I've never told you this~ my blogging friends, but I have OI.
OI is short for osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle bone disease.
"Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. A classification system of different types of OI is commonly used to help describe how severely a person with OI is affected. For example, a person may have just a few or as many as several hundred fractures in a lifetime."
There are different inheritance factors, but in my case a person with a form of OI caused by a dominant mutation has a 50 percent chance of passing on the disorder to each of his or her children. Of my four children, two of them have it as well. My older son has broken more bones than my younger one, but he is much more athletic and daring. As he has gotten older, he has learned his limits.
Fortunately for us, we have a very mild case. I have only broken 3-4 bones in my lifetime. I gave birth to all of my children naturally, without any complications at all. The only thing that has a huge impact on my life is a condition that come with the OI called dentinogenesis imperfecta.
"Dentinogenesis imperfecta is a disorder of tooth development. This condition causes the teeth to be discolored (most often a blue-gray or yellow-brown color) and translucent. Teeth are also weaker than normal, making them prone to rapid wear, breakage, and loss. These problems can affect both primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth."
Because DI makes your teeth appear discolored, many people make the assumption that perhaps we don't brush our teeth, or have let our teeth basically "rot". I have spent a lot of money having my teeth bonded to give them the appearance of looking like normal teeth. I have broken a lot of teeth and have already had two implants. We already know that we will spend a small fortune for our two children who have it, as we do whatever it takes to keep their teeth as intact and healthy as possible.
So that's my story.
I wanted to share it with you because we all have different trials and tribulations. When I was a young girl I was a little ashamed of having this disease. I didn't want anyone to think that I was fragile or weak. I realized growing up that everyone has a cross to bear, and so it became just a regular fact about me.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask. I would be happy to tell you what I know...
Have a wonderful Wednesday! :)
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