Thank God April is over!!! Three MRIs, an X-ray, a mammogram, three doctors appointments, a few serious curveballs, and a massive car repair from hell, it couldn't end fast enough. I got my car back, was screwed over by the junk yard who sold me the "fake" transmission, drained my entire "dammit fund," and was forced to face the reality that I'm not a mechanic anymore. I just have the knowledge of one because I can't physically do the work, even if it's in the driveway or a friend's garage.
But I found out that my UCTD was most likely evolving. Into what? My rheumatologist wasn't (and isn't) sure. She suspects RA and/or lupus at the very least. The problem is because of the medications I'm on now, the tests would be (and are) inconclusive, but the symptoms are there and my inflammation rates are climbing again. So she ordered a STIR sequenced, weighted spinal MRI to look for clues. I should have realized something wasn't right when her office called me to tell me the hospital never scanned my SI joint, but I had asked that I be called with the results they had on my thoracic and lumbar spine at the very least, since it was another three weeks until my appointment. I never received a call. As it turns out, the MRI didn't give any clues as to the direction of my illness, but revealed compression fractures in all of my thoracic vertebrae and all but one lumbar vertebrae. It explains the back pain. But the fractures are all fully healed. I just went numb as she read the results--after she asked me if I had injured my back before because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. I've always been proud of my height. At 5'7, I'm the tallest female (except for one aunt who married into the family) on both sides of my family. I should actually be about 5'8, 5'9! What the fuck? I suppose it's easier to focus on something so stupid as height instead of the fact that there's nothing I can do about the back pain. The damage isn't bad enough right now and surgery isn't an option for at least another decade or two, depending on degeneration.
But at least the mammogram was clean. The X-ray showed no signs of dislocation or fracture, either. Then my rheumatologist reads the MRI report from my shoulder. Nothing torn, no bursitis, tendonitis.. just excessive swelling and fluid. It should go away on its own (it's only been 4 and a half months), but I'm starting another medication, so if that doesn't help, she'll give me a cortisone injection. And I learned a fun fact about my illness: this happened because my joints are already inflamed, so when I fell, it swelled up and got all angry and filled up with fluid. Turns out if I fall or jar a joint, it can happen to any of them. But I'll have to get an MRI to make sure there isn't any damage. Awesome.
Then I get a call from my primary doctor the following day about the MRI telling me that the shoulder is excessively swollen, filled with fluid, the tendons and ligaments are stretched, and there looks to be a small tear. But it doesn't look like I need surgery, only a cortisone injection. So its off to the orthopedist to find out what the hell is going on. Two doctors, same report, same scans, two different opinions.
And while all of this is going on, I'm waiting for my TB test results so I can start a biologic medication. Self injections every 2 weeks. On top of the immunosuppressants. Which would be okay except I HATE needles. And now I'm going to have to give myself a shot every other week. This is going to be interesting.
So yeah... April was all about being stuffed into tubes, exposed to all kinds of radiation, getting the girls squished and squashed, sitting in doctors offices, fighting with a scumbag junkyard owner, and laying out ungodly amounts of money to fix my car. May? May looks like a good month to become a pin cushion. And find out if I have the balls to purposely stab myself with a needle, or if I have to go crying to my mother with my pants around my ankles, making her do it. (Which I'm sure she'll be happy to oblige, if only because she'll get the chance to stab me with a sharp object on purpose.)
No comments:
Post a Comment