Sorry guys! I know I've been MIA for quite some time now. I don't have a real good reason for my little sabbatical except that I was a bit overwhelmed by trying to figure out the cause of my muscle weakness and in the midst of doing so, I experienced something that caused me much heartache. I'll provide more details of that on my next post so stay tuned!

Since the start of my muscle weakness (Feb. 2nd), I think I've finally found out what was causing it. What started out as general overall muscle weakness, shortness of breath and burning sensations turned into muscle cramps, shortness of breath and needing to rest when walking any kind of distance. I've had a CPK blood test and vitamin D testing done...NORMAL. I had no clue why this was happening to me and it didn't seem that my rheumatologist did either. My pulmonologist even ran another blood test and CT Scan to see if I had any blood clots in my lungs that were causing the weakness...NORMAL. Then one day as I was talking to a good friend of mine, she had suggested to have my doctor look into my blood pressure medication. My blood pressure medication has never been  a problem for me especially after my dosage was lowered but that got me into thinking my problems might have something to do with the circulation in my legs. Blood clot possibly? I wouldn't put it past Lupus to cause problems in that area any day. So I did my own research and found something called intermittent claudication. Low and behold, I have been experiencing many of the symptoms mentioned! Have I actually found the reason for my ailment four and a half months after it presented itself???

Instead of going to see my rheumatologist, I decided to run my theory across my primary care physician. He agreed with me and told me that there is a non-invasive test that could easily be ran in the office. <kicking myself> Why have I waited so long to see him???  I took the test today and ABNORMAL. I knew I wasn't going crazy after all those negative tests! So the next step is my referral to a cardiologist. Phew! I'm so glad I may finally be getting treatment!

I've learned so much through this journey and I feel so empowered after being proactive and persistent in my search to find out the cause of my symptoms. So lesson to be learned? Never give up!

Things you can do to take charge of your own health:
1. ) Get a 2nd opinion. This never hurts and can benefit greatly.
2.) Network. I found that talking openly with others about their health experiences or health experiences of their loved ones can give you clues with your own health issues.
3. ) Research. Knowledge is power. Today's technology can provide endless information.
4. ) Don't wait too long to get help. The longer you wait to see your doctor about problems you've been having, the worse your symptoms can get. Sometimes, in the end you find out that there was a quick and easy treatment for it.
5. ) Never give up.
1 Response
  1. Headstrong Says:

    Glad that you could "sleuth out" the cause of your frustrating symptoms - and to see you're back on here! Looking forward to reading more! Cheers!


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