Hi. I am researching the symptoms of
lupus and am getting very frightened. I
used to be a very thin, active muscular
woman - used to love to play sports &
excercise. I am now 33 and as i've
gotten older and working full-time, that
has decreased and I have gained a weight.
Last summer I began working out again,
but never had the energy and my joints
ached too much to keep it up. The joint
aching has gotten signifiacntly worse and
I finally had a blood test. I just got
the results, which were written out as
"slightly high rheumatoid factor -
probably not rheumatoid arthritis". The
work lupus has been coming into my head a
lot and now I started researching about
it. I have many symptoms and have become
very scared.
I have just undergone treatments for
impetigo - which is finally gone. It
started about a year ago, diagnosed early
this year, finally seems to be gone today.
But, I do have some recurring rashes in
the same spot on my stomach - they are red
and very itchy. I didn't think anything
of them until now. Canker sores on my
tongue are more frequent - again, didn't
think very much of them until now.
Fatique - I have been complaining about
this to my doctor for quite some time.
Everyone keeps telling me to exercise,
take vitamins and eat right. I eat
pretty heatlhy, try to exercise and taking
vitamins doesn't seem to help. Sleeping
more, sleeping less - no help either.
Joint pain is extreme. I can hardly get
up out of my chair at work, have such a
hard time getting up off a couch that I
don't sit on it anymore. I love dancing.
I was out last night with my hubbie
having a great time. Even drinking a
lot, I realized my stopping point because
I was way too tired and sore to dance. I
had to continually step aside and watch.
Nausea has been a complaint of mine to my
doctor also. I get bad stomach cramps
frequently and diarrhea is not unusual.
It just doesn't seem to matter what I eat,
what I do and when.....I'm always feeling
bad.
Then I researched "lupus & pregnancy".
I guess woman with lupus have plenty of
miscarriages - sounds like they have a
hard time getting pregnant. I have been
trying to get pregnant for three years.
When we were really trying hard - using
ovulation kits - my period would be 20-25
days late. I would have symptoms of
being pregnant, but then my period would
come all of a sudden - painful &
heavy. I used to always wonder if I
wasn't really having a very early
miscarriage. Hmmmmm....
Sigh....I guess i'm just looking for some
feedback. I just feel like there is
really something wrong with me. I feel
like i'm complaining to my doctor so much
that he probably thinks i'm a
hypochondriac. But these all seem
related when I learn about lupus.
Thanks for listening. I have a physical
scheduled on the 19th this month and I
plan to talk very seriously about this
with my doctor. Either way, i'm asking
for a referral to a rheumatologist I
think. This is too scary. I have an
appt with my ob/gyn on the 25th to discuss
more serious plans to get pregnant and I
want to have a healthy pregnancy/baby if
it ever finally happens.
For any of you that do have this, I
completely sympathize with how it feels
and wish you all the best. I have a new
awareness for people suffering from
arthritis and understand that is not just
lack of exercise.
Thanks.
|
trixhm
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 2 Location: michigan
More Posted: 08-06-05 20:12pm
I used to tan after being in the sun for 1
minute - since I was a little girl. The
past three summers - nope. I merely burn
and then it is gone completely. This
summer has been the worse. I even ended
up in er after laying in the pool for 1
hour - legs burned so bad I couldn't walk
or even stand up!!! I even had 45spf
on!!!!! I read about sun sensitivity
being a symptom too....This is also what
makes me wonder even more. I can't
figure out why all of a sudden I am so
sensitive to the sun - seriously, I can't
be in the sun at all anymore. I am
actually tan now, after three series of
burns this summer! People say "didn't
you learn your lesson?" but I keep 45 on
and I still burn!
Well, just checking to see if anyone
responded and reading other messages.
Thought i'd add this.
Argghh...I am so anxious to see my doctor
now to either rid me of this fear or
confirm it and help me live with it.
|
Hollydc
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 20 Location: South Carolina
I Can Relate Posted: 08-08-05 14:57pm
Hi,
i am so sorry to hear about all that you
are going through. Currently at the age
of 31, I can truly say that being
diagnosed two years ago was not an easy
task. I suffered with joint pain for
about 3 years prior to my diagnosis. The
doctor said that I had migratory arthritis
at first (about 1 year). Then after
having a lip biopsy done, he said it was
sjogrens syndrome (about 2 years). Then
finally lupus. Later a kidney biopsy was
to follow along with a terrible stint with
blood clots (dvt's), a 3.5 week
hospitalization in which I contracted a
staf infection and lost 40 pounds, gall
bladder removal, found fibroid tumors on
my uterus, pancreatitis, adhesions,
another dvt hospitalization and the list
goes on and on. Lupus is a very tricky
disease in that it mimics so many other
diseases. Numerous er trips for a
swollen/bloated belly that was so painful
to breathe, lay down, sit up (or anything)
until I was in tears and only a shot of
morphine could bring the pain under
control....
I know the feeling of going to the doctor,
telling them about your 100 symptoms
you've experienced since you last saw them
and it seems to fall on deaf ears or they
want to slap you on some depression
medication. I still find it hard to share
all of my symptoms with my doctors (cause
first of all I have too many -
primary/family, rheumy, nephrologist,
obgyn, cardiologist, and other specialist
as needed). I know I shouldn't feel that
way, but it really does put you through a
mind game because today it's one thing and
tomorrow it's another. Then one morning
you wake up feeling semi-decent and then
two hours later your knee, or your finger,
or the top of your foot begins to swell
and ache..... I know what you are going
through because it seems unreal how you
feel on a daily basis and what you go
through on a daily basis....
I haven't had any children yet and lord
knows I love them and want some. I
haven't tried yet. With the lupus and
fibriod issue it may become trying for me,
but I will keep my strong faith and
believe that it will happen.
Perserverance is everything!
Work with your doctors and be very
diligent. Do your own research, request
that certain tests be done. Make a list,
starting today, of your symptoms, when
they start, the severity, and how long
they last, and share it with you doctor on
your next visit. Request to see a rheumy,
and work with them closely. Anytime you
feel something different or the pain or
severity is magnified schedule an
appointment and go see your doctor. Also,
share how you personally feel with your
doctor. Letting them know that you feel
that if you share all of your issues with
them that they might start to question
your sanity as you, like me, probably have
already.
