I have suffered with Behcet's Disease since I was 19 (I'm now 43). It began with oral ulcers, extreme fatigue, and erythema nodosum lesions on my legs. After having a hysterectomy my Behcet's caused me not to heal internally allowing my intestines to prolapse into my vaginal canal twice. I ended up having multiple surgeries and spending 90 days (3 hours a day) in a hyperbaric chamber to induce healing. I have also had small vessel vasculitis of the foot and hand as well as genital ulcers that are relentless. Any kind of stress or trauma causes me to flare.

My mother had Behcet's Syndrome. My younger sister and I were so young we don't remember how she got it or when she actually got it. She initially went blind and suffered from severe headaches. She also had ulcers in her mouth and on her genitals. It was horrible watching her suffer for the 12 years that we were aware of the disease. My mother died at the ripe old age of 53. I have three siblings and none of us has Behcet's but my older sister has primary progressive MS and I have ulcerative colitis.

I am 42 years old and I have suffered with behcet's since the age of 6. I had mouth sores almost always as a child. I had my first vaginal ulcer at age 12. My symptoms stopped with the pregnancy of my first child. I was 18 years old then. My symptoms returned one year after the birth of my last child. I was 32 when the symptoms returned. All four of my children have been diagnosed with behcet's syndrome. To my knowledge they are the only siblings in our country. We were all diagnosed by the doctors at pediatric hospital in Nashville,TN. I no longer have mouth sores. I still have vaginal ulcer. I suffer horrible uticaria, and have psoriasis. I have suffered with migraines my entire life, and am very photosensitive. I am unable to work because of the painful hives and painful swelling above and below my joints. I have a very good MD THAT'S been very supportive. I worked till the age of 41,' and am now afraid it is time to file for disability. This scares me. All of my children so far are striving, and I've always tried to make this disease work around them.

I had many the symptoms of Behcet's disease, oral and vaginal ulcers, bowel problems, joint problems, skin rashes, blood vessel problems and fatigue, as well as nervous system problems for about 20 years before I was diagnosed. By that time I was very ill but had been told I was suffering from stress. Fortunately my eyes were not affected. Now I take imuran, (aziatropine) corticosteroids as a maintenance dose of 5mg rising with an acute flare up, nexium, ideos, difene, thyroxin, and multi vitamins as well as fish oil. I feel less ill but still this illness impacts greatly on my life. It is difficult to exercise, ot do more than one thing a day, to plan events etc. I also need to have an urgent operation but the surgeons are loath to operate on account of my condition. The statistics on prognosis are not good.

I have had Behcet's syndrome for the past seven years. I had mouth ulcers, headaches, vaginal ulcers, joint pain, lesions on my legs and eyes, but doctors never put them all together. At 27, I had my first stroke and lost my eyesight. I was left in a wheelchair. Then I was in the hospital for four months until everything came around six months later. I had another stroke and was in the hospital for four months again. I've had a few relapses since then, but none as bad. I am just getting better. I've even moved into my own house, and I am getting stronger every day.

With my Behcet's syndrome, I experienced mouth and genital ulcers, fatigue, stomach pain, weight loss, stiff neck, headaches, swollen knees, and eventually going blind. This was temporary and lasted for six months.