Help. Need trick to survive school and a flare up(not diagnosed yet)

[Shadow35]

Hi. I'm still waiting for a diagnosis and i'm starting to get impatient and really angry. Each month is a new problem and it's adding non stop. I start school and i'm really tired. I have to bring ice pack for my achille tendon that is inflammed for the complete day. I just start beeing able to stand on it for few hours. I bring an electric pad for my stomach ache because of my gallbladder stone, my jaw pain, my rib pain, my leg pain and the list continue.... I have a pillow, a mattresse, everything. I'm need to take lot of medication just to survive my day. I can't quit temporary school because i'm paid (work accident). But i feel like i'm at the end of my rope. I have to put some brace for the night to keep my feet in 90°. It's taking me one hour just to prepare myself in the morning and an other before going to sleep with all the cream and order of medication. I have stomach ache for at least a year, with constipation and diarrhea. I'm normally really positive but i'm really tired. I was perfectly fine in vacantion because i soon has i was tired i was able to go lay down or sleep but now i can't. I'm so tired that i'm crying for nothing and i get angry at myself because i normally don't cry. It's always happening when i got a piece of me that is inflammed. Do you have some special trick to continu? No it's not stress or depression because it's all go away when the inflammation stop. I need to survive a few more week i hope to see the rhumatologist. At least the nsaid help a lot and the few week of brain fog just end but i just want to stop school and go sleep. And i need to work extra hours for all the days at school i'm missing for doctor appointement. Do you get really moody when in pain? Thanks.

[cyberbarn]

Hi,

Although I was born in Canada I have lived in the UK for over 40 years now so I am no longer familiar with procedures over there. When you say school, and that you work, what level of school? Are you a teacher? It will be really difficult for people in the UK to make suggestions but here in the UK if you are working then the reasonable adjustments can be made by employers and there are benefits to claim too.

I believe you when you say you are not depressed, it is the inflammation. There has been a real turnaround about this over the last few years where researchers have realised that people with depression weren't somehow lacking moral fibre, or needed talking therapies to snap out of it, their depression was being driven by a physical cause.

You seem to know all the tricks already, the heat, the ice, resting and pacing. I hope you can get some support from your employer too.

[oldtimer2]

Feel free to off-load on us whenever you need! We have been there and fully understand how frustrating it is and how terrible the fatigue is that makes us long to just lie down (and then that hurts too).

Until you have a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, you need to pace yourself as far as possible, but it sounds as if you are being forced to continue without any modification for your current unwell state. Is there anybody at the school to whom you could could show what you have written above? You need some support and help to get through.

[Shadow35 in reply to oldtimer2]

I told the teacher and the school and the other students but because it's invisible... when i'm in a bad mood i advise them to be more patient. And some teacher let me sleep in the class at lunch. Todayvi'm better because i sleep all night, less night sweat and i took a nap of 3 hours in the morning. I can't do this at school. I'm surviving but it's good to know i'm not crazy. Because sometime i have doubt because some doctor and now everyone think that when you are emotional and tired it's because of stress....i'm gonna go ask for a help at school again if this week tutn out to be like the last two. Thanks for understanding.

[Shadow35 in reply to oldtimer2]

Just to know. I podologist saw my achille tendon double it size with inflammation. Whitout proper treatment can it heel or i'm gonna stay with sequel? Also have a finger that is a big problem. Hope it's not gonna be too late. I had to go back to school after a doctor misdiagnosed an injury to my thumb. I learn to write with the other hand but can't loose both.

[Angels54]

Hi. I can only say a lot of us have experienced what you are going through, the waiting time for advice has got worse which doesn’t help us as patients, I can only say is continue with cold pack , hot water bottle , pain killers, you could go back to go and stress you need something stronger for pain , you could also try a CBD oil as that what I did until I saw Rhuemy consultant , good Lucy 👍

[Shadow35 in reply to Angels54]

Thanks. They told me it's not an emergency if i can walk with the pain killer and the ice. So i'm still going but it's a nightmare. Hope with the diagnostic they gonna find a solution. I was hyperactive before and now i walk like an old person. I ask my family the other days for a cane.

[oldtimer2]

Tissues remodel well when you're young. Even when I was in my 40s, a fractured leg hardly showed at all on an Xray a few years later. But I agree you need a treatment plan sooner rather than later - as it will take some time to sort out what works best for you as an individual.

[Shadow35 in reply to oldtimer2]

Thanks i really hope it's gonna be soon because i'm not sure if tomorrow i'm gonna be able to get out of bed. Today i was really stiff and i think the pain in my rib is what make me cough like when i had asthma. The funny side! i'm always thinking, will i get to see good looking paramedic if i call them to help me get out of bed? Last time i wasn't fully concious to appreciated the 6 mens that came in my house. Thanks again for the note