Hells Story

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after having my first child, I developed headaches and fatigue. For the next few years, I would get sent for various tests with different specialists.  2 steps forward - 1 back.  I gave up just before getting pregnant with with my second child.  Symptoms returned same as before.  Doc figured postpartum- to which I responded "but I'm not depressed".  At 25, I walked into a rheumatologists office who looked at me and said I had Sjogrens.  He sent me for tests and confirmed.  Then followed it up by sending me to a Sjogrens Clinic at toronto western hospital here in Toronto.  They did a lip biopsy, spit test, eye tests and I saw a rheumatologist that was supposed to be world renowned.  It confirmed it.  However during my followup appointment - he refused to see me as a patient as he claimed my illness was not severe enough for his busy caseload and only wanted to see very severe patients. The optometrist who had done the eye tests was happy to see me as a patient.  I continued to see her.  Some years passed (15 to be exact), symptoms continued to grow and then I turned the magic age: 40.  I found a new rheumatologist who wanted to see me.  I finally had a great team.  Now  42, have Osteoarthritis and SJS - take plaquenil for SJS, Prevacid for reflux, restassis for dry eyes and furosemide for swollen ankles and trying my best to manage.