Maybe so dee, and Petunia! Seems like this is more than a coincidence!
SK, when I read some of your posts, I am amazed that you are still with us and that you are so light, sweet and encouraging to others. You have so much going on and suffer so much that it makes me feel bad for ever complaining. You are such a strong person and I admire you for that. I want to be like you when I grow up (as if I will ever grow up-LOL).
I have a question about the fingernails. In the past year or so, I have noticed that I have those pits in my fingernails. I also had some discoloration in my fingernails that started from the top down and was not on all the nails and it eventually faded out. I mentioned this to several doctors and they all looked at me like I was nuts so I stopped mentioning it. What should I say to this new rheumatologist about it? Should I be more insistent that this is indicative of something more or are there other, innocuous, things that can cause the pitting? Thanks for your input.
Just show him your fingernails, if he doesn't respond to them being pitted, you have not found the right Dr. As a matter of fact, I was just voicing my frustration that the other Drs had no idea what was wrong with me all of those years, he said all they had to do was look at your fingernails!
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/nail_psoriasis/page15_em.htm#nail_ps...
My Rheum actually recommended I write letters to all of the medical professionals who diagnosed me as 'stiff', or other insulting insinuations, he said to nicely tell them that all they needed do do was look at my nails and they would have had the dx. He said they would NOT like it but it might help the next patient.
I have not been able to be nice enough about it to compose it yet, it still 'stings', so I'll have to wait a little longer!
Thanks, you flatter me, I am not always so light and sweet! I am a student of all of that! I'm a scrapper since birth, but guess you have to be to go through all of this! As I reopen chapters of my life, sometimes I wonder how I made it this far, but as a single Mom, I had to fight my way through.
I really hope I do NOT follow suit of my Mom's family of living up into my 80's, I'm not that strong, I just cannot fathom going through this another 30 years! It is probably grossly inappropriate for me to say that I believe in this, but I do. We are so compassionate about not allowing our animals to suffer, but those old people will be ok???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia
I know I'm gonna get 'stomped' for that, but it is my very strong opinon, and NO ONE will be able to change it!
Oh, SK, I agree wholeheartedly. I hope you live well past 80 and enjoy a full and active life after they discover a cure for what ails you. But, and this is a big but as I don't think they will find a cure for all this stuff in our lifetimes, I think that Dr. Kevorkian was on to something and I have also always said that I would move to Oregon if I became terminal. It should not be criminal to assist someone else to end their suffering.
OBTW, I want to be like you believe me to be when I grow up! ha!
I am going to tell this new rheumy about the nails and let her give me an opinion. I am hoping that because she is 37 and from New York, she will be a little more up to date and knowledgeable than the other rheumy I saw.
I'm not sure I will need assistance, and could just about care about permission!
I have moved so many times that I don't want to ever have to do it again! I would like to have those elves come and take some of this stuff out of the attic though, I don't have the muscles or the energy to move stuff out of there! ha!
Either those elves or the grandkids need to come help with the Christmas decorations if they want them up too! They are used to me being a cross between Martha stewart and wonderwoman, hey, not anymore! I can barely wrap a present! They all used to look like they were wrapped at one of the finest stores in the world, now I'm lucky to get out to buy gift bags! Things really change with illness! Really!
Oh we can only hope, the first (only time) Rheumatologist I went to did not have a clue, she spent an astounding amount of time with me, looked at every part of my body except my private areas, and had no clue, even with the Sjogren's in the bloodwork, she argued that my GP did not know how to read the results. He was not happy about that, I am sure she got no more referrals from my GP!
If you are genetically linked to autoimmune, from the info that I have read, Sjogren's is usually the very first autoimmune diesese to show on bloods, but they may have to keep looking for it, but when he diagnosed me with Overlap Syndrome, it included 5 or 6 autoimmune diseases that I had several symptoms to, he told me then this was only the beginning of the diagnosis. He was right! Seems like you can never just get one of these! If your Dr is smart enough to keep listening and looking, more will be found eventually. Though he has not come out and said it again, he suspects more to follow, that is why he insists I also see a Rheumatologist.
My GP is my age, not sure how old the Rheum is, hope I can hang on to both of them. Not sure what this Obamacare is going to do to our Drs, but looks like we are gonna find out! I'm very concerned having many british and canadian friends. If I were in canada and PsA did not show up in my bloods, I could NEVER get a biologic! Even with several joint replacements. Less than 20% of patients have this show on bloods.
I had the sjorgrens test too and it was negative. I also had the ANA tests which were negative. I have had the positive RF test and some high sed rates but the first rheumy dismissed these out of hand (the positive ones). It is dismaying to hear your story and to know how much you suffered and to hear that it took so long to get a diagnosis and some relief. Makes me want to be even more assertive/ aggressive with the docs but, in my experience, when you do that, it makes them mad. My PCP is great but knows that he is out of his league with the rheumatology stuff. I like that he pretty much does every thing else for me so I don’t have to go to all those different docs.
Yes,when i was a girl i had alot of pain and tireness, problems with my ladies,had to have 2 sections,hystrectomy when i was 28,and numerous surgerys 18 in total.ive never felt like any one else i know,i would go out and have to go home before any one ,Then i had spine surgey in in 2002 and my health went basically down hill,i saw my Rheumy yesterday as things have progressed pretty quickly,and he said fibro is a central nervous system disease,but i have others overlapping,have to have a load of bloods Monday so i will have to wait around a week for results.
Gentle hugs to everyone Kathy x
I think there is a link to fibro with our Ladies,i have had endom and thats why i have had a hyst,i also suffered with cysts on my ovarys,and ended up having a ovary removed then i got peritonitis,in my bladder,so ive a load of scar tissue,which can be uncomftable..makes you think! Hugs Kathy x
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Peritonitus Had you ever heard that peritonitus can be caused by the corn starch used in rubber/latex medical gloves worn during surgery? That is a scary thought! Peritonitus, is scary no matter how you look at it or what causes it! I'm sure it was a long way back from that!
Yes, I had trouble with cysts on the ovaries too, many have that problem here.
Kathy, you have surely been through it! I know everyone thinks that surgery will fix them, but not always so! I hope that you can get to a better place with your health.
Isn't it amazing how we can never get the same definition of Fibromyalgia? Mine says it's a condition caused by chronic pain, which changes the brain!
I have heard of that one,i am allergic to those gloves,and i have always told them at the hospital this,but im not sure they heard me as when i had a cyst removed,i had to be opened again because i had peritinitis in my bladder,nasty!!
Yes it is. each Doc has his own name or daignoses,the Doc who i saw,and i asked him said it is a Central Nervous System Disease,so hey,i think alot more needs to be reasearched.