Main » October 2004

October 26, 2004

Another wasted trip to the doctor......

Here I am finally. Back from vacation, busy, busy. Out of pain meds and trying to make it thru the day until I can call in my next refill!

So I went to the rheumatologist last week. I spent about 2 hours there (most of it waiting) for him to tell ,“I would rule out that you have RA” and "Just keep doing what you’re doing”. Okay then, that was very helpful. In other words – he has no clue!!

I did read a good article in my Endometriosis Association newsletter about the connection between women with endo and something called Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). This is taken from the newsletter:

Below are symptoms reported both by women with endo, and women with endo and a diagnosis of CFIDS:

Profound exhaustion and poor stamina
Sleep abnormalities (having a hard time falling asleep, awakening between 2:00 and 4:00 am)
Pelvic pain and menstrual irregularities
Recurrent flu-like symptoms (tender lymph nodes, muscle weakness, aching joints, low-grade fever)
Headaches
Chronic yeast infections
Irritable Bowel and bowel dysbiosis
Anxiety (fight or flight mechanism stuck on)
Allergies (environmental, hormonal food and/or chemical)
“Brain fog” (difficulty concentrating, memory and processing problems)
Symptoms of other conditions: irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, Lyme Disease, lupus, MS
Prolonged exhaustion after mental and physical activity

Okay, so I have all of the above except the menstrual stuff now because of my hysterectomy. They suggest changing diet, detoxifying your surroundings, starting allergy treatments, treating intestinal and bowel abnormalities, be selective with your healthcare, exercise gently but frequently, getting help with sleep, eating high quality small meals, choose organic, take nutritional supplements, use alternative therapies (massage, biofeedback).

There is my medical diagnosis of myself – question is – will my doctor believe me when I suggest it??? Right now I am treated separately for migraines, Chrons, and joint pain. I am sending the whole article to my primary doctor – we’ll see what he says next time I come in.

By the way, today I have joint pain, severe allergies, a headache, cold hands and feet and I am very sleepy. Yawn, yawn.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Posted by Cheryl S. at 08:21 AM | Comments (3)

October 06, 2004

Just Another Day in Paradise

I wanted to get another entry in before my vacation. I woke up this morning with a wonderful migraine that is stabbing between my eyes and making me nauseous. Guess it's better to get it today than tomorrow when we are leaving. Stomach is better today now that I got my medication refilled!

So tomorrow we leave at 5:30 am for a 7 hour drive. Yikes! Morning isn’t my best time of day of course. Load up on meds, drink no coffee (so we won’t have to stop a million times), and sit back for the ride.

I would love to get a message from anyone that has joint pain similar to mine. As of right now it’s undiagnosed. It gets worse at different times during the month and tends to last for a week or so when it’s severe. I also get a low-grade temp, sometimes a rash or hives, stomach acts up and I am sleepy. Anyone else??? The joints don’t swell at all, they are just extremely painful and stiff – knees and hips mostly.

Busy day at work getting ready for my trip. I’m sure I will have lots of things to write about when I get back!

Posted by Cheryl S. at 07:28 AM | Comments (4)

October 05, 2004

My First Diary Post - Happy to Join You!

“Hi Cheryl, how are you?”

“Good, how are you?”

Ha ha ha. I say that so many times a day but it’s definitely not the truth most of the time.

It should be “Hi Cheryl, how are you?”......

.....And my response, “Kind of cruddy actually. The pain in my joints is exceptionally bad today, I have a migraine and really bad cramps from my Crohns.”

In reality though I find that just saying “good” is much easier and what people want to hear as a response.

So let me fill you in on me before I start my diary. I am 40 years old, work as an office manager, am married with no children (but have a stepdaughter) and I own 2 beautiful rescued greyhounds and a kitty.

Medically I am basically a mess. I started getting periods very young and they were severe even at the time. It wasn’t until I was 21 that I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis. I had a complete hysterectomy at 28. I have been getting migraines since I was about 18 and the severity fluctuates with hormones, age etc. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease about 4 years ago – so I can add that to my list. Joint pain and stomach distress are my major issues right now. The joint pain is so bad that I take a maintenance dose of Lortab, and have made an appointment with a rheumatologist (oh goody, a new doctor). Here is the short list of my usual daily joy, as I call it:

Joint pain (hips and knees)
Migraines
Cramping/gas/diarrhea
Allergies
Neck and back pain
Depression issues

From what I understand, autoimmune disorders are quite common in women with endo. I have been working as a volunteer for the Endometriosis Association for a few years now and that has been such a help to me, as well as making me feel better by helping others.

So that’s me in a nutshell. I’m actually going on my first vacation in 6 years starting this Thursday, but when I get back I promise to add quite often to my diary.

Posted by Cheryl S. at 04:48 AM | Comments (19)