Dear Rebz, I am new to the group, and hope to gain support and insight regarding chronic pain I suffer primarily due to an auto accident 14 months ago. I am interested in your symptoms, as my pain was at first situated in my middle to lower back region. ( no disk damage, nerve, fascial tissue tears and ligament damage) I have spurring, but nothing in my back is operable, just "pain management" issues. I developed weakness, stiffness and severe pain in all major joints on equal sides overnight on Dec. 20, 2006. My accident was Nov. 21, 2006. It was as if I developed Arthritis overnight. I could barely move my fingers, thumbs, wrists. I kept dropping things. It hurt to sit and stand. It scared me to death, as I am was 47 at the time. I was tested for Lupus, RA factor. No RA showed, but ANA was positive twice. Rheumatologist did not think I had enough criteria for Lupus, although I had malar rash, flu like symptoms, but no urine proteins or other elevated bloodwork. He dxd it as mixed connective tissue disease. Now I do have a point. I have the whole time since all this happened had very tender tops of my feet, especially the right, and my large toe is partially numb on that foot. I have had numbness in the left side before the accident , as I have a pinched nerve in the cervical spine area, but this is now the right side. The tops of my feet, the only way to discribe it, is it feels like a 300 pound man stepped on it with work boots. If anyone were to squeeze my feet together, or touch them, I would cry. I am on alert, all the time moving my feet,so no one accidently steps on them or even touches them. I have to make a tent in bed for them. I have, also 3 doctors with 3 opinions and my Rheumatologist is a smart aleck that intimidates me and is very condescending. If he wasn't the only one in a 200 mile radius, I would drop him like a hot potato. Rheumo told me I had Degen. arthr. in my feet and that was the pain source..sent me to podiatrist..also have raynauds, rheumo said my circulation was so bad my toes could be in jeopardy of coming off at some point....podiatrist said my circulation is 100% fine......it is nerve damage from my back injury and it is peripheral neuropathy, probably, but have not seen a neurogist yet, simply because I am so sick of doctors with all their conflicting advise and all want me to take 4 different medications. My right foot also iches, burns and aches and goes up my leg, sometimes to my hip, especially after walking or being on it for a long period of time. It takes me an hour a morning to get the stiffness out. this morning I fell into the nightstand I was so stiff and that was not the first time. My feet on the bottom feel like I am walking on swollen padding. My question, after all this, to you is. why did the doctors not screen you for the Rheumatoid factor in the first place, before doing all that invasive surgery? I feel most of my symptoms feel like what RA is like, but you can't have RA without having the Rheumatoid factor. Thanks for listening to such a long story, but when you hear of someone with a similar case and have specialists that don't seem to know exactly what to do with your case, it is interesting. I have learned to take an active part in my own healthcare and not just take every medication prescribed, or I would be on 50 meds. I hope you are doing better now. Take care. Jean
Dear Rebz, I am new to the group, and hope to gain support and insight regarding chronic pain I suffer primarily due to an auto accident 14 months ago. I am interested in your symptoms, as my pain was at first situated in my middle to lower back region. ( no disk damage, nerve, fascial tissue tears and ligament damage) I have spurring, but nothing in my back is operable, just "pain management" issues. I developed weakness, stiffness and severe pain in all major joints on equal sides overnight on Dec. 20, 2006. My accident was Nov. 21, 2006. It was as if I developed Arthritis overnight. I could barely move my fingers, thumbs, wrists. I kept dropping things. It hurt to sit and stand. It scared me to death, as I am was 47 at the time. I was tested for Lupus, RA factor. No RA showed, but ANA was positive twice. Rheumatologist did not think I had enough criteria for Lupus, although I had malar rash, flu like symptoms, but no urine proteins or other elevated bloodwork. He dxd it as mixed connective tissue disease. Now I do have a point. I have the whole time since all this happened had very tender tops of my feet, especially the right, and my large toe is partially numb on that foot. I have had numbness in the left side before the accident , as I have a pinched nerve in the cervical spine area, but this is now the right side. The tops of my feet, the only way to discribe it, is it feels like a 300 pound man stepped on it with work boots. If anyone were to squeeze my feet together, or touch them, I would cry. I am on alert, all the time moving my feet,so no one accidently steps on them or even touches them. I have to make a tent in bed for them. I have, also 3 doctors with 3 opinions and my Rheumatologist is a smart aleck that intimidates me and is very condescending. If he wasn't the only one in a 200 mile radius, I would drop him like a hot potato. Rheumo told me I had Degen. arthr. in my feet and that was the pain source..sent me to podiatrist..also have raynauds, rheumo said my circulation was so bad my toes could be in jeopardy of coming off at some point....podiatrist said my circulation is 100% fine......it is nerve damage from my back injury and it is peripheral neuropathy, probably, but have not seen a neurogist yet, simply because I am so sick of doctors with all their conflicting advise and all want me to take 4 different medications. My right foot also iches, burns and aches and goes up my leg, sometimes to my hip, especially after walking or being on it for a long period of time. It takes me an hour a morning to get the stiffness out. this morning I fell into the nightstand I was so stiff and that was not the first time. My feet on the bottom feel like I am walking on swollen padding. My question, after all this, to you is. why did the doctors not screen you for the Rheumatoid factor in the first place, before doing all that invasive surgery? I feel most of my symptoms feel like what RA is like, but you can't have RA without having the Rheumatoid factor. Thanks for listening to such a long story, but when you hear of someone with a similar case and have specialists that don't seem to know exactly what to do with your case, it is interesting. I have learned to take an active part in my own healthcare and not just take every medication prescribed, or I would be on 50 meds. I hope you are doing better now. Take care. Jean