Posted 3/10/2015 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I am 20 years old and have been having a few issues for a couple of years now. It started off as just hip pain. Then I had an issue with tingling and numbness in my feet and toes and was loosing my toe nail. I then started experiencing a hive like rash that would come and go. The rash became more and more frequent, but never lasted more than a day. The pain in my legs then got worse. It went from my hips to my knees, I now experience swelling, redness, and bruising from the waist down. I am tired all the time and have headaches on a daily basis. I also get oral sores on my tongue that take forever to heal. My most recent symptoms are a persistent urge to urinate.. and frequently, and my hands have started to hurt and become swollen like my legs, my joints are always stiff. I have a family history of lupus, my mom and my great aunt, and my great grandmother died of scleroderma.
The first doctor I saw for my symptoms shrugged it off as stress. I have been to the ER and urgent care when my symptoms were unbearable, but no one ever believed that I was actually in pain. I recently found a new primary care giver, she was the first person that strongly believed there is something wrong and she referred me to a rheumatologist. I have had a lot of blood work done, all negative ANA an elevated CRP high total bilirubin in my CMP. I have tested positive for blood in my urine in one of three UAs. I had a temperature of 99.8 last Tuesday when I met with the rheumatologist and a temp of 100.4 this Tuesday when I met with him. My pulse was also 120 today. My blood pressure has also been up and down and I had clotting the last two times they took blood. The rheumatologist said that the blood work that he ran was fine, but didn't go over any of it with me, and told me there really wasn't anything else he could do other than to prescribe me medicine and see what that does. He did not seem at all bothered by my vitals today whereas the nurse was very concerned, and he does not seem worried with figuring out the cause of my symptoms and just trying to manage the pain. I am getting very frustrated and I feel like I am crazy. my body is trying to tell me there is something wrong, but no one can find anything wrong! Has anyone else experienced anything like this?