Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Springfield, MO
It's Good to Know I'm Not Alone. Posted: 01-03-06 18:08pm
I am a 27 year old mother of two who has
had varying medical problems for the last
8-10 years. It started with joint
problems in my late teens, followed by
weight gain, followed by benign thyroid
nodules. After years of being told that
I had hypothyroidism (even though my
thyroid levels were always perfect), i'm
now being told that I "could have" lupus,
specifically sle. I have an elevated esr
blood test, elevated d-dimer test, hair
loss, severe fatigue, muscle soreness all
over body but the most intense is in legs,
poor circulation in my feet, and my face
always appears to have a slight sunburn
across my cheeks. I haven't been
confirmed because I had a negative ana
test. As crazy as it sounds, I was
actually relieved when a doctor finally
mentioned lupus, only now he hasn't
"confirmed" me. I was told that "i
probably have lupus but we'll have to wait
for additional symptoms". That was a
huge set back for me because I have been
living with these problems for years with
no answers. I go through boughts of
depression and lethargy, and there are
days when I literally feel like I don't
have the energy to push the blankets down
to get out of bed. Anyone with any words
of encouragement, advice, or experience is
welcome here. Just seeing that other
people have the same issues is a big help.
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Rebecca Schwartz
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Bowling Green, Ky
Not Alone Posted: 01-04-06 13:51pm
I have hypothyroidism, lupus, and various
other hormonal and digestive disorders
with which I have suffered most, if not
all my life. With most of these issues,
a diagnosis was relatively easy to get.
My mother, on the other hand, was not so
lucky. She has all the symptoms of
lupus, but has always gotten negative test
results. The result: the doctors think
she's crazy! :( she does, in fact have
rheumatoid arthritis, which has been known
to cause symptoms of other autoimmune
diseases. She has the butterfly rash
across her face, and everything! You had
mentioned joint pain for years and other
problems that would lead me to ask if you
have been checked for rheumatoid? In my
mother's case, that was the underlying
problem.
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jocoreed
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Springfield, MO
Not Alone Posted: 01-04-06 17:45pm
Thanks rebecca!
I have not been screened for ra, but it
may be beneficial to do so. I've had the
same experience as your mother, it sounds
like. Not only do you wonder if everyone
else thinks your crazy, you also start to
question yourself. I don't know much
about ra, but after reading up on it, it's
interesting how the symptoms can cross
over to many autoimmune diseases. But ra
actually would make more sense. I know I
have atleast one grandparent who had it,
and i've had severe problems with the
cartilege in my knees, and on my last
orthopedic check up, my left knee was
completely unaligned. My femur sits
almost a half inch farther outward than my
tibia, which at the time, my doctor told
me it was probably just because my
ligaments were so out of shape they
weren't doing their job to hold the bones
in place (which I questioned even then).
Needless to say, after doing the painful
at-home rehab to strengthen the muscles
and ligaments I still have the same
problems. Thank you for your insight.
I will definately look into that.
