Friday, July 15, 2011

My Signs and Symptoms/Mostly invisible- If this is you, no you're not crazy!!

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.

1 comment:

  1. I never knew how rough the situation you were going through was!! I'm sorry D. I'm glad you are such a strong person and finding your way through the life of yours. You're awesome!

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