Seriously! I started wearing a "patch" about 2 months ago and it's honestly been a life saver!
About 8 years ago I started having trouble with my legs and feet hurting and my joints being inflamed. I went to the dr and he said "arthritis" and prescribed some meds. It was only a few days after starting the meds that they started making me sick so I went back to the dr and he sent me to a Rheumatologist. They were treating me with some really terrible meds for about a year but nothing was working so I stopped taking them. After a year or so I went to another dr... he bascially told me I was on my own. So for the last 5 years I've been eating Tylenol Arthritis like it's chocolate!!!
By the time the spring rolled around my hands, elbows, shoulders, back & hips were really starting to bother me as well. I was absolutely miserable. This summer I could barely walk. It was months till the inflammation went down and I could get something on my feet besides flipflops. I decided to see another dr. This one was a foot & ankle specialist and is the Chief physician for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was very honest with me when he said he didn't think he could treat me because what I had wasn't anything that he deals with... but he wanted to send me to see a colleague that would be able to help me... he wanted to send me to the Lupus Foundation. I was supposed to call and set up an appointment and keep him posted on the progress.
I couldn't wrap my head around the whole Lupus thing. I just couldn't do it. So I did some research on the internet and looked at the meds they use to treat this... and what I found out was even if I did have Lupus I couldn't take the meds because I'm allergic to them!
This prompted me to make a time-line of all the physical issues I've been having over the last 15 years and believe it or not.... almost everything could be linked to a severe complete deficiency of estrogen! I had to have a complete hysterctomy about a year after my daughter was born.... she just turned 18 the beginning of this month... so yea, it's been a while since I've taken any HRT's (hormone replacement therapy). I took them for a few years but then took myself off of them because of the side-effects.
Obviously, when this became evident I had my family dr make me an appointment at MaGee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh and let me tell ya something!!! The dr I seen was wonderful!! And I'm feeling soooo much better! So much of the joint pain has gone away! I do have arthritis (which I knew) but I obviously do NOT have LUPUS! wooohooooo!!!!
My kids and hubby think it's funny that I wear this but believe me.... they love me so much more since I've started wearing it!!! lol
Since I've been feeling better I've been trying to get some of the things done that I started a few years ago... hopefully I can get these projects done so I can start some new ones!!! lol
Happy Creating!!!
1 comment:
WOO HOO!! I am soooo happy for you!!
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