Fran
08-23-2010, 02:10 AM
Before I tell my story, I want to say how much I admire those of you who have and are suffering far worse than I, because I realise that I got off lightly compared to a lot of you good people - and how some of you cope with what Wegener's has dealt you, and bring up young families and care for family members, well..........you are special !! Thank you all for the privilege of reading your stories - what a lovely bunch you are.
Here goes, I wanted it to be short but regretfully it ain't because when you start, all the little hangups you've kept in the cupboard come spilling out - but it's good for the soul so thanks.
I was diagnosed with Wegener's in June 1998 after a couple of years of 'mystery' symptoms ~ starting with a dodgy ankle and foot followed by a rash on my arms, legs and swollen knees, pains in the joints; this was assumed by the doctor to be an allergic reaction to oranges!. These symptoms would come and go, but the awful sinus with post nasal drip, ear pain and deafness was very persistant but the ENT consultant said he saw this all the time and could cure with a day-stay operation. Of course with hindsight, this was unnecessary and exacerbated the problem. I felt as if all my strength was draining out of me and I started 'doctor-bothering' in earnest because I just felt so ill and was not in control any more, but eventually by the end of a two- year period of on-off fevers, kidney pain, bloodshot blurry eyes, recurrent cystitis, not able to walk and all the above, I was totally wiped out, I was sleeping round the clock and so fed-up with the reactions of the various GP doctors, who, by now ( it suddenly dawned on me in my dozy confused stupor), were treating me as a menopausal depressive ~ with prozac!
When my GP wanted me to take yet another course of prozac. I just lost it and demanded to know why he was letting me die. Why I didn't do this before, I just don't know, because it was like the proverbial lightbulb switching on over his head ~ he suddenly said he knew what it was but that it was rare ~ he faxed the main teaching hospital in the area and I was admitted next day. Why I did not lose my temper before, I cannot for the life of me answer, as when well I , I am not a 'walkover'.
Diagnosis was by nose biopsy and various scans and u'sounds showed lung and kidney involvement. Whilst in hospital I was asked by my WG rheumy to take part in a presentation - I was wheeled into a theatre and lots of doctors were all around (including a professor from Birmingham and they were all asking me questions and conferring over the scans etc. It's a blur to me now - but what price for 'fame for a day' !!! I did the chemo ~ cyclo + pred + mesna in pulses + pred orally (60mg I think) and soon began to feel better, tapered off completely and then just went on 10mg methotrexate a week .
So for the past 11 years, although I don't walk well and still experience the overwhelming fatigue now and again and have high blood pressure, I have been maintained on just the mtx - but now and again if I start to get the very low energy levels my GP gives me a pred injection ( 3 times in all) - which has given me an energy boost. I even achieved my lifelong ambition to visit America (2002) - which I bore everyone about!
Now, however, things have not been so good for the past 6 months I feel like the WG is waking up - extreme fatigue and can hardly get out of bed for the pain in the joints etc but my WG rheumy says it's not Wegener's . I have lost count of the scans, u'sounds and blood tests etc I have had lately plus the radioactive bone scan because he admitted he thought it might be myeloma, but it was fine...phew.... The upshot is some of my blood tests showed high calcium and PTH so now I am waiting an appointment with an Endocrinologist with suspected hyperparathyroidism. (When I googled it plus WG it came up as a not unknown combination.)
Oh dear, I didn't mean for this to be so long, SORRY !!! I told my rheumy I couldn't believe it wasn't WG it feels the same and he agreed and then prescribed 15mg daily Pred - just in case for 2 weeks - if no boost - leave off . I take Atenolol, Bendrofluazide (diuretic) and
Amlodipine for blood pressure and thinking about it afterwards I can't believe this will be a good combination for 'just in case'. I didn't even think about it at the time I was so relieved at the result of the bone scan. Pred after 12 years .......NOOOOOOOOO !
Thanks again, wishing you all better health.
Fran
.
Here goes, I wanted it to be short but regretfully it ain't because when you start, all the little hangups you've kept in the cupboard come spilling out - but it's good for the soul so thanks.
I was diagnosed with Wegener's in June 1998 after a couple of years of 'mystery' symptoms ~ starting with a dodgy ankle and foot followed by a rash on my arms, legs and swollen knees, pains in the joints; this was assumed by the doctor to be an allergic reaction to oranges!. These symptoms would come and go, but the awful sinus with post nasal drip, ear pain and deafness was very persistant but the ENT consultant said he saw this all the time and could cure with a day-stay operation. Of course with hindsight, this was unnecessary and exacerbated the problem. I felt as if all my strength was draining out of me and I started 'doctor-bothering' in earnest because I just felt so ill and was not in control any more, but eventually by the end of a two- year period of on-off fevers, kidney pain, bloodshot blurry eyes, recurrent cystitis, not able to walk and all the above, I was totally wiped out, I was sleeping round the clock and so fed-up with the reactions of the various GP doctors, who, by now ( it suddenly dawned on me in my dozy confused stupor), were treating me as a menopausal depressive ~ with prozac!
When my GP wanted me to take yet another course of prozac. I just lost it and demanded to know why he was letting me die. Why I didn't do this before, I just don't know, because it was like the proverbial lightbulb switching on over his head ~ he suddenly said he knew what it was but that it was rare ~ he faxed the main teaching hospital in the area and I was admitted next day. Why I did not lose my temper before, I cannot for the life of me answer, as when well I , I am not a 'walkover'.
Diagnosis was by nose biopsy and various scans and u'sounds showed lung and kidney involvement. Whilst in hospital I was asked by my WG rheumy to take part in a presentation - I was wheeled into a theatre and lots of doctors were all around (including a professor from Birmingham and they were all asking me questions and conferring over the scans etc. It's a blur to me now - but what price for 'fame for a day' !!! I did the chemo ~ cyclo + pred + mesna in pulses + pred orally (60mg I think) and soon began to feel better, tapered off completely and then just went on 10mg methotrexate a week .
So for the past 11 years, although I don't walk well and still experience the overwhelming fatigue now and again and have high blood pressure, I have been maintained on just the mtx - but now and again if I start to get the very low energy levels my GP gives me a pred injection ( 3 times in all) - which has given me an energy boost. I even achieved my lifelong ambition to visit America (2002) - which I bore everyone about!
Now, however, things have not been so good for the past 6 months I feel like the WG is waking up - extreme fatigue and can hardly get out of bed for the pain in the joints etc but my WG rheumy says it's not Wegener's . I have lost count of the scans, u'sounds and blood tests etc I have had lately plus the radioactive bone scan because he admitted he thought it might be myeloma, but it was fine...phew.... The upshot is some of my blood tests showed high calcium and PTH so now I am waiting an appointment with an Endocrinologist with suspected hyperparathyroidism. (When I googled it plus WG it came up as a not unknown combination.)
Oh dear, I didn't mean for this to be so long, SORRY !!! I told my rheumy I couldn't believe it wasn't WG it feels the same and he agreed and then prescribed 15mg daily Pred - just in case for 2 weeks - if no boost - leave off . I take Atenolol, Bendrofluazide (diuretic) and
Amlodipine for blood pressure and thinking about it afterwards I can't believe this will be a good combination for 'just in case'. I didn't even think about it at the time I was so relieved at the result of the bone scan. Pred after 12 years .......NOOOOOOOOO !
Thanks again, wishing you all better health.
Fran
.