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I had an attack of something
back in 1984 that was probably SD,but it didn't present in the classic way. I
was under extreme stress then,going through divorce and moving my ex back
to CA,worrying about whether I was gonna be able to keep my home,what I was
gonna do. I had what I thought was a severe case of the flu. There was some
pretty hard fevers,sore throat and the stiffness that flu brings. I kept going
with OTC drugs and finally felt better.
The only thing that was strange about the whole scene was that I noticed my
right hand ring finger being very cold!! The other fingers on the right hand
were also colder than normal,including the thumb. I don't know how I wound up
seeing an orthopedic Dr.,but I dd. He stuck my hand in a large bucket of mostly
ice and let me set there for about 10 minutes. My God it was Cold!!
He sent me to a surgeon and there were some tests with dye put in my femoral
artery and x-rays taken. I was given a dx of Beurgers Dz. a form of systemic
vasculitis. It scared the fire out of me. It seems that Nicotine is The Big Bad
Trigger for this dz and I was allergic to the Nicotine.
I love to smoke. I know,I know,But I still Love to smoke. I did quit back then
and quit for some time.Then one day I thought I could smoke just one. Well,any
of you that are reformed smokers know the story. I was hooked again. I smoked
for about 1 1/2 years this time.
( I have been tobacco free since last Sept.'98 now !!! )
I have been fighting the Workers Comp, under going back surgeries, (3 of them.)
Recovery,Pain,Loseing abilities and the smoking I'm sure led to another attack
in Sept.'98. I presented with all the symptoms this time!! I had
plenty enough stress for a huge trigger and it nailed me good. I just thought I
had problems before.
I had called the Dr. and gotten some antibiotics a week before. I was known for
chronic sinus infections. I called back on the following
friday and told the nurse I was still very sick and running a low grade fever.
They had me come in because after a week on these antibiotics I should have been
much better. The Dr. had quit fooling around with two or three drugs and gave me
the strongest there is the first time.
My wife took me to the Dr. because I had asked her to stay home from work that
day,because I was so sick.I have to be awfully bad to ask her to do that and she
knows it. We went in about 11:00 a.m. and I layed on one of those little exam
tables all #$#@&% day!! My back was
killing me other than just feeling horrible anyway. I was running between 99*
and 102.4* temp all day. The Dr. knew I wasn't any better and she told my wife
to take me across the street to the hospital. It was Friday 4th.of Sept.1998 at
5:30 p.m.
The next couple of days were bad. My kids are usd to dad just shrugging things
off and going on.The girls brought a multi-flavored cheesecake and the little
plates and forks to my room for a party. This had my very favorite "Turtle
Cheesecake" in it too. When I refused that they knew I was sick.
The Drs. gave me the strong antibiotic in my I.V. nd it didn't help. I was under
ten of the hospital blankets doubled at one time shaking uncontrollably. My wife
was scared to death. I moved to a private room,because I couldn't stand the
noise and hustle and bustle and
especially that %^$#%$@ T.V.!!
When I got in there the started me on the Prednisone in the I.V. as I was having
trouble eating anything. I only wanted water. My Dr. asked how much waterI drank
and I told her a lot. Probably twice as much as the normal person. She was like
,"yea,right!!" Then in a couple of days she came in and told me I had
to start drinking some juice or something bcause my electrolytes were low and I
was drinking to much water. Well,after the Prednisone kicked in I started
eating. I had lost twenty pounds in about five days.
I had a sort of pre-diagnosis.of Stills,but it wasn't firm because of my age of
58. I had spent eleven days in the hospital by this time and was feeling well
enough t go home. It was Tuesday the 15th. of Sept. and my Dr. consented for me
to do that. I was still without a firm diagnosis.
My wife picked me up after she got off of work and we started home,about a 25
mnute drive. I had no sooner hardly got in our truck when my knees started
hurting again. The right one was drained while I was in there and several blood
cultures were ran with no infection presenting. They couldn't figure that out
because of the white blood count of 30,000.
Anyway. I kept feeling worse and worse the closer we got to home. I hadn't ran a
fever for two days and had been feeling really good.The
best I had felt in a long tme. When we got home my wife grabbed the thermometer
and started taking my temp.It was 102.4* and I started
chilling again. My wife called the Dr. and she wanted to know if I was willing
to go back to the hospital. I was ready to do anything at that
point. I had no idea of what was wrong with me. We went back and I crawled back
in the same bed I had left five hours earlier. I was given
60 mgs. of Prednisone by mouth and in a little while I was fine again.
The next morning my Dr. came in and asked if I was wlling to go through another
blood culture test to make sure it was alright and to confirm a dx.I told her I
was ,if she would keep me comfortable after. I had to let my fever go back
up to the critical for me, 102.4* I knew how bad I was going to hurt!!
I went off all my meds.The day got progressively worse and my temp finally
peaked at 12:20 a.m. it was 102.4*. The blood culture was taken and it just so
happened to be taken by a friend of ours that we know outside the hospital. She
told me that she should have taken a regular blood draw to after she had already
taken the needle out of my arm. Sure enough 30 minutes later here they came
wating a regular blood sample. I had already had my shot of Demoral and the
little gal still hurt me. She was just training,needless to say her trainer took
care of matters quicly after I screamed in pain!! I had hardly any viens left
after all the work was done.
The next day I was put back on the Prednisone and started feeling better
immediately. After the culture came back I had the full blown No Mistake
Diagnosis of A.O.S.D. I was put on the Methotrexate while I was still in the
hospital. My Rheumy explained what it was for and I was given a time to come and
see him after I got out.
I got out the next day.
It was Friday 18th.Sept.1998 at 4:00 p.m.
Almost two weeks exactly except for the five hours I had spent at home.
I have started some real improvement in the last three weeks or so and have been
having some really Good days. I go back to my Rheumy the 24th of August,this
month and we are going to talk about Vioxx and me coming off the Prdnisone. I
was on Celebrex and it caused severe pitting edema for me. The Arthrotec 50s ate
mt stomach up. I am now on 1500 mgs. of Relafen a day. I hope the Vioxx
works,because the Celebrex was the best I have ever taken pain wise. I was
on a lot of the familiar NSAIDS in the past from the 1984 session.
I have dropped out of several newsgroups
due to the stress levels that I didn't realize were being raised in them and
that has helped a lot This one has been wonderful and not created any extra
stress like the others did. I will hang around here. :-) I have cut as much
stress out of my life that is possible at the moment. The Workers Comp case is
supposed to be winding up in the next couple of weeks. That will help some more.
I have gotten a couple of S.I.joint injections recently that has helped the pain
of muscle spasms a great deal and I am looking forward to going back to water
therapy soon. I guess then I can start to enjoy my forced retirement. I am
looking forward to it.A Lot.
All of that because of a trigger. Lets hope there aren't to many more like that
for me.LOLOL.
--------------> Yvsa.
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