[tamaralynn]

Ugh, It's never ending for me.

Over the last few years I've had problems with being sick all of the time. Lately I've been taking plenty of vitamins and feel I have been doing "okay".

3 years ago I was diagnosed with GERD (acid reflux) and have been on Nexium
I get Ovarian Cysts that, thankfully haven't acted up much once the doctor switched my Birth Control prescription

Over the past few months I have noticed these weird Lumps behind my ears (at the base of my skull). I didn't think much of it.
Then I had been expericing dizzy spells
fatigue
chest and shoulder cramps (not heart related... at least I don't think).
Reoccuring bronchitis
Severe headaches (not migraines - I do get those, but they're occular)
Back/kidney pain etc
Severe nocturnal leg/foot cramps (to the painful point of seeing black spots dancing in my vision and very painful to walk for the next few days)

Over the past week the "bumps" behind my ears have gotten very painful and swollen. So I went into the doctors to have it checked.

He said that they are swollen lymph nodes - and is most likely due to an ear infection. Well he checked my ears and was completely stumped - they were clear as can be.

He has ordered a complete "Chemistry test". This includes CBC (Complete blood count), ALB (Albumin), ALP (Alkaline Phophatase), BILT (Bilirubin), CREA (Creatinine), HBA1C (Hemoglobin A1c), LDL Cholesterol, TSH (Thyroid), FSH (Endocrine) and CG-TR(? can't read his spelling).

I've looked these up online and many of these are screenings for thyroid/heart/Liver/kidney disease and cancer.

Now i'm getting a little nervous - I shouldn't have bothered looking up these!

Me and my stupid researching habit.

Has anyone ever had this?

[RoyalAthena]

I am in remission for parotid cancer (cancer in the spit gland). The parotid gland is located behind the ear by the lymph nodes. About 2 years ago, I had bronchitis ; which I had never had in my life (Thank God, it made me pay attention!) and I noticed that my lymph node did not go down in swelling (so, I thought) Anyway, I went to the Dr and he said not to worry about it unless it starts to hurt or leak. Ummmm NO! I went to my ENT and he opted right away to have surgery and biopsy. Any who, did the surgery and radiation. Listen to your body! It is good you have a thorough Dr. Keep searching until you get the right answer. Don't let an issue with your body go unsolved! Keep us posted!

[tamaralynn]

Wow. I'm happy to hear you are in remission - congrats.

A friend of mine sent me a website on Lymphoma... and as scary as it seems - the Symptoms sound much like what I've been going through for a while now

http://www.lymphoma.ca/en/symptoms-of-lymphoma.htm

I remember posting not too long ago about my ankles/calves swelling abnormally large. And it still does so on and off. I figured it had to do with the heat. But I was also expericing dizzy spells and headaches then. So I kind of blew it off as hormonal.

My back (kidney areas) had been bothering me on and off for about 10 years. Lately, I'll have a swelling lump just below the ribs in my left side - and at night time is very painful to sleep.


I get the creepy crawlies very often at night - I figure it's just dry skin. I'll sit up very early in the morning and start scratching my legs, feet and arms and can't get back to sleep - even after slathering on a ton of lotion.

My headaches will persist for a day or more at a time. They will go from my neck and wrap around my head. I've been to the doctor about this and they just tell me it's hormonal.

When I showed the lumps behind my ears to one of my co-workers she panicked and told me I should be going to the hospital - I don't think it's quite that bad. But I'm happy I got it checked.

Now I'm just nervous about the tests.

Could reading this stuff make me just remember odd little things here and there that may not even be related??

DH didn't think much of it before I went to the doctor until he sent me out with a "lab test" sheet with half of the items checked off. Now he's very supportive.

[bargoo]

You are wise to have this taken care of right away.Have the test and deal with the results, take your doctors advice. He/she is there to help you.

[mandalinn82]

They ARE screenings for cancer/etc. BUT...they are also part of general bloodwork to see, in general, where you are. I've just had these same tests done and I know I'm not being evaluated for anything crazy or serious. They're just the standard set of tests run as part of most medical evaulations.

Blood chemistries are done for many reasons, lots of times just to rule things out or see if there are potential problems. The set of tests you listed is a very common set run when doctors are trying to rule out basic or more common issues. Don't worry.

