Southland may get specialist scleroderma clinic
Scleroderma patients in Southland could soon be seen by specialist doctors if a regular scleroderma clinic can be set up successfully.
Scleroderma New Zealand president Jenny Andrews said the charity’s recent seminar in Invercargill could lead to Dunedin rheumatologists visiting the city to see scleroderma patients.
“It will also mean that we’ll get to catch up at the [Southland] hospital because we will see our friends down there. That’s a big thing,” she said.
Scleroderma occurs when a person’s immune response tricks the tissues into thinking that they are injured, causing inflammation and high collagen production, which leads to chronic tightening and hardening of the skin and connective tissues.
Scleroderma could be localised or present throughout the body.
The conference had 48 attendees from Wellington, Auckland, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Otago, Canterbury and Southland, and one from the United States, Andrews said.
Dunedin rheumatologists Professor Simon Stebbings, Dr Sarah Jordan, Dr Katey Jenks and Dr Wei Zhang spoke about blood vessels, lung issues, skin involvement and gastroenteritis, respectively.
“We were really impressed with the speakers, they gave up their time and were so empathetic. We’re grateful to all, especially Professor Stebbings, who organised all [the Dunedin] speakers for us, and Joe Wheeler, who organised the rheumatologists,” Andrews said.
Otago University’s Dr Miranda Buhler, a hand and musculoskeletal conditions physiotherapy specialist, also appeared at the conference via a pre-recorded video and Southland podiatrist Joe Wheeler spoke about foot care in a fun and informal way, Andrews said.
“It was great to have so many people come from around the country, and everybody got something out of it.”
Health professionals − including a registered nurse and a massage specialist − attended to learn more about the disease so help their scleroderma clients more.
The attendees, aged from their 20s to mid-90s, spoke about their diagnoses and experiences, in a form of group support, Andrews said.
“Talking to each other about what they were experiencing is very helpful as you may think you are the only one going through something. Then you realise that so many others are experiencing the same thing. It makes us feel connected.”
Andrews said people with scleroderma in Southland found because they felt cold weather more than others, so “Southland weather is definitely a challenge.
The national charity’s seminar was previously held in Wellington and Christchurch and had been cancelled multiple times because of Covid.
Andrews said the group was thankful for a grant from the Invercargill Licensing Trust and a donation of $1800 from an anonymous donor, which made the conference possible.
The charity couldn’t cure people but aimed to support those with scleroderma through their journey, Andrews said.