After "many" strange" symptoms, DO I ADD yet "another diagnosis" to me endless list of crap wrong with me??? "CPRS"????

I finally made a trip to Urgent Care with what I feel is a very bad Lupus and RA flare, but there are several "symptoms" strange that add into the mix of it all... I was telling my friends on Facebook about the ordeal and one lady mentioned that I should be seen by a Neurologist who specializes in "CPRS"???? Complex Regional Pain Syndrome! I look it up and guess what, MANY of my weird symptoms "fit the bill" - I am just about ready to scream and run, I am so fed up with health problems and the "list" is endless.....


 I had not even thought about that. could it be caused by a very severe sprain? Actually I've had three sprains in that right ankle. The 1st one when I was 40... I had just gotten home after my 1st heart attack, and went toget out of the bed. That foot was "so asleep" I didn't realize it, so when I stepped up I twisted the hell out of it, and it was bad. In fact I had to make a trip to the ER thinking it may have been fractured. Then about 5 years later I stepped crooked on it, when the wind blew me out of a car door at a store here. I was dressed for work, and had went into a store at lunch. The wind was terrible, and when I opened the car door, the wind caught the door and made me twist it again. 

Then in 2016, the day before Mom's funeral in June, I stepped off my front porch, talking on the phone to my daughter, and my neighbor had called to me, and the grass was so wet with dew, both feet came out from under me, and I sprained both, but the right one was bad again. It was so swollen it looked like I had a softball on it. I had to wait, and that Monday after her funeral, went to have it X-rayed at Urgent Care. It was not fractured, but I pulled it again so badly, for 6 months it continued to swell. It was really after I fell fractured the right hip, and then early last year, I went to a foot specialist. He put an injection of corticosteroid in it, and I went for PT about 3 weeks. It went down and "seemed" fine, after that injection. Then last week, I went to the market, and when I got home I noticed my sock I had a bad indention in that foot and ankle.

 I didn't think much of it until then I noticed this week every time I am up on it, or sit at the computer, with it down, it swells terribly again. And I've noticed it hurting now, yesterday it was huge again when I went to Urgent Care about the Lupus and RA flares. I hoped the injection of corticosteroid for those would help reduce the inflammation, thinking that the Lupus, RA and just the very bitter cold weather, that was swelling my fingers and other joints may have caused it again to swell after it being so injured. 

But it never dawned on me, other than I was fearful my "heart" may be causing it to swell. When I had my 1st heart attack, for about 8 weeks before I had it, every day my ankles both of them would swell horribly. That was when I was in "great shape" watched my weight, exercised daily, and never thought I would have a heart attack, yet I did on Jan 8th 2001! So anytime unless I've sprained them etc it worries me that my heart could be acting up, but I've just had an echocardiogram, and a check up with my heart doctor about 3 months ago or less... 

so between knowing it is so damaged from the sprains, and the RA and Lupus, it will swell and hurt, especially with such very cold weather... my fingers, and every joint feels "swollen" and stiff and hurt like hell. So, last night I took one of the Metoprolol's that is for the "extra beat" of my heart. I had slacked down taking them daily because my doctor felt that they were causing me to have a very slow heart rate. In fact we talked about putting a pacemaker in, so I could take the medication and not have to worry over the heart rate problems. Then I will be damned I had one of the damned very cold, wet night sweats!!! Those are the reason I had cut down on the Metoprolol anyway. 

IF my heart rate gets too low at night, we feel my body compensates, by one of those horrid, cold, drenching night sweats, I was wrapped up all night in a heavy robe, and blanket, because then I get so cold after that sweat, I shiver all night, and I feel so bad, I can't even get up to change my clothes, I am just so cold, it just almost hurts to get up and have to change... I swear I thought 2018 would be "better" and it sure has not started off very well for me... I think I am just freaking cursed....


Strange enough, when I look it up, much of those symptoms are true... for one my "OTHER LEG" from the knee down has hurt now for about 10 days, it wakes me up at night, but it is in the other leg from the knee down into that ankle! Also, it looks so purple, but I thought it was spider veins, I suddenly have them in both ankles, and I've asked before because up until I sprained them, I didn't have those terrible ugly looking things, but that ankle and foot looks purple especially when it swells or I have problems with it... 

it has been injured badly twice... and it will even give way with me at times if I am not very careful with it... the "sudden" swelling was strange to me... unless it has just been swelling due to the Lupus and RA... 

so I guess even my Rheumatologist may not really be able to tell me, nor really the foot and ankle specialist... that does seems and I've heard of it of course due to Barby Ingle and many others that have the problem, I just didn't put two and two together thinking that could be what is going on with the ankle in itself... but now that you have said something, and I read the "symptoms" I am wondering if it may be something else like that  and I will definitely check on it. I see my PCP who was the one who diagnosed my Lupus and RA. He really knows a great deal about "other problems" such as something like this... he is a younger doctor and he is very well educated in other illnesses, syndromes, and things that some PCP may not know much about. Plus if I talk to him, he will know of a Neurologist who could look at me and see.

