A Story of Pain
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When I look back and think about all the symptoms of this disease, I believe my disease started in 2008. I was a cosmetologist for 20+ year. I made a doctors appt because I was unusually tired, not sleeping and feeling nauseous sometimes. Had my blood drawn and when the results came back white blood cells were very low and so I had an aids test and a test to see if I had leukemia because that runs in my family as well. That was the longest 3wks of my life! I knew my partner was not faithful and that scared and pissed me off. Results came in and everything was fine. I didnt have insurance so I was paying out of pocket. I started taking a natural supplement to help with my low energy. At the same time it wasnt getting better and I decided to move back to IL where my parents lived. From 2008-2013, there were plenty of trips to the ER for pain. Mentally I was broken, my stress levels were off the charts, I couldnt focus, I eventually stopped doing hair, thinking I just needed to take a break and maybe do something else. I was having heart palpitations, I had the portable ekg testing several times. Everything was always anxiety, probably from moving back and upending my life. I started working in a warehouse kitchen for Dierbergs Grocery Stores, where we made and packaged everything for all 23 stores. I was working in the cold 8-10hrs,4 days a week. Thats when the other symptoms started coming to light. My knees, feet, ankles started to swell and keep me in constant pain. I still, at this time didnt have insurance so I was going back and forth to the ER, for more severe pain and swelling. There were days when I didnt want my feet to touch the floor. I worked there from Nov 2011 to Feb 2013. My hands, fingers would swell so bad but all I could get was Ibuprofen 800 or Tramadol for the pain and a boot at one point for my right foot. My pain levels at this time were beyond any pain I had ever experienced I didnt sleep at night because of the pain. I eventually got out of the cold and started working at another warehouse in 2013. The pain got worse. My hands and toes had started to scab over and swell and would be beet red. I would wake up at night and run them under cold water. I would always have purple greenish red bruises on my legs and arms. Once I was hired permanently my insurance kicked in. My knees were so swollen thru my jeans that my Dr. in IL said I might have RA. She a test and my ANA came back positive for Lupus. I was sent to a RA Dr and told her my other symptoms and that's when I was diagnosed with MCTD, in 2014. I was diagnosed just in time. I couldn't work, which added to my stress levels. I would be up for 2 days and then crash and sleep for a few hours. When I laid down the weight from my own body was causing me excruciating pain. I finally was put on meds for pain and to control my symptoms. At that time there was a small paragraph about MCTD and that was it. I was so lost and I fell into a deep depression. I felt so alone for so long. I'm just glad there is more info. I've only met 1 Dr. who has heard of my disease besides my Dr. in St. Louis and that was my Dr. who performed my carpal tunal surgeries, who told me it was also known as Sharps Syndrome. I've never met anyone who has this disease or heard of this disease. I have Lupus, Polymyositis, Raynaud's and Scleroderma. Thank you for this site!
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