Hi! And welcome to the
Young Peoples Corner!

Being diagnosed with Churg Strauss Syndrome (CSS) and living with it can be challenging for anyone. It is especially difficult for young people to deal with on top of all the usual stuff we all need to get through as we get older.

OUR PURPOSE
This area will be dedicated to young people with CSS. It can sometimes be difficult to understand all of the medical things that are going on, so hopefully we can help you to get a better understanding of some of the things that could happen. We will also discuss different ways of coping with life issues from the point of view of having CSS such as friendships and relationships, schooling, careers and other things.

HAVING CSS
If you have CSS, it can be hard to take care of your needs and you may have to change the things you do, but your friends and family are there to support you.
There are other people out there who have to take extra care of their health just like you because of CSS. There are also a lot of different kinds of illnesses and disabilities in the world and each one affects people in different ways.

Remember: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HAVING CSS?
If you’ve just learned you have CSS, you may be scared because you don’t know exactly what it means or what to expect. You may feel overwhelmed by the changes you’ll need to make to look after yourself. You may be asking yourself, “How will this change my life?” or “How will I make it through this?” These feelings are normal.

WHAT CAN I DO?
Finding out you have CSS is tough. Here are some things you can do that may help you feel better:

Research CSS:

• What is it?
• What causes it?
• How do you manage it?
  

The CSSA is a good place to find out plenty of information about our disease and it is also a very good idea to join the yahoo group CSSISG (Churg Strauss Syndrome International Support Group)(link)

Here you can talk to people of all ages who have this illness and may have different disabilities – Ask them how they felt when they first found out and how they live with their conditions.

If you are shy or unsure on how to start, just post a message to all of us in the group saying ‘Hello’ and "I’m new!" this should get you started.

You can also get a family member to sign up to the group to make contact for you if you are not well enough.

It is a good idea to keep in touch with others who are in the same situation as you. It can be helpful to ask others about their experiences and knowledge of the different things that can happen in your life because of CSS.

Read about other young people and their experiences with CSS. Just remember that everyone's experience is different so don't get scared reading about people who have had a really hard time with the disease. What happened to them may not happen to you. Just like with adults, some people do have relatively mild cases of CSS and get better quickly. Some have a harder time, but still manage to be happy and live good lives. It's great to read about their experiences just to learn how others cope with the disease.

Here are some links to stories about young people with CSS:

Kate Tierney's website. Kate developed CSS as a teenager. She is now in her early 20's and recently graduated from college. She would be happy to talk with other young people with CSS.

Natalie Robinson's story. Natalie is 18 years old and has had CSS for two years. She would love to correspond with other young people. ( link to her story)

Lauren Smoot's Caringbridge page. Lauren is one of the youngest people ever diagnosed with CSS. She is now 13 years old. Her mother Cindy, is on the CSSA Board of Directors and has created a web page to keep people up to date about Lauren.

This is just the beginning of Young People's Corner. I'm hoping to get in contact with young people who would like to share their ideas with me or write their story for others to see. I'll be happy to hear from you, even if you would just like to be in touch by e-mail. Please contact me at: lilirolls@hotmail.com.

Lianne Rollins, age 26, Kent, UK, diagnosed with CSS in February 2006.