A NEW BLOOD TEST for FIBROMYALGIA! The article says it's 99% ACCURATE!

A NEW BLOOD TEST for FIBROMYALGIA! and it says to be 99% ACCURATE!

I know MANY of you that will be glad to hear this one... they are now saying they have a "blood test" that ia supposed to be 99% ACCURATE in determining whether you have FIBROMYALGIA!!!! NOT that anyone WANTS to hear that they do, BUT for so many years, especially WOMEN have been led to believe it was "all in our heads", or we were too "stressed" or "depressed" or, or ... whatever type of "so called diagnosis"... just to get them "satisfied"... 

I went through this years ago.. when I have the Migraines so badly they would send me to the ER - at times 3 or more times a month! I went to every "known specialist", every medication, from antidepressants, that didn't do a thing buy make me tired and worse.  I went through injections into my spinal fluid, into my "occipital nerves" at the base my neck, the "Imitrex" that I had severe side effects from, and come to find out, those medications I should have never been given due to my heart... I was even given "Thorazine" and the worst was that is given for "bi-polar" disorder, and it built up "toxins in my blood". One day at work, (when I worked in fact at the hospital in Corsicana in the business office - between 1990 to 1996... and I was with a patient at my desk and suddenly, I began "talking about all kinds of things" and had no clue why? I started talking about "bathing suits", and I "knew" something was very wrong.. I accused myself, and honestly thought I was having a stroke, and went down to the ER only to find the "Lithium" was building up so high in my blood stream, 

It was causing me to hallucinate,... then of course therapists, psychologists... even "bio-feedback"  and they even put me as an inpatient at the hospital for 3 days to give me some medication like Imitrex that is a vasoconstrictor.. and it was that "dangerous" I had to be in the hospital and wear a heart monitor while they gave me this medication by IV... t was totally insane what I went through between the mid 80's even until 1999 or so. And as I said come to find out several of those medications I should HAVE NEVER been given. I had my 1st heart attack at 40 in 2000.... not all that long after all of those things took place. Yet for DECADES like you hear many especially women say, if they had tested me further for RA, Lupus, and other types of autoimmune illnesses, 

I believe they would have found the Lupus, which causes severe Migraines and that only thing that helps a Lupus Migraine for me is an injection of corticosteroids, to bring down the inflammation... although a Lupus Migraine is different than other types, which for years from the time I was 17 I had developed "Migraines"... so now that I am off on that tangent...(this article struck a nerve with me since Fibromyalgia was one of the "junk diagnosis" as some call them that doctors gave us when they could not "find anything else wrong" it was ONE of the many I was given and back then honestly, doctors had no clue what it was, just a at the time "rare mysterious illness" that had popped up at the very 1st I believe in Colorado. I will have to verify that, but a small town there "suddenly" had many of it's long time "well" residents suddenly come down with this list of symptoms" and it put many of them in bed, they had to quit their jobs, and it was really a nightmare... d to be 99% ACCURATE in determining whether you have FIBROMYALGIA!!!! NOT that anyone WANTS to hear that they do, BUT for so many years, especially WOMEN have been led to believe it was "all in our heads", or we were too "stressed" or "depressed" or, or ... whatever type of "so called diagnosis"... just to get them "satisfied"...

 I went through this years ago.. when I have the Migraines so badly they would send me to the ER - at times 3 or more times a month! I went to every "known specialist", every medication, from antidepressants, that didn't do a thing buy make me tired and worse.  I went through injections into my spinal fluid, into my "occipital nerves" at the base my neck, the "Imitrex" that I had severe side effects from, and come to find out, those medications I should have never been given due to my heart... I was even given "Thorazine" and the worst was that is given for "bi-polar" disorder, and it built up "toxins in my blood". One day at work, (when I worked in fact at the hospital in Corsicana in the business office - between 1990 to 1996... and I was with a patient at my desk and suddenly,

 I began "talking about all kinds of things" and had no clue why? I started talking about "bathing suits", and I "knew" something was very wrong.. I accused myself, and honestly thought I was having a stroke, and went down to the ER only to find the "Lithium" was building up so high in my blood stream, t was causing me to hallucinate,... then of course therapists, psychologists... even "bio-feedback"  and they even put me as an inpatient at the hospital for 3 days to give me some medication like Imitrex that is a vasoconstrictor.. and it was that "dangerous" I had to be in the hospital and wear a heart monitor while they gave me this medication by IV... It was totally insane what I went through between the mid 80's even until 1999 or so.

