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Where should I start? How about the beginning. As a child, I've always known that I wasn't "normal". I was dx with psoriasis at 9 years old and have been battling it for most of my life. Around the age of 12, I started to get intense pain in my knees. The R-I-C-E technique helped me for a few years. Then when I was 15, the knee pain got worse. I started to see doctor after doctor and finally a physical therapist dx me with petellafemoral syndrome. He warned me that if I didn't slow down my physical activity, I could develop chondramalcia and will be in a wheel chair by the time that I'm 30.
Also, at the age of 15, I had an abnormal urinalysis, which indicated that I had some protein and crystallized calcium deposits. In addition, I started to get chest pains, which were dx as intercostal chondritis and pluersy. Also, at this age, my memory started to fade and my honor roll grades started to fall. I started to sleep at least ten hours a day and still felt tired through out the day.
By the time I was 18, I got my first of several kidney stones and walking became more difficult. In addition, I had mono twice and almost failed out of college! More interesting symptoms included: extremely dry lips, mouth, prone to bv, dry skin, extreme fatigued, more hair loss than before, and a red rash across my face.
Fast forward a little bit, last October, my health took a turn for the worse. I developed joint pain in almost all of my joints. The number of times where I could barely walk increased, my hips and ankles hurt, my fingers were so sore that lifting a piece of paper was dreadful, my elbows hurt so bad that lifting anything was excruciating. It was three weeks, before I decided to see my primary doctor. I told him about the pain, my other symptoms, and my family history of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. He ran some tests and the results came back borderline. My ana was slightly elevated and my arthritis sed rate was elevated. He told me to follow up with a rheumatologist due to the arthritis.
Here's when the frustration mounted more than ever! I saw the rheumatologist, whom had a terrible bedside manner, and his conclusion was that I didn't have arthritis, that I had sjogerns, and fibromyalgia. I really felt that those dx didn't fit the whole picture. I followed up with my primary and he agreed then sent me to a new rheumatologist. This new rheumatologist said the same thing but said that I was undoubtedly borderline for lupus. He said that if I did have lupus, that it's not effecting my organs too severely.
In addition, I saw two dermatologists about the rash on my face. The first doctor said that is was rosacea. At the time of the appointment, my rash wasn't fully developed, so a couple of months ago, I decided to get a second opinion. The second person was the np for the dermatologist. At first glance, he thought it was rosacea, but he looked at it closer and traced the shape. He then asked me about my family history of skin and other medical diseases. I told him about my father having lupus. This struck a chord with him and said that it looks like it's both rosacea and lupus. He wants me to follow up with the dermatologist to confirm, but I haven't been feeling well enough to go back.
At this point, I was basically at square one. The joint pain persisted everyday for about 8 months. It was since subsided, but I still had days where it flares up. My knees still ache daily and walking long distances is still very difficult. I'm still too stubborn to get a cane or use a wheelchair at the stores. I work in retail, so I'm constantly on my feet. I want to get a sit down job, but financially, I can't afford it yet.
In July, I was shocked by another symptom. At first I thought it was a kidney stone or another ovarian cyst. I went to the gyno and the urologist. I was having some blood and protein in my urine, but no stone could be found on the x-ray. Also, I started to note that my breasts became tender two weeks prior to my monthly and my monthly cramps were worse. In addition, I noticed that the pain seemed to be triggered during ovulation and last through my monthly. The pain was a sharp deep feeling that came and went. The gyno thinks that, I have endometriosis. I have a laparascopy next week to confirm it.
Sorry about the rambling, but I felt that it's important to divulge my complete medical history to understand what I'm dealing with.
Does anyone else have similar symptoms or thoughts. I'm to the point that I don't care what it is that I have. I just want to lead a more normal life! Thanks
Also, at the age of 15, I had an abnormal urinalysis, which indicated that I had some protein and crystallized calcium deposits. In addition, I started to get chest pains, which were dx as intercostal chondritis and pluersy. Also, at this age, my memory started to fade and my honor roll grades started to fall. I started to sleep at least ten hours a day and still felt tired through out the day.
By the time I was 18, I got my first of several kidney stones and walking became more difficult. In addition, I had mono twice and almost failed out of college! More interesting symptoms included: extremely dry lips, mouth, prone to bv, dry skin, extreme fatigued, more hair loss than before, and a red rash across my face.
Fast forward a little bit, last October, my health took a turn for the worse. I developed joint pain in almost all of my joints. The number of times where I could barely walk increased, my hips and ankles hurt, my fingers were so sore that lifting a piece of paper was dreadful, my elbows hurt so bad that lifting anything was excruciating. It was three weeks, before I decided to see my primary doctor. I told him about the pain, my other symptoms, and my family history of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. He ran some tests and the results came back borderline. My ana was slightly elevated and my arthritis sed rate was elevated. He told me to follow up with a rheumatologist due to the arthritis.
Here's when the frustration mounted more than ever! I saw the rheumatologist, whom had a terrible bedside manner, and his conclusion was that I didn't have arthritis, that I had sjogerns, and fibromyalgia. I really felt that those dx didn't fit the whole picture. I followed up with my primary and he agreed then sent me to a new rheumatologist. This new rheumatologist said the same thing but said that I was undoubtedly borderline for lupus. He said that if I did have lupus, that it's not effecting my organs too severely.
In addition, I saw two dermatologists about the rash on my face. The first doctor said that is was rosacea. At the time of the appointment, my rash wasn't fully developed, so a couple of months ago, I decided to get a second opinion. The second person was the np for the dermatologist. At first glance, he thought it was rosacea, but he looked at it closer and traced the shape. He then asked me about my family history of skin and other medical diseases. I told him about my father having lupus. This struck a chord with him and said that it looks like it's both rosacea and lupus. He wants me to follow up with the dermatologist to confirm, but I haven't been feeling well enough to go back.
At this point, I was basically at square one. The joint pain persisted everyday for about 8 months. It was since subsided, but I still had days where it flares up. My knees still ache daily and walking long distances is still very difficult. I'm still too stubborn to get a cane or use a wheelchair at the stores. I work in retail, so I'm constantly on my feet. I want to get a sit down job, but financially, I can't afford it yet.
In July, I was shocked by another symptom. At first I thought it was a kidney stone or another ovarian cyst. I went to the gyno and the urologist. I was having some blood and protein in my urine, but no stone could be found on the x-ray. Also, I started to note that my breasts became tender two weeks prior to my monthly and my monthly cramps were worse. In addition, I noticed that the pain seemed to be triggered during ovulation and last through my monthly. The pain was a sharp deep feeling that came and went. The gyno thinks that, I have endometriosis. I have a laparascopy next week to confirm it.
Sorry about the rambling, but I felt that it's important to divulge my complete medical history to understand what I'm dealing with.
Does anyone else have similar symptoms or thoughts. I'm to the point that I don't care what it is that I have. I just want to lead a more normal life! Thanks