[tamaralynn]

Thanks guys. I need to stop stressing

Doc wants me to go back to see him in two weeks - unless of course my symptoms become worse before then.

[bargoo]

If you have a serious problem, the doctor will not ask you to wait two weeks, he/she will want to take care of it right away.

[tamaralynn]

That's what I figured.

The bump on my left ear went down today - the bump on my right has gone up *rolls eyes* but it's not as painful as the left originally was.

I went for the blood testing yesterday morning and was turned away because the clinic forgot to write the doctors name on the form. I KNOW the doctor's name, but not the spelling HOW annoying! I asked them if they could at lest take the blood and call the clinic themselves when they open. I got a snide remark and attitude from the nurse.

Geeze.

Anyway, I got to work - called the office and wrote his name (correct spelling) on the form and booked an appontment with another lab for this morning.

[bargoo]

You're doing the right thing, good luck.

[JulieJ08]

Originally Posted by tamaralynn

That's what I figured.

The bump on my left ear went down today - the bump on my right has gone up *rolls eyes* but it's not as painful as the left originally was.

I went for the blood testing yesterday morning and was turned away because the clinic forgot to write the doctors name on the form. I KNOW the doctor's name, but not the spelling HOW annoying! I asked them if they could at lest take the blood and call the clinic themselves when they open. I got a snide remark and attitude from the nurse.

Geeze.

Anyway, I got to work - called the office and wrote his name (correct spelling) on the form and booked an appontment with another lab for this morning.

Ah, that's too bad. Hope it all goes well.

[tamaralynn]

I got in right away yesterday at the other clinic. I only had the Doctor's last name - they told me that they would "call" to get his first. Now that's much better service!!!

I got through the tests pretty much unscathed (I have donated blood, so a third of a pint of blood for testing isn't bad). BUT I felt woozy after having the band wrapped around my upper arm so darned tight. How silly is that??

I had a couple of klutzy spells today - I can't necessarily call it "dizzy"... but kind of a "tilt". I walked into a large (and very hard) filing cabinet and now have a HUGE freaking bruse on my right arm (arm is very swollen right now too). Then kind of knocked against a wall going around a corner.

Sheesh - I feel foolish.

[tamaralynn]

Just an update - a long one I apologize

I finally got a chance to go in to the doc to find out about my blood results. They were good and showed nothign serious (cheers). But I haven't been doing much better.

The doctor has asked me to tell him EVERYTHING that I've noticed over the past couple of years, and honstely I can't even remember to list them all (he suggested I keep a journal and write down everything I may notice, whether it may seem completely minor).

I told him about these re-occuring headaches that I get (sometimes once or twice a month). He asked me if I get them during my time of my period... not usually. He asked me if they happen at the same time my lymph nodes swell - I told him that I never really paid attention. They are burning headaches that go from the top front of my skull and painfully burn down to the bottom of my jaw and down my neck. This usually starts first thing in the morning and no matter what I do (tylenol, advil etc) it lasts all day long and sometimes two. It always happens on the left side - and leaves the left side of my face numb but achy (does that make sense?) and then near mid day it'll make my right side of my head ache.

I've also had problems with my back, I have this odd lump on the lower left side just under my ribcage... it ALWAYS hurts, some days much worse than others. Some days it swells and is very uncomfortable to sleep on that side.

It wasn't bothering me much, but I just thought of it (as my husband as asked me to get a referral from him for massage therapy for my lower back, which is always painful to pressure). The doc pushed on the area and I almost jumped of the bench in pain.

He said that it seemed like scar tissue from a serious injury when I was younger... I told him that I don't ever remember having such a serious injury (my worst when I was younger was fracturing a couple of ribs when I went waterskiing).

Then I mentioned to him that I get vibration feelings on and off in my chest (like when you have a nasty chest cold...and your chest rattles when you breathe). Well I don't have a chest cold, and I had been experiencing it on and off for the past couple of years - and it just happened to be bothering me when I went in today.

He seems quite concerned and told me we'll do one step at a time. He has written an X-ray sheet for me to have my skull and chest x-rayed. He said he will call me if anything shows, but in the meantime - keep up my journal - if I have any other problems to go see him right away.

He is still stumped about my swollen lymph nodes - he said that the blood tests show that I may have had some sort of virus- but at the time I went in, he couldn't see any other signs for it (normal blood pressure, normal temperature etc). They have pretty much gone down - but they're still more swollen that should normally be.