What is even stranger about this, is that suddenly also i about the past two weeks, I've had severe problems with my left arm, from the elbow down to my wrist and fingers. It wakes me up every night, swollen, and throbbing and like it's "asleep" with that pins and needles type of pain. It did it again last night, along with everything else, needless to say I was up since about 2AM, between everything hurting, the night sweat mess, and such I got up and turned on the television again, and said to heck with it... 

and of course I also have the "autoimmune issues" which I knew often go along with "CPRS" again I guess out of everything, I never put this together with the other problems and symptoms. Of course my first thought it dammit, I DON"T NEED ANYMORE FREAKING HEALTH ISSUES!!!! So, if this is the case then I just "chalk up" one more to the never ending damned list of crap wrong with me... again I feel totally "cursed"!!!!!!!


And here is one link talking about CPRS....  https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Complex-Regional-Pain-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet

Rheumatologist appt today, hoping for Xeljanz, severe finger, thumbs, wrists pain, stiffness, swelling & needing relief - Also thinking that I have "shingles" and not something biting me

Today is the day! To the Rheumy I go. So far, my hand fingers, thumbs and wrists are hurting and swollen I hate when I go to a doctor and by the time I get there whatever is going on seems to be "better" that particular day! Since this has been going on now for a good while, they have been really bad on my right hand where i do well to type here, cannot open jars, cannot carry much of any weight with that hand and arm to the point it is really affecting my left arm and hand. My left elbow is now a mess I think. I know some of it is coming from my neck, but I knew the elbow has been bad for a long while. I've spoken about it before, after surgery on it in about 1998, now it is getting bad again, and I know it is due to me having to use my left hand, arm, wrist and shoulder much more than my right one. I could barely get my tea holder open this morning, because it hurts so badly to pull the lid off of it. I dread the drive up there though. His office means going on I-45 but then I have to make this horrid couple of miles that is a nightmare in order to get over to I-35 where the offices are for the SW Med Center. 

So, I always hate the traffic. My appt is early afternoon so that will help some, plus I will leave in plenty of time just in case there is issues with traffic, but still just the regular traffic that particular way is terrible any time of the day. Plus the drive home is almost as bad... same deal you HAVE TO be in the CORRECT LANE in order to make the cross back over to I-45 and that is about a 6 lane or more highway there, and goes all directions. Plus they have been doing a great deal of construction in that area so that even makes it worse. Then you have the idiots that don't get in their right lane until they have to cross over 4 lanes of traffic at the last minute and risk a chance of hitting someone with their stupidity. 

I know most of them are from that area and they think the "know" just how to move in the lanes, but usually even if they are driving like maniacs, it gets them no quicker there, than me, who is driving in the correct lanes with the flow of traffic. Speeding, is something I just don't do, BUT as many know in huge cities, with that much traffic sometimes driving the "speed limit" will get you ran over also. So, I've learned over the years in those places to try and drive with the flow of regular traffic, thus usually it makes it a bit easier to be in the lane you need to be and give yourself time to be there. I am a good driver as far as I am concerned, but it the other fools on the road that bother me... trying to look out for all of them, in so many lanes at once, and then trying to not hit someone when they cram on their brakes, or avoiding someone behind you hitting you because they are not watching to see brake lights coming on or they tail gate, which pisses me off to no end. Those that tailgate are just accidents waiting to happen. Anyway, I am hoping we try Zeljanx. 

That is my hope BUT since I am facing cervical neck surgery in probably a month, my fear is that they will not want to put me on the medication, until after the surgery, and a few weeks after it until I am kind of out of the woods for any type of infection. BUT, hopefully that won't happen, and I can get approved for it and get started quickly. I know they will have to send paperwork into my insurance company to get that medication approved. After all of the crap going on now with the government, my fear is many of us will wind up having to either NOT take our medications, because they will not cover them, or our co-pays will be higher, or we will have to try and get the drug companies to help with the costs, which many of them will do now just to be able to get the meds out there and hope the insurance will finally wise up, but I think it is worse when you are on any type of Medicare, especially a Medicare Advantage Plan. So, I am going over things and checking email etc. I will have to get out of here a couple of hours before I need to be there. by the time I get to the Valet parking, and then get in to check in, fill out paperwork since it has been so long since I was there and then all of the things to tell them. They are not aware of my hip fractures and my ankle/foot issues, or the complication with the hematoma on my hip and so forth. So, hopefully this visit WILL help and be one that is not worth going for as they do sometimes. 


I feel that maybe is my what I thought was some type of "bite" or sting, could be shingles. With them being on one side of my body, on my upper arm and on my torso, it sounds like and kind of appears to be those... I take the medication daily for my cold sores, which is the same family of virus that the shingles come from, so my thought it that my case might be "less" due to the medication...