Hi, I've not posted before although I do enjoy reading your posts and can relate to many of them.
Where to start! I have trouble walking as I've had a foot injury for the past 6 yrs, been to various specialist's but still have the same problem, I've learned to just live with it, then I start coming down with flu like symptoms, fatigue, aching joints, I would have problems with both my knees, then it would go to my shoulders etc, I just put it down to being run down and have been unlucky and caught the flu yet again.
It was my husband that first said that I would be extremely unlucky to get the flu yet again and suggested I make a doctor's appointment.
Didn't really get taken seriously until I actually found a doctor that listened to what I was saying she referred me to a rheumatologist.
This appointment didn't go well, as again they didn't listen to what I was saying, and when he suggested I wouldn't still be suffering from pain in my foot from a broken bone 6 yrs ago, myself and my husband just walked out, as I didn't even have a broken bone in my foot which really proved he hadn't listened to a word I had said.
Back to square 1! I told my doctor how I had got on and she was disgusted, she said she would send me for a second referral, I refused, ( didn't want to go through the same patronizing experience again) she said she wouldn't send me to the same hospital and suggested she send me to Addenbrookes.
The appointment came and I had decided if things didn't go well this time I would just live with it.
Addenbrookes were brilliant, listened, understood and for the first time I felt I wasn't going mad.
They diagnosed seronegative rheumatoid arthritis and Raynauds . Put me on Hydrocloxychloroquine and a dose of steroids. After a few months I felt relatively normal, ( think I'd forgotten what normal had felt like).
I used to have redness on both my cheeks and nose, but on the Hydrocloxychloroquine I no longer get it.
I have other symptoms which I always forget about once they've disappeared until they come back again.
I sometimes get a weakness in both my legs and arms and feel if I don't sit down I'm going to pass out, I have a dry mouth constantly and a horrible taste on my mouth. I'm not good on my feet at the best of times and falling down the stairs became a common experience. I fell down the stairs three weeks ago and this time made a good job of it, I fell on my bad foot and can no longer stand on it, I get around on my hands and knees at the moment, I won't give up and will keep trying to get up on it. I'm not an easy patient!
The housework takes so long to do now it's really frustrating, and yesterday I woke up feeling as if I got run over by a bus, guess I'm in a flare, I hope you can understand what I've written, don't think I do myself at times!
