Ow!

Pretty sure the Hughes Syndrome is in an active phase again this week.  My guess is that my immune system has taken a major hit with the holidays, stomach bug, and sinus infection in the last month.  The immune system can only recover so quickly and mine seems to be slow on the uptake.

Basic symptoms.

Tired!  Like falling asleep on the couch at 10pm or earlier every night. This is odd for me, we are usually midnight owls watching tv and reading books.

Nauseous and not feeling right on and off.

Some weird spells of fuzzy vision or spinning vision as I call it.

Right arm pain.  Two days of it now, the bone deep grip feeling on my bicep.

Grumpy and impatient, despite being on meds.  Yeah, I've lost my temper several times with the kids.  That level of irritability is not normal.

So, now to sit back and see if this passes or if I'm going through another flare period that will last a month or two.  A lot of sunshine and rest is ordered for this week.  My plan is to take the kids to the park a LOT to help up my vitamin D.  Added pomegranate juice to my diet every other day to get some extra antibodies in a natural form.  And rest, the biggest lesson I've had to learn this year.  SLEEP!  If my body says sleep, obey.

And another Theory

UGH!!!!!

This diagnosis process is so frustrating and emotionally taxing.  We are now start month 5, yes, month 5 of tests and doctors and blood.

The Rheumo was more personable yesterday, so that was a saving grace for me.  He says all my Lupus numbers are borderline positive so we need to 'wait and see'.  Ok, I can do that.  I was also told that my uric acid is double the normal level, so the Gout that runs in my family is headed my way.  Just one more health similarity I have to my dad.

So now, it's on to the Hematologist next week.  When I explained the order to start taking baby aspirin daily to the Rheumo and spots on my brain he said, ''oh, positive lupus anti-coagulant tests, vasculitis. hmmmmm.''   Lupus anti-coagulant is NOT lupus, just a misnamed blood disorder.  The vasculitis refers to the hyperintensities on my brain MRI, where blood flow has been cut off and caused the little dead spots of tissue.

The sticky blood problem I might have comes under a couple names.  APS/Hughes Syndrome and is only recently discovered in the early 80's.  It comes with whole host of potential health problem, but there is treatment.  Oddly, it can mimic MS so they have found many patients misdiagnosed with MS with actual Hughes Syndrome.

Many of my symptoms line up with this problem, so maybe we've found the next theory.  I just want an answer, want to know what I'm fighting so I can move forward!  The emotional limbo is torture, more so than any problem I'm having.