I have had two dizzy spells in the last three weeks.

What I didn't mention to him is:

I get trembles... I'll be doing something and all of a sudden my head starts to tremble and I will either a: smell something odd (to hard to explain), or b: get a strange metallic taste in my mouth. This is usually followed by those dizzy spells I talk about (but not always). Sometimes my stomach feels nasty after, sometimes it doesn't.

I missed a period (AGAIN)... negative pregnancy test

My "anxiety attacks" are happening more frequently - I will wake up in a panic (it could be something a simple as the sound from our furnace kicking on two floors down) and I get the pins and needles and my mouth goes completely numb. I don't sweat, I don't have problems breathing (like common anxiety attacks). I went to a doctor last year about this and they gave me some pills (Ativan). It did absolutely nothing for these! They even bumped up the dose, and I just gave up on them.

I tire so darn easily - just walking from point a - point b is a struggle at times - but there are some times when I'm completely full of energy... wth?

I'm not depressed, I have a great job - things are great at home.

I guess we'll just take one step at a time.

[zeffryn]

you need to mention those other symptoms to him...they could mean the difference between one diagnosis and another.

Hope everything gets better. What a scary time.

[pixiefalls]

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Hopefully everything will come out okay. And I agree.. tell him *all* that you told us. Best wishes! Keep us posted.

[tamaralynn]

Well I may actually have finally found some answers - they're not great mind you, but much better than some of the problems I have been fearing.

I have been posting on health boards for quite a few years. And of all the symptoms that I have been facing over the years, I've usually gotten the cold shoulder... or even booted off of boards because they believed I was an attention seeker. I've gone from one doctor to the other who were more than happy to write prescriptions for this and that for me (none of which have worked etc). I've even been asked by a particular doctor to not come back because they figured I was a drug seeker.

I've been ridiculed by people, I've had next to no support from friends (in real life), they have told me 'get over it'.

I never DREAMED that all of my illnesses (physical and mental) could have been connected.

I finally took the plunge and wrote a HUGE posting on another health forum under General Health issues. And for ONCE someone took me seriously and told me that it seemed much like what they had experienced.

She told me that she has been suffering from Lyme Disease for years, and that she went through almost the exact same thing as I have been.

So I did a little research. Lyme Diease is transmitted by Ticks. And I remember about 5 - 6 years ago being bitten by one. It was very swollen, and i had never had any knowledge of them, or had even seen them. I had swatted it off (or attempted to, it didn't want to come off at first) once I noticed it was attached to my chest. I didn't think much of it, but I had been pretty much getting more and more ill since then.

So I looked up a website, and emailed someone who had gone through the same thing. I was then contacted by Canlyme (the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation).

I cried when I read the email. I couldn't believe that it could be a possibility!! A disease!!! Of course it may be curable, but it depends on how soon I treated it.

I did not get the typical "Bullseye" rash, otherwise I would have looked into it. Then they told me that only 30% of people who contract Lyme Disease get the rash.

I do have to take some tests. I will be approaching the doc to see if I can get an MRI (my cheapest route that my health care covers - it can show if there are any white lesions on my brain, but it won't give a proper diagnosis). If nothing, then I will need to contact www.igenex.com to purchase the tests. These tests are very expensive as they are from the US... meaning my health care will not cover anything at all (not even the blood labs).

Canada does not have a proper Lyme Disease test, therefore nothing would have helped.

They provided me with a doctor's name from BC. He is retired, but he is the only doctor in Canada who has had 20 years experience with Lyme Disease.

They told me that if I really can't get any financial help - I can have my doctor contact the one in BC to recommend at treatment course (heavy and very long course of antibiotics). If it works, then I most deffinately have Lyme (the antibiotics will not always be a permanent solution, BUT it will get rid of the symptoms... some people for a year, some for more... and some just get the symptoms back a few months after finishing the treatment).

I'm happy and frustrated at the same time.

Out of the list on their website of 75 symptoms, I experience 47... the disclaimer says that if you experience more than 20, you should seek immedate medical help. And i've been fighting these symptoms for YEARS!!!

The scary thing is, I've been told that a few people were so driven by this disease that they committed suicide. It's scary because I've been having "thoughts" that I never thought I would have - they leaned towards "I wish I could just die - but I can't hurt my family that way.... I gotta pull through somehow".