What is scleroderma? Author whose diagnosis left her with claw-like hands given years to live - Daily Mail

Claudia was suffering from scleroderma, a rare auto-immune condition that floods the body with too much collagen and leads to hardened skin, tightened connective tissues and constant pain.

'I had just gone out briefly, retreated back inside and noticed my fingers were throbbing with pain and turned from blue to red then white,' Claudia told FEMAIL.

The unusual symptom persisted for two weeks before she visited the doctor who misdiagnosed her with Raynaud's disease - a condition causing areas of the body to feel numb and cold.

In the coming weeks Claudia found she was unable to move her elbows, had difficulty lifting her arms above her head, and couldn't even make herself a cup of tea.

The series of events led Claudia to her eventual scleroderma diagnosis which can hardened tissue around vital organs, such as the lungs, heart and kidneys.

Claudia was told the life expectancy for patients suffering with the disease is 10 to 15 years from diagnosis if the condition starts to harden essential organs, turning her world upside down.