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sailorhathorThe doctor doesn't know what's wrong with me. He's referred me to a rheumatologist. We're basically playing "What Laurel DOESN'T have" right now. We know my symptoms: pretty bad fatigue, pain in the knuckles of my hands, skin disorders (extremely intolerable itching all over, oversensitive response to touch in places, and rashes/red scaly patches that look like eczema), and depression. All become worse in response to stress. I also have a strong allergic response to anything scented/perfume/cologne in that I have trouble breathing, eyes itch/water, etc. (Doesn't respond to antihistamines.) At times, it's like any smell I get around is magnified to overwhelming proportions. And of course, my sinus problems.
The doctor has diagnosed the sinus, allergy, and skin problems as atopic syndrome, which is an immune system disorder. Means my immune system is too sensitive in what it tries to protect me from. These new symptoms, they did a blood test to try to figure out what's going on. He's ruled out rheumatoid arthritis, and that's about it. The antinuclear antibody test was negative, which can mean that lupus is a less likely possibility, but not necessarily. Drugs that suppress my immune system are the only drugs that have consistently provided relief from every one of my symptoms. So, we can't completely rule out lupus. But, there are a few other possibilities. All hard to diagnose, I guess, since I don't have a diagnosis yet.
The only thing the blood test told us for sure is that some level is up (I think it was RDM, whatever that stands for), which indicates that I do have some sort of "inflammatory condition." Vague, isn't it? :P
I hope the rheumatologist will have some ideas. I'm at the point that I feel like I can't take much more. I know I haven't talked about some of this very much, but it's all been going on for a long time. I've just lived with the sinus problems for so many years without doctors being able to provide me much relief that I've learned to live with pain and discomfort, so some of it just doesn't seem worth talking about. But it's so hard to drag my ass out of bed and go to work when I feel absolutely exhausted. Just standing at the bus stop wears me out. It's ridiculous. I used to have times when I felt pretty good, but at least since the summer of 2006, there hasn't been a day that I haven't felt like shit. (Except for the days I used the immune-suppressing drugs.) In the last few months, the fatigue has only gotten worse, and the itching isn't responding to antihistamines as well as it did before. (Good example, I got up only 12 hours ago and if I laid down right now, I'd drop right off to sleep, I'm so drowsy.) I need RELIEF.
Besides that, if it is something serious, I want to know. I want time to prepare. I don't want to waste any of it in denial.
Wish me luck that the rheumatologist won't consider me a hard case, go "duuuuuuh, I dunno," and pass me off to yet another doctor. And thank you to those who took the time to read this and have been supportive and talked to me and/or said something nice. It means a lot.
The doctor has diagnosed the sinus, allergy, and skin problems as atopic syndrome, which is an immune system disorder. Means my immune system is too sensitive in what it tries to protect me from. These new symptoms, they did a blood test to try to figure out what's going on. He's ruled out rheumatoid arthritis, and that's about it. The antinuclear antibody test was negative, which can mean that lupus is a less likely possibility, but not necessarily. Drugs that suppress my immune system are the only drugs that have consistently provided relief from every one of my symptoms. So, we can't completely rule out lupus. But, there are a few other possibilities. All hard to diagnose, I guess, since I don't have a diagnosis yet.
The only thing the blood test told us for sure is that some level is up (I think it was RDM, whatever that stands for), which indicates that I do have some sort of "inflammatory condition." Vague, isn't it? :P
I hope the rheumatologist will have some ideas. I'm at the point that I feel like I can't take much more. I know I haven't talked about some of this very much, but it's all been going on for a long time. I've just lived with the sinus problems for so many years without doctors being able to provide me much relief that I've learned to live with pain and discomfort, so some of it just doesn't seem worth talking about. But it's so hard to drag my ass out of bed and go to work when I feel absolutely exhausted. Just standing at the bus stop wears me out. It's ridiculous. I used to have times when I felt pretty good, but at least since the summer of 2006, there hasn't been a day that I haven't felt like shit. (Except for the days I used the immune-suppressing drugs.) In the last few months, the fatigue has only gotten worse, and the itching isn't responding to antihistamines as well as it did before. (Good example, I got up only 12 hours ago and if I laid down right now, I'd drop right off to sleep, I'm so drowsy.) I need RELIEF.
Besides that, if it is something serious, I want to know. I want time to prepare. I don't want to waste any of it in denial.
Wish me luck that the rheumatologist won't consider me a hard case, go "duuuuuuh, I dunno," and pass me off to yet another doctor. And thank you to those who took the time to read this and have been supportive and talked to me and/or said something nice. It means a lot.
