I haven't talked about this at all here, since I thought maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.
I've been having joint pain for the better part of two years. It started in my hands, usually after a long bout of sewing. After a few days, it would go away. Well, recently, it's come back with a vengeance, and spread. I have pain in all my small joints (knuckles, wrists, elbows, where my collarbone connects, my toes, ankles, knees...) It is unbearable, so I finally went to the doctor.
The joint pain, combined with a constant feeling of exhaustion, and a weird rash that doesn't go away, has my doctor thinking I likely have lupus, or rheumatic arthritis. I'm waiting on test results to come back.
Today has been the worst day, by far. I woke up with my hands completely swollen. I could barely stand as I got our of bed. I shuffle around, because it hurts to move, and I feel like a zombie. We spent most of the day out, there's a May days festival in town, so we made the most of it, but I'm paying for my exertion. I am not used to being weak, or to choose sitting on the couch over being out and about. It's not pleasant.
I should, hopefully, know what's up by sometime next week. Both are auto-immune disorders, both can be brought on by stress, both suck. Of course, at this point, nothing surprises me anymore, and I know I can handle it. DH, on the other hand, is beside himself worrying about something being wrong with me :(
BIG HUGS! Hoping for an answer for you, preferably a good one...
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about the joint pain. You hinted at it in an earlier post, and I wondered. I have it, too, most likely because I have scleroderma (similar to lupus). I'm able to deal with it fairly well, but I definitely understand being in pain and having to care for two little ones. If you want to talk more, please feel free to email me. I could let you know what works for me. My email is on my blog and also on HM, I think. Hang in there! (((HUGS)))
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