Since May I have been breathless. Waiting for appt with respiratory consiltant. 18 week wait list. Some days feels like last breath.Bloods showed sugar up and cholastrol 6.9 up. Waiting appt diabetic nurse.Also waiting appt throat scope.I don't know when last I slept right through 1 night. I go to bed at midnight and get up 3/4/5x a night. Dr says nothing.I started with 30mg Pred when breathlessness first started, for 5 days. No improvement, then dr put me on 20mg for a week. Appetite went AWOL. Why? Just like early GCA days.I have a nebuliser.Every day, around 4pm, I crash.Then perk up and ok.When I tried to go from 20mg Pred back to my current 7, I couldn't, so I did 1mg per 5 days until I reached 7mg.My respiratory nurse put me on a new inhaler, which has given slight relief.Dr never ever suggested, but bar 1, our nurses are excellent!Yesterday, was my appt with the Vascular surgeon about the numbness in my feet and pain, which stops me from walking, behind my left knee.
I came away, despondent. The blood flow and vessels are good, but can't tell me about numbness, except to ask if I'm diabetic. Borderline. Also couldn't do anything about dreadful leg discolouration..dark brown colour.
Sorry about the pity party, but feel like it's 1 thing after another with no results.
Unlike Melissa, I didn't even have the usual testing for numbness, but did have doppler.
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karools16
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My mother had the brown legs she found it very distressing as she was always proud of her legs. Nurse said it was iron from the blood that is deposited and can't be removed.
As she had dementia it came as a new worry to her every day.
Sorry I can't help much only sympathise .
As a light hearted addition,mum did not understand the dopler test and thought it sounded like a dog barking. She was constantly trying to get up to find the poor dog who obviously needed help!
I had the Doppler test last week. It was unbelievably painful although only for a short time. My legs are now black and blue, I have had bruises with pred but these are real beauties.
Gosh, have never known/seen others with it. There are also patches of white. Surgeon admitted he didn't know what it was. I asked whether it could become gangrenous, but he reassured it couldn't.
Because I wear trousers all winter, I like to wear skirts in summer. Trousers too warm against legs. I didn't worry who looked this summer. Skirts longish.
I think I must be getting old, I don’t care any more. I wander around st the swimming pool in a swimsuit. I am not sure people really notice, we are just more aware.
Not being able to catch your breath is so exhausting.
Just a thought. Have they tested for Aspergillosis? My father in law who has had asthma for donkeys’ years became really tired with unrelenting breathlessness. Changes in inhalers and the odd steroid did a bit but not enough. They noticed his IgE blood result was really high and tested for Aspergillosis antibodies and bingo. The body’s response the fungus was damaging the lung lining. He was offered antifungal tablets but declined.
I’ve seen the brown stain on legs improve a bit when the vein problem is fully resolved or treated. However, I t’s like when you get rust on light material, it hangs about. The back pressure of blood due to tired vein valves allowing the blood to pool in the lower legs, which causes the tiny capillaries to leak some parts of the blood including iron.
Exhausting yes, and people stare.Never heard of Aspergillosis. Will ask gp on 6 Sept. He,s no help, and when I say I CAN,T GO ON, he says he can't help me, and I must wait for hosp appt. I asked him to contact them and ask to put me higher on list. What ARE you supposed to do while waiting? Almost housebound. Sorry for the rant. Been asthmatic since birth, and hospitalised 2016 for COPD. My gp says my curvature of the spine is pressing on my lungs.The surgeon did actually make mention of the veins which could cause the unsightly brown marks, when I recall it now. I really wanted a solution to the pain behind my left knee, hindering my walking.
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Adrenals stuttering to life?
My first flare
PMR now? 
Flare or just the coughing?
