Ok so there were symptoms that I always took as normal that were not normal. I had these for years...Those all had to do with my stomach and the food that I ate. Diarrhea (ewww :p) especially after eating certain foods. Extreme fatigue after eating certain types of meals. I noticed it especially with pasta because I used to eat so much of it. Unfortunately none of thes alarmed me to go seek medical treatment. I did not pay good enough attention to my own body. Also I've always had allergies. I was already using a special shampoo, conditioner, soap, and soap detergant.
Now progressively working out started to become harder and harder. I remember trying to run, but my knees would swells up. I just took it as having bad knees. I also was more easily fatigued from working out. I just took that as getting older and being out of shape. One of the most noticable early symptoms was one day I walked with my friend Roseann a couple of miles, and after the walking my legs just ached and ached like crazy. I thought it was pretty weird. I also caught strep throat and could not get rid of it despite being given an antibiotic.
Early on I developed a rash on my forhead and on my chest. I also had some abdominal pain in my left lower quadrant. I went to the doctor for the pain and the rashes. I was given a steroid cream for the rashes. When that did not work I went to get a second opinion from another doctor. The rash had been getting worse and was now moving further down my face and around my eye lids. I was told that I had psoriasis, so they gave me a shampoo. Nizoral.
Then things became frightening and my symptoms became severe:
I woke up one day and my left arm was stuck at nearly a 90 degree angle DDDD: No matter how hard I tried I could not completely straighten it out (one of my only visible symptoms- at least my family could visually see this). I no longer felt like a crazy person. Something was seriously wrong.
My legs were so tight it was nearly impossible to put my socks on. So I stopped wearing then.
Half of my back went numb.
I had muscle spasms randomly throughout my entire body.
I developed carpal tunnel in both of my hands so severe that I had to use two hands to open my car door.
Tight arms and legs all of the time as though I just worked out.
Muscle weakness from physical activity.
My muscles would randomly burn.
My arms, legs, and neck became heavy and hard to lift.
I was extremely fatigued no matter how much I slept. I began sleeping 15 hours a day.
I began falling often and had a hard time walking up stairs.
My abdominal pain became severe and left me bedridden for a few days.
My inner knees had a numbness and tingling feeling in them.
Red nodules formed on my fingers.
I then began not digesting my food properly. Food I ate would sit in my stomach undigested. I would wake up with a full tummy.
My stomach and intestinal areas on my back would burn.
Right upper quadrant (where my liver is) would burn.
...Then the extreme weight loss began. I lost 22 pounds, which was a lot for me. I went from 130 to 108. I went from a size 7 to a size 2.
I then started to become hypoglycemic. I would take my blood sugar with my grandmothers tester. I was usually around 70. This left me feeling out of it all of the time.
I had a cold like symptoms including a fever, sore throat, and chills.
My current symptoms and I am on no medicine aside from a long term antibiotic for the strept throat:
Muscle tightness and weakness from physical activity.
Muscles generally always feel sore in inner arms and legs.
Digestion is sluggish.
Red nodules on hand.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
What's the big deal?? Autoimmune disease plus gluten free diet.
Who?? Me! Davea :DD I'm a 24 year old nursing student (I graduate in two semesters- woot- 'bout time)
What?? I was diagnosed with a pretty scary autoimmune disease- Dermatomyocitis (Dermaomyo what?? I thought the same thing :P) It's when one's own body starts to attack its' own muscles, which causes them to slowly degenerate (yikes! don't worry, this blog is not meant to be super depressing or anything!). This disease also causes redness of the skin. Thennn with a lot of work (you wouldn't think it would take that much work D:) and many months later I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (Thank you Dr. Auckerman- a Celiac himself. This diagnoses is controversial because unfortunately CD is hard to diagnose.) Hmmmm...and this is when things get interesting- at least from a medical perspective.
When?? These shenanigans have been going on for about a year now (when my symptoms started to really show, although I think I showed subtle symptoms for years that I took as normal). But things started to get scary starting July of 2010. But I wasn't diagnosed with Dermatomyocitis until the beginning of February of 2011 and I also was not diagnosed with Celiac Disease until mid March of 2011.
Where?? O-H-I-O :)) Yep. I'm from Ohio, from near the Cleveland/Akron area.
Why?? Good questioooon!!! Why the heck did my body start to go super crazy all of the sudden?? That would be the main point of this blog.