And as I said come to find out several of those medications I should HAVE NEVER been given. I had my 1st heart attack at 40 in 2000.... not all that long after all of those things took place. Yet for DECADES like you hear many especially women say, if they had tested me further for RA, Lupus, and other types of autoimmune illnesses, I believe they would have found the Lupus, which causes severe Migraines and that only thing that helps a Lupus Migraine for me is an injection of corticosteroids, to bring down the inflammation... although a Lupus Migraine is different than other types, which for years from the time I was 17 I had developed "Migraines"... so now that I am off on that tangent...(this article struck a nerve with me since Fibromyalgia was one of the "junk diagnosis" as some call them that doctors gave us when they could not "find anything else wrong" it was ONE of the many I was given and back then honestly, doctors had no clue what it was, just a at the time "rare mysterious illness" that had popped up at the very 1st I believe in Colorado.

I will have to verify that, but a small town there "suddenly" had many of it's long time "well" residents suddenly come down with this list of symptoms" and it put many of them in bed, they had to quit their jobs, and it was really a nightmare... NOW they have came a very long way in getting to the bottom of this still kind of mysterious host of symptoms, that can often mimic other types of chronic illnesses.

So here is the URL: https://stayfit247.info/2019/04/24/the-new-fibromialgia-blood-test-is-99-exact/

article on https://stayfit247.info/

As Usual NOTHING is simple when it comes to MYSELF and MANY others with COMPLICATED AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESSES!

                            DO COMPLICATIONS EVER END????

Once again, my autoimmune illnesses play a difficult part when it comes to my health, my life, and after something like a major surgery.

Many of you know I had taken a hard fall on my hardwood floor on December 13th - which led to 2 fractures n my right hip. I had staples in it, due to two incisions, but I had a rod and screws put in and did not have a complete hip replacement, which we hoped meant I would be home sooner. SO MUCH for that thought! I should know better by now to :"assume" anything I have done will be "simple".

The surgery, the rod and screws, which I got to see on an X-ray yesterday January 6th, are healing well. I had a complication with my foot, thinking it was fractured, but I found out I have a torn ligament, which probably began when I twisted my ankle back in June so severely, then the fall, in which also involved my foot being "hung up" and caused the fall, then probably tore that ligament the rest of the way, thus now my right foot is in terrible pain, when I am standing or trying to rehab the hip. I've had to learn to work past the pain in my foot, thus the rehab portion on my hip is going very well.

Even my orthopedic surgeon said yesterday, that in spite of my complicated health problems, I am doing extremely well, and past schedule in a good way, compared to what he thought I might be. He was telling his nurse, that due to my attitude and willingness to work with therapy, I am doing very well. Yet, between the anemia, the liver enzymes being high, and now this "hematoma" that developed on top of the main incision after the hip was repaired, I face another surgery this coming Tuesday.

He has to go in and drain the "grape jelly" as he called it, the blood that has accumulated like a huge blood blister under the skin, and put a drain in it, so we can get rid of the huge "mass" right on my thigh, that makes me look "deformed". He said in his report, it is big as a softball. WOW! I knew it was large but "softball size"? So, rather than GOING HOME EARLY NEXT WEEK, I face yet another SURGERY! So, that delays me getting on home and back to my life, as I wanted to.

It certainly takes the idea of my neck surgery that I need so badly, completely out of the picture, and makes me want to "run" if I could somewhere that not a soul could touch me, and just be totally alone, perhaps with my puppy, Peanut, and the new puppy that awaits me once I get home.

