On April 5th 2011 at 5.30 I awoke with a really bad headache my right eye was watering and my face felt inflamed I went right away to A&E. They gave me drops told me to take parcetomol and to come back if it had not cleared in 48hours. I was back on the morning of the 7th April they put a pach over my eye and told me to come to clinic in the afternoon. I returned to the clinic, the nurse took my pad off and I had gone blind, they called my husband and the all started rushing around they injected into the eye right away, admitted me and gave me 5 lots of drops every two hours. Thankfully my eye sight started to return in the evening. They let me come home after two days, my husband took 2 weeks off work and did the drops every two hours. I attend the hospital every week and the diagnosed me with Uveitis/Iritis, the lens closes when inflamed, you can not stand bright lights, it only comes in one eye!
In late May went on a Cruise with my sisters & their hubbies, I continued with drops on lower dose, so felt quite rested. Returned to hospital on Tuesday 17th June to be told I had uveitis /Iritis in both eyes, drops were increased and they took a blood test. I was to return on Friday 19th when the specialist would see me. It was Whit Friday so we walked in the morning are plan was go to the hospital and return for the brass bands in evening. As soon as the Specailist saw me he said after examine my eyes my blood was wrong!! He said it was a medical matter so off I went to see the Medics. They told me my kidneys were only working 20 per cent & 79 per cent of infection in my body & they thought I had GCA & promised me a bi-op, they admitted me, shoved & 20mgs of steroids in my hand with a digestive biscuit & a drink. On Saturday morning I awoke to see better than I have every seen & no silent headache. (you know the kind I mean just under the scalp like a dull ache)
Went for my Bi-op on Thursday, you are all done out to go into theatre, they freezed the side of my left temple, as they went in my eye fized like a firework, they stopped then they carried on. When I was in recovery my whole left side went dead & was very cold. (don't every bother having one of these because the infection in the artery can occur say, every 10 inches and when they go in they may only take only the good bit out)
I went home & by Monday I crawled in the doctors surgery I began to shake, they thought I had had a stroke at first then the weeks and months followed. Could not walk properly, left side of body not functioning, suffling could not walk properly, stood up fell down, stammering, hair loss, put 3 stone on, hot sweats, moon face, swollen neck could not lift neck properly, skin gone all patche, facial down on face, drooping eye lids, de formed shoulder, aching limbs, swollen ankles, could not write, forgetfull, no confidence, worry about minor things, 22 tablets a day plus drops. Had to pay to see haematologist Specialist & Kidney Specialist as there was a 3 month wait & nobody was actually saying it GCA, Luptus, Polyartrito Nordosise, Brain Tumour & Behelf were all mentioned. I changed my Rheumatologist they all liaised with each other & my GP conclusion GCA.
In June I seemed to start feeling better, I have gone to Weight Watchers, I go on the Wi every day 12 mins of yoga & balance. Try a small walk up the village (no stick now) I increase my Amtriptyline & I dont seem to shake as much. Blood pressure tablets, Aspirin, Pantoprazole, Pain Patch, paracetamol & 4mg of steroids alll of these keep me going and most of all I can SEE!!
Hope this has not been to long and boring & apologise for any mistakes but it has been a great achievement for me to put this to-gether.
dizziness of visual origin
Blepharitis
3rd GCA episode in 18 months but Rheumi says it cannot be GCA, must be a migraine!
GCA questions
Return of Giant Cell Arteritis 
