A six-year-old me ( : I cannot believe how tiny my Klippel-Trenaunay was back then! 

Just a little flashback, anyway.

I have not had too much time to write yet with school but believe me I have a lot of posts coming as there is so much in which I want to write on here.

In the meantime, take care and I will talk to you sometime later this week! - A

P.S., You can still have an incredibly happy childhood with chronic illness. I am living proof : )

Hey guys! I have resumed school in the past week and while the heavy workload is just about to begin, I am completely enamored by it, as usual.

 The one thing in which I have not done at school that I desperately need to is to register with disability services. In all actuality, I should have done this two years ago, but was utterly hesitant to. It was quite silly on my part as it has created a lot more obstacles as a student dealing with Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome. The fact is that nobody will take you serious when you do need an accommodation unless you are registered with disability services. So, incoming college freshman, do not make the same mistake I did. I myself am in  the process of registering now.

Why didn't I sign up initially, as in two years ago, when it would have made my college life a lot easier? I wanted to separate my chronic illness from my school life; I basically wanted to play make believe that I was a normal student. And I am, except for the fact that I have one of the rarest medical conditions known to man. ( ; My fantasy is over and reality has set in yet again; KTS is messy and will bleed over into all areas of my live. Take the proper steps, however, and you can sometimes clean the mess up that much easier.

Here is a recent picture taken about an hour ago; my leg feels really heavy tonight.

Hope you all are well - and warm! It's been four degrees here, literally! - A

These are my parents; I honestly am not sure what to write other than how grateful I am for how much they have sacrificed for me over the years in order to give me the best quality of life possible. And believe me, there have been numerous sacrifices in conjunction with a lot of hard work on their behalf that has taken place throughout the entirety of my life. Sometimes, I feel as though my actions on the outside indicate that I may take that fact for granted. Inside, however, I am eternally grateful and can only hope that I am able to give back to them in even the smallest fraction of what they have given me over the years.

I am trying to work on being a more positive, expressive person on the outside as I used to be several years ago before life events hardened me a bit. If there is someone who has been there for you throughout your trials and tribulations, don't forget to let them know how much you appreciate their presence and contributions to your well-being. - A