Here are a couple of pics of my new little boy

who awaits me: He is apart of what keeps me on focus to hurry up get well and GO HOME!!!! along of course with Peanut also a Fox terrier....

Fearing...Home...Falling Again...Loss..Bad Blood work...Grieving, and more.... So Many Questions - Looking for Answers

I can't "fuss" too much about the care I've received in both the hospital and now the Rehab Hospital. Thank Goodness, it is NOT anything like a nursing home!

Although they have "long term" patients, there are 4 "Halls" of which each serves a different type of patient. So, those that like myself, are trying to "rehab" so they can go home and be able to care for themselves, we are all in one hall.

The others are for Dementia/Alzheimer's patients, and those that are probably here for the rest of their days.

I really have not encountered much that I would say was "wrong".... I usually get my meds when I ask within a reasonable amount of time, even though there are times, they have patients coming to to be admitted, or things get crazy, and I may have to wait a bit, or remind them. Most of the time, the nurses are apologizing to me, because they were not "prompt" in getting me my pain, muscle relaxers and my diazepam in a timely manner.

I've been able to shower by myself the past two times, and I am getting around MUCH better this past 4 or 5 days. Enough so, I am READY TO GO THE HELL HOME, I am SO BORED WITH IT ALL NOW!

But, complications, like a huge hematoma, at the repair site on my hip, has caused a delay in getting the staples out, my liver functions are all high, and my anemia really was a very huge concern. So far, it appears after the 3 units of blood at the hospital were given to me, my red blood cell counts have gotten better, but I look for them to bottom out again, once I am not here and on the supplements, besides I still feel that I have pernicious anemia, which is an autoimmune illness, plus even the liver issues, probably have to do with Lupus and the RA, causing the issues with my red blood cells being so low.... etc....

I realize I face yet another surgery my neck surgery,if I can recover from the hip fractures (or actually WHEN I recover enough to go and have it done...plus my lower back has to be fixed also....my lower back and neck both were already needing surgery, then between trying to take care of Mom, and now the "jolt" from the fall, both are worse than ever.

ALL OF YOU, PLEASE stay with me!!!! I am certainly NOT giving up on my blog, my advocacy, writing and my other things I participate in so I can HELP OTHERS understand they are NOT alone.....

I am trying to find ways to increase my readers here on my blog, but I know I really need to make sure I have interesting and valuable information here for everyone, or all of you will get bored with it.

IF YOU have any ideas of what you may like to read, hear about, or have me talk about, PLEASE let me know. You can always email me at: ravishingrhia@gmail.com

The "NEVER ENDING" Saga of Rhia, Autoimmune illnesses, cellulitis, abscesses, and feeling the pain, disgust, frustration for others like myself that seem to NEVER get a break

This is a post I sent to a friend on Facebook... she also is just having one hell u va time, dealing with "crap", illnesses, and all that entails when you feel life NEVER gives you a break! I realize some of it I've already posted, but believe me... I feel it is totally worth repetition... so others KNOW they are NOT alone!

 

 

 

