Thorn
02-12-2009, 01:05 AM
Hi there,
I started getting very ill last September with high fever, e coli infection on my inner thigh that was lanced and drained, pain so bad in every joint it felt as though there were glass in them. Red eyes that turned out to be severe conjunctivitis with uvyitis, after six weeks with no improvement on antibiotics I was put on Steriods that almost killed me. I got so much worse. Finally after two ambulance trips to the ER for breathing difficulty, it was feared I had Lupus. RA was noticeable in my hands and feet, and I had Human Parvo Virus as well. Last five years I have suffered with Fibromyalgia as well. I was in ICU for a short time and transferred to a private room. Every test imaginable showed positive ANA, RA, but the Lupus that was suspected required much more extensive history and testing.
It was determined that I had Pleuritis and a pleural effusion. I am not able to take many chemicals without alergic reactions. So, I am on a course of Vicodin ES, Effexor XR, and Ativan. THat's about all I can take without severe reactions and even then the vicodin causes ankle swelling. MY Parvo came back Gram negative finally, so that part is over. I now have, RA, Fibromyalgia and Lupus.
Any advice?
I am 50 years old, walk with a cane after graduation from a walker for six weeks. It's been seven months now, and I am really doing some better after learning what I can and cannot do. Without the Effexor for depression and anxiety I am not sure I'd want to continue to live this way. I have nodules on four fingers, three toes, one ankle and one elbow. I have RA in every joint except the hips. I sit in a recliner in front of the computer for a good while each day before I can move around the house. Housework is a no no. I have no strength in my hands. Walking is improving with patience and trying to be somewhat more mobile.
I started getting very ill last September with high fever, e coli infection on my inner thigh that was lanced and drained, pain so bad in every joint it felt as though there were glass in them. Red eyes that turned out to be severe conjunctivitis with uvyitis, after six weeks with no improvement on antibiotics I was put on Steriods that almost killed me. I got so much worse. Finally after two ambulance trips to the ER for breathing difficulty, it was feared I had Lupus. RA was noticeable in my hands and feet, and I had Human Parvo Virus as well. Last five years I have suffered with Fibromyalgia as well. I was in ICU for a short time and transferred to a private room. Every test imaginable showed positive ANA, RA, but the Lupus that was suspected required much more extensive history and testing.
It was determined that I had Pleuritis and a pleural effusion. I am not able to take many chemicals without alergic reactions. So, I am on a course of Vicodin ES, Effexor XR, and Ativan. THat's about all I can take without severe reactions and even then the vicodin causes ankle swelling. MY Parvo came back Gram negative finally, so that part is over. I now have, RA, Fibromyalgia and Lupus.
Any advice?
I am 50 years old, walk with a cane after graduation from a walker for six weeks. It's been seven months now, and I am really doing some better after learning what I can and cannot do. Without the Effexor for depression and anxiety I am not sure I'd want to continue to live this way. I have nodules on four fingers, three toes, one ankle and one elbow. I have RA in every joint except the hips. I sit in a recliner in front of the computer for a good while each day before I can move around the house. Housework is a no no. I have no strength in my hands. Walking is improving with patience and trying to be somewhat more mobile.