Also, she finished one rank below the highest possible for an enlistee.

Now 55, Benson has learned how to manage her conditions. She plans errands around how she’s feeling each day and gets regular exercise. She’s found strength in her religion. “Illness will allow you to hear God in ways you never thought of,” she says.