  I SO, SO, SO can empathize with you and how you feel. It has been so much the same for myself. Between the already issues with Lupus, RA, and so forth, then the accident last year in March that my husband was in, now he has left and moved back to WA state.. we are filing for a divorce and honestly I am NOT sure to this moment WHY? Then I need lower back surgery, then my Mom in the midst of me finding out what was wrong with my hips and legs, which was my back, she comes down with a severe hip issue, that also turns out to be her lumbar spine also. She is 80 years old, and they do NOT even want to discuss surgery on her...but they are trying with medication, PT and supposed to do some epidural injections on her. About the time we got those scheduled her last living sibling, a younger sister, passed away of a rare stomach cancer, she had been fighting for a couple of years, then BOTH of us come down with some kind of stomach virus, & I spent several weeks of it seeming to come and go, and even got ill Sunday morning...I was so upset, I felt "fine" was dressed, and was about to walk out the door, and my stomach felt "odd" and sure enough, I almost did not make it to that bathroom and was sick to my stomach again, out of the blue... then I have been dealing with a "lump" on my mid left thigh now for about 9 weeks... my PCP thought it was cellulitis, and of course with my immune system being so compromised, he immediately put me on TWO antibiotics, which helped some, but after 3 ROUNDS of them, 7 days each, he wanted me to have a surgeon look at it, and cut it out...well, I had a hard time finding a surgeon close enough that took my insurance, finally did, but he could not see me for over a week! So, all of a sudden this "lump" that showed no signs of an outside infection... has not been red, warm, or appearing to be infected on the outside, but a week before I was to see the surgeon I woke up to it being very red, warm, and appeared to almost be trying to burst open... so I quickly called mt PCP and told him... so he put me on another round of the antibiotics until I could see the surgeon. Well by the time I saw the surgeon which was last Friday, it has abscessed inside, and he had to "CUT" it open, and let all of the infection out of it! He also sent some to be cultured, and I must have had "two layers" of infection. One kind of shallow, but another much deeper. Now he did this in his office, just injecting lidocaine in it, which hurt like hell and burned worse...and I am "tough"... nothing usually bothers me... but then I had to take the bandages off twice daily, after getting home, and "clean it out" with Q-tips and peroxide... when I took the bandage off the first time on Saturday, OMG I have a HOLE in my thigh deep to it almost feels like it is to my bone, and wide... like 2 inches deep and that wide... I almost could not do it, but I knew I had to.. so I did that and then finally yesterday, it was not quite as painful so I took a shower and used antibacterial dial liquid body wash which I had already been using, and he said to allow the soap and water to get into it, and clean it out... I did, and it hurt some but not all that bad... but then this morning, I began to take off the bandage and it again looked awful to me... it is still draining a bit... but I see him tomorrow thank goodness... now he did not address the "other lump" on my right thigh, almost in the same spot as this first one. It came up after my PCP began me on antibiotics, but I never said anything about it, thinking that medication would take care of it also... well it is still there, a bit larger, and I fear it may be the same thing. I had told the surgeon's nurse Friday, but I guess he forgot about that once he was working on this other one. So, I've got to point it out to him... it is just like the other one... it shows no "outside" appearance of an infection, it is just a lump under the skin.... to top that off my Rheumy wanted to put me on a new RA Medication, but before we could change I had to do a whole entourage of blood work, TB testing, Hepatitis, etc... well all was "okay

accept the TB test... that particular test has to be done just a few hours after the blood is drawn or it can come back not accurate... so mine came be "indecisive"... so I needed a damned chest Xray to show the test was just off... well I could not again find anyone close that took this stupid insurance, so I finally was just going to pay our Urgent care to have it done. Well, the order got misplaced that my Rheumy sent them..then due to this lump, my Mom, my Aunt passing away, I got delayed in doing the X-ray... so when I went out to have it done last week, they had NO order, or they just could not find it, and when I called and had my Rheumy fax it, it was for 2 views instead of one... so I did not want to have to pay double if it was not necessary, so I had to get hold of my Rheumy... and have them fax a new order for one view... I FINALLY got that done, and now due to the lump, the infection, the delay of the Xray... I've not had any RA meds in like 9 weeks or more!!! So, my RA, is so bad.. And within all of that is even more crap that has and is happening... and I am just frustrated, upset, disgusted, mad, and all the things you feel... it is like some of us NEVER get a break... EVERYTHING in my life has always been "complicated".... and it is just too old... for sure....there are days I want to crawl under my bed to never return.... and between all of that... my Pug has also had stomach problems and been sick to her stomach off and on also....

RA, Lupus, Chronic Pain - the Complexities of Living With an Autoimmune Illness and/or Chronic Illness - How Do you Live with the all too often feelings of "guilt" of not fulfilling your destinies...

As you can see the very "title" of this post is complicated, to say the least. As I've had to succumb over the past almost 3 weeks of cellulitis, strong antibiotics that totally messed my entire digestive tract up, to the addition of a "stomach bug" that is going around here locally, I find myself full again of guilt, of shame, of feeling as if I am letting my obligations down as an advocate, a "voice" for others, of my own writing, my blog, my Mom, and everything else that I've had to "put on hold" due to once again the "arrows" of dealing being chronically ill.