And also I've learned too much during these escapades to not share. I want to encourage people to fight for their health, to not lose hope, and to form a partnership with their doctor. I also think it's important to have someone else to who can understand to talk with and to support one with their health. I would love to talk to anybody about their health. Even those who have a different diagnoses than I. The information in this blog, especially the information concerning autoimmune disorders has been giving me my life back, and it would be morally wrong for me not to share this vital information. I'm living proof that at least for me thus far I am heading toward remission. Just look at my labs (I will be sharing them :))
And last but not least. WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?? I am currently not on corticosteroids. I am not telling anybody with an autoimmune disease to stop taking their corticosteroids, but I am not a fan of those drugs because they do not treat the underlying cause of the disease. They just treat the symptoms. And they can have such awful and scary side effects. Although I suppose it's a double edge sword because they have thrown people's disease into remission. But generally the longer one is on them, the more the dose has to be raised, and the worse the side effects are. Plus generally you do not reach long term remission with them. And I am living proof that thus far without the corticosteroids plus the proper diet and supplements that my symptoms have improved tremendously and I have the lab tests to prove it. I see no reason that I should not get full remission. My doctor specializes in nutrigenics. Gene testing and then placing a patient on a diet according to their genes. Yes the diet is tough to follow, but thus far it was been completely worth it. I am also on a long term antibiotic to fight the strept throat that my weakened immune system could not fight off.
...Aside from Celiac Disease being a possible underlying cause of autoimmune disorders, there is another form of treatment that has caught my eye. That is Dr. Brown's antibiotic therapy. That form of treatment is also being incorporated into my healing process. But I'll be getting into that later. I have read about some getting remission just on the antibiotic therapy, some with just a gluten free diet, and others with a combination of both.
What?? I was diagnosed with a pretty scary autoimmune disease- Dermatomyocitis (Dermaomyo what?? I thought the same thing :P) It's when one's own body starts to attack its' own muscles, which causes them to slowly degenerate (yikes! don't worry, this blog is not meant to be super depressing or anything!). This disease also causes redness of the skin. Thennn with a lot of work (you wouldn't think it would take that much work D:) and many months later I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (Thank you Dr. Auckerman- a Celiac himself. This diagnoses is controversial because unfortunately CD is hard to diagnose.) Hmmmm...and this is when things get interesting- at least from a medical perspective.
When?? These shenanigans have been going on for about a year now (when my symptoms started to really show, although I think I showed subtle symptoms for years that I took as normal). But things started to get scary starting July of 2010. But I wasn't diagnosed with Dermatomyocitis until the beginning of February of 2011 and I also was not diagnosed with Celiac Disease until mid March of 2011.
Where?? O-H-I-O :)) Yep. I'm from Ohio, from near the Cleveland/Akron area.
Why?? Good questioooon!!! Why the heck did my body start to go super crazy all of the sudden?? That would be the main point of this blog.
And also I've learned too much during these escapades to not share. I want to encourage people to fight for their health, to not lose hope, and to form a partnership with their doctor. I also think it's important to have someone else to who can understand to talk with and to support one with their health. I would love to talk to anybody about their health. Even those who have a different diagnoses than I. The information in this blog, especially the information concerning autoimmune disorders has been giving me my life back, and it would be morally wrong for me not to share this vital information. I'm living proof that at least for me thus far I am heading toward remission. Just look at my labs (I will be sharing them :))
And last but not least. WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?? I am currently not on corticosteroids. I am not telling anybody with an autoimmune disease to stop taking their corticosteroids, but I am not a fan of those drugs because they do not treat the underlying cause of the disease. They just treat the symptoms. And they can have such awful and scary side effects. Although I suppose it's a double edge sword because they have thrown people's disease into remission. But generally the longer one is on them, the more the dose has to be raised, and the worse the side effects are. Plus generally you do not reach long term remission with them. And I am living proof that thus far without the corticosteroids plus the proper diet and supplements that my symptoms have improved tremendously and I have the lab tests to prove it. I see no reason that I should not get full remission. My doctor specializes in nutrigenics. Gene testing and then placing a patient on a diet according to their genes. Yes the diet is tough to follow, but thus far it was been completely worth it. I am also on a long term antibiotic to fight the strept throat that my weakened immune system could not fight off.
...Aside from Celiac Disease being a possible underlying cause of autoimmune disorders, there is another form of treatment that has caught my eye. That is Dr. Brown's antibiotic therapy. That form of treatment is also being incorporated into my healing process. But I'll be getting into that later. I have read about some getting remission just on the antibiotic therapy, some with just a gluten free diet, and others with a combination of both.
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