Stricken mum has glass tubes inserted into eyes in battle against rare condition
15.06.2024 - 20:53
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A mum has bravely opened up about her struggle with a rare condition that's ravaging her organs and has led to her having glass tubes inserted into her eyes. Amanda Kenvyn has been grappling with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) since she was pregnant three years ago.
The 33-year-old's symptoms were initially dismissed as normal post-birth effects but after continuing to struggle, she was eventually diagnosed with GPA. The disorder causes inflammation of the blood vessels in the nose, sinuses, lungs, throat, and kidneys.
As part of her treatment, Amanda has glass tubes inserted in both eyes to try and prevent infections. On top of that, she faces the reality of undergoing surgical procedures to widen her narrow windpipe every six months; a process she "hates" but accepts due to the lack of alternatives, The Mirror reports.
Speaking about her ordeal, Amanda said: "I've had to have Lester Jones glass tubes inserted into both of my eyes to try and stop infections. My windpipe is more narrow and I'm having to have surgery every six months to re-open it.
"I know when I need it, because I get really breathless and I can't sing a song and I get really breathless. I hate it but there's nothing else that can be done for me."
The onset of her troubles, which included headaches, joint pain, and an alarming abscess, started during her pregnancy with her son Toby, who is now two. After giving birth, the headaches and sinus pain persisted and she was unable to lift her baby from his cot due to a loss of sensation in her hands.
The admin assistant said: "I kept going back to the doctors and they kept saying it was postpartum and that it would go away. I was going back every week because strange things kept happening - I had sinus