There is NO EASY part to being ill with some disease that is so often "invisible", that drags you down within a few moments totally catching you off guard. One moment I maybe feeling great and within hours I can be immersed in sickness, more medications, doctors visits, and so forth that drive me to the sofa, rather than here online, or out and about doing all of the other things that are SO crucial to me in life.

I cannot even begin to count the numerous times that I have the sinking feeling of "letting these diseases" rule and ruin my life. Being ill with something such as an autoimmune disease(s), you feel as if those totally reign over and above any and all plans, decisions, and destiny that you have for your life. They control the very essence of daily living. From whether I feel like going to do shopping and errands, take my Mom out, or to a doctor's appointment, washing my car, cleaning my home, taking care of ALL the things like my flowers, my lawn, having the energy to even re-pot a plant, or give the pups a bath... sometimes just giving "me" a shower can be overwhelming.

No one ever gave us 150% PROOF from the moment we take that first breath that life will always be filled and fulfilling... and that we will live and love without illness, with out difficulties in life, and sometimes the "hopes and dreams" we have had turn into a totally different way of being, that we ever expected. I have not done a "real investigation" but I would bet the number of relationships that "withstand" the all too often complicated life of living with someone chronically ill, that remain SIDE BY SIDE together... is quite low. I am most assured, as with cancer patients, sometimes a spouse, or dear friend, even a family member can reach a place they just can't cope with all of the complex nature of constant doctors, meds, surgeries, procedures, sudden illness... is can certainly be like the "elephant" in a 12 by 12 foot square room, quite OVERWHELMING...

I sometimes see the frustration even in my physicians faces, when I come in with something that is so complicated and complex, they themselves may not be sure what step to take next.

I am not one to "gripe", "Whine", complain, or even remotely think the "my medical issues" are "worse" than other people's... Pain and/or Chronic Illnesses mean different levels of frustration than others. I have had so many people tell me first of all that I am the "strongest" person (emotionally and mentally) they have ever seen... yet, honestly I don't feel that way. What I try to do, if at all possible, is to put "my feet" in that other persons shoes... if you can remotely imagine what someone else is going through, all too often, it makes your health issues seem small  - and I am NOT discounting that yes, I am have several very serious health problems, and have been through some extremely difficult and serious surgeries, procedures, medications and at times any and all of us, including my own physicians, maybe puzzled and perplexed about certain things that happen to me as far as on a medical level. "Who woulda thunk it"? that I would come down with "cellulitis".... and in fact, we "think" - my PCP and myself, that I had a case of shingles about 7 weeks ago or so... they had cleared up by the time I saw my doctor, but the small scars were still there, lined up almost in a row after row inside of my right knee, and when I explained what they had been like, he said that it more than likely had to be shingles... nothing else as far as some type of a rash would have came up in that kind of specific "pattern" as they did... and I have this uncanny "act" of I will be on a medication for one thing, and it so happens, I may come down with something totally unrelated, yet the medication I am on, will help that also. The "shingles" were that way... I had asked my PCP to be put on a daily dose of Valtrex. Since I started the journey with Lupus... I constantly am fighting fever blisters... not so much now in my mouth, but the corners of my mouth were almost a constant bright pinkish, with a bit of blistering it in. He would give me a "high dose" for 2 days, it would clear up, and then a few days later come back... well I had not even taken the "daily doses" but possibly a day, and all of a sudden here comes this "rash"... well the Valtrex would be exactly what he would have given me for the shingles... thus there you have it...

I am really down and out though since all of the illness, back stuff, Mom's back, and so forth, have kept me from writing here on my blog as much, have slowed once again my completing of my 3rd book to a snail's pace... and have just "thrown me" for a loop when it comes to ALL of the things I truly NEED to be doing... but as my Mom and I both said earlier this morning... it ALL happens for a REASON... so there must be at least a "billion" reasons that I get thrown off course, and my sails catch a wind into foreign waters, all too often.