Tuesday 6 November 2018

I'm sick of being sick


The thing is apart from random pain in my thigh and hip bones and a general feeling of lethargy, I’m not actually sick, however my blood test results over the past 16 months are telling the doctors otherwise and they keep calling me back in for more tests including a bone marrow biopsy in May to rule out cancer.

Finally my white blood cell count has stabalised, it’s still elevated but with no baseline to measure it by, it could just be my normal level.

Since February this year I’ve been taking iron tablets and yet my levels are still dropping, I’ve also been receiving monthly Vit B12 injections and daily tablets yet my levels are not rising either.

I went to the Doctors in June 2017 with a migraine that had lasted 9 days and pain behind my left eye. I’ve suffered with migraines since I was a baby. Every 18-24 months I get one so bad I need medical assistance to sort it out. I have 2-3 migraines every month and I am a chronic migraine sufferer as it impairs my ability to function for 2-3 days each time. I have aura’s, sight is blurry, I can smell burning toast and my cognitive ability is affected. I take medication at this point but most times it doesn’t work.

I also have chronic pain in my neck and nerve damage that affects my fine motor movements, I live in constant pain, it also makes my migraines worse. This was a direct result of an assault 22 years ago. Usually when the migraines get worse it’s due to my neck and I get help and support with that also.

But after the last big migraine, I developed a chesty cough and started getting random shooting pains throughout my body, mainly in my legs and hips. I didn’t go back to the doctors, I put it down to stress after my father died in the July and on my return to Dubai in November I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, that cleared up but I still had a cough which turned out to be reflux and has settled down with over the counter medication.

I spent 3 months under the care of an oncologist this year, that was frightening, after the bone marrow biopsy she referred me to a different GP to test for coeliac disease (border line) and I’m now under the care of a gastroenterologist for further tests to find out why my body just refuses to absorb iron and B12.

As I live with chronic pain it makes it difficult for me to identify when I’m ill outside of this. 4 weeks ago I twisted my ankle, I casually mentioned it to the doctor last week, I’ve torn the tendons and it’ll take a further 6+ weeks to heal and is now heavily strapped. 

But apart from the migraines, the neck pain, the torn tendons, feeling tired all the time (not lacking the will to do anything) and the random bone pains, I’m actually feeling ok, until the doctor calls me back in as there are concerns with the results of my latest blood tests and we explore an other avenue to try and get to the bottom of it.

I’ve got a new symptom now, excessive salvia that I’m constantly sucking from the inside of my cheeks, but my tongue feels dry as does the roof of my mouth and the skin is peeling on my feet. My husband is sick of me being sick, but not half as much as I am.

27 comments:

  1. Oh Suzanne this sounds hideous, no wonder you feel crap, you have every right to. Not knowing what is wrong and being treating for dozens of other things until they find what you have is something I see regularly in the hospital.
    It is surprising how people like yourself adapt to living with ailments that would floor other people as it becomes the norm and you forget what the norm feels like.
    I really do hope they come up with some answers soon for you.
    Could your feet be some sort of fungal infection?

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    1. my feet peeling is due to vitamin deficiency, i often forget i have chronic pain, if you know what i mean, as it's constant it's my normal level of living

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  2. Oh no you poor thing, sounds like you are having a really tough time and Im sure you just want to get to the bottom of it! Fingers crossed that they find the cause soon and keep us updated! Thinking of You #TriumphantTales

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    1. I losing my patience now with all these tests, i'll let you know how I get on

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  3. Sorry to hear that you have been suffering, hope things improve soon #teenstweensandbeyo d@_karendennis

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    1. thank you, i'm hopeful i get a diagnoses soon

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  4. Gosh that sounds like an awful lot to handle ,,, sounds like they really need to get to the root cause of this, and then tackle it properly. Hope they do that and best of luck! Do post your updates #Triumphanttales

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    1. thank you, i will update once i get an answer

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  5. Suzanne, how awful! I hope you can find a good functional medicine doctor who can treat your whole body rather than a "collection of parts" and find the root causes of all these things. #triumphanttales

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  6. You poor thing. I hope you get some answers soon #triumphanttales

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  7. Hoping that you get a diagnosis and treatment soon. I had similar issues (i also have migraines) before getting a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis last year. It's tiring emotionally and physically.

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    1. sorry to hear that, fingers crossed the symptoms ease with the right treatment for you

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  8. I hope you feel better soon! I have CFS/ME and my overriding symptom is fatigue. My Vit D levels then sunk to dangerously low levels, so I'm now on a daily dose of that and I'm just about to go back onto iron supplements (I take it in a liquid form which is added to juice as my stomach can't tolerate the tablets). So I hear you, I'm kinda sick of being sick too!

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    1. it does get you down quicker than you realise

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  9. So sorry that you have been so poorly, I hope that you get to the bottom of it soon. My Mum hasn't been well all year and I know how draining it can be. Heres hoping you get some answers soon. Take it easy. Thank you for sharing with #TriumphantTales

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    1. sorry to hear your mum hasn't had a good year

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  10. This sounds horrendous! No wonder you are fed up of it. I really hope you get some answers soon and some treatment that actually helps you.

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  11. I understand and hope you are feeling better. I'll keep you in my prayers. I have some medical issues and keep saying I'm tired of being tired.

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  12. This constant pain sounds unrelenting, Suzanne. Yet despite it, you manage to do so much, travelling, meeting family and friends. I hope the latest tests will be able to give some right answers and you can find the treatment which would make your life easier.

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    1. thank you, feel like i need a loyalty card for the doctors these days

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  13. Living with a constant succession of illnesses must be so debilitating and not to have any concrete answers must be so frustrating. It does however sound like you are being carefully monitored and I pray for you and your husband that there is some light at the end of the tunnel soon. #TweensTeensBeyond

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    1. thank you, it's been a long journey, but I think we're getting somewhere now

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  14. That's a lot of issues to deal with all at once Suzanne and I hope you get the bottom of it soon! I can relate a little to this. One of my daughters is currently undergoing B12 injections because she doesn't seem to be able to absorb it or iron. She's negative for things like Coeliac Disease so it's a bit of a mystery. Take care of yourself #TweensTeensBeyond

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