Okay, my husband often reminds me to pare back my enthusiasm when I speak to others about life expectancy as to not unintentionally offer false hope. I have a tendency to be uber-optimistic, although diagnosed with diffuse, I am confident I will live to see a cure. Anyhow, that said, I just spoke with someone who has matched my optimism with proof. A random stranger (but no longer) reached out to me via LinkedIn and shared her story. This woman was diagnosed with diffuse scleroderma as a teenager and has lived with it for 43 years! Just a reminder, especially to those newly diagnosed: this is not a death sentence. My intention in sharing this is not to offer false hope, but to remind you to never give up the fight, some of us do and will continue to succumb, however, each day we fight we are one day closer to a cure.