Re: Anybody here experienced this?

[Guest guest]

,

What you have described about yourself doesn't ring a bell, but if I see

anything that might help you, I'll post it.

I'm sorry that you are a walking medical mystery!

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Anybody here experienced this?

>I don't post very often, but I read regularly and appreciate all the

> great info! I don't post because I have Polymyalgia Rheumatica and

> Fibro, so can't offer a lot of help most of the time.

>

> Right now, I have something very strange going on, and I'm wondering

> if anyone here has ever experienced anything like it. My PCP, rheumy,

> orthopedic knee specialist, and the radiologist don't have any firm

> answers for my. My rheumy is sending me to an orthopedic bone

> specialist, but, of course, I'm going crazy waiting to get in and see

> him. And he'll probably order more tests, heaven knows when I'll get

> answers.

>

> Anyone else ever have joint inflammation without anything at all

> showing in the blood work? (no redness, and the only swelling and

> heat are from the increased fluid). Or, any bone injuries that won't

> heal?

>

> A short - no, make that long - history:

> Dec. 2002 - I was in a very nasty auto accident. Broken left wrist,

> hyper extended left thumb, severely bruised left knee, right shoulder,

> sternum and ribs. Large hematomas on both right shoulder and left

> knee.

>

> Sep. 2003 - Nothing has healed yet. Orthopedic surgeon keeps telling

> me it's stress, it's in my head, etc

> .

> Apr. 2004 - I have a new PCP. She sends me to a new knee specialist.

>

> Jun 2004 - after x-rays, a bone scan, and an MRI, knee specialist says

> I have OA in the knee, but not severe enough to explain the pain. He

> sends me to a rheumy.

>

> Jul 2004 - My sed rate is 92. My rheumy dxs Polymyalgia Rheumatica,

> is sure that the trigger was the accident. I start taking prednisone,

> methotrexate, Fosamax, calcium, Celexa, and Ultaset.

>

> Sep. 2005 - My sed drops to under 20, but I'm still in pain. My

> rheumy dxs Fibro. Maybe it's the Fibro fog, but I'm really having

> trouble with short term memory and focusing. I'm terrified. Rheumy

> decides it might be an interaction between the Celexa and the Ultracet

> (he's upped the dosage of Celexa, and both med have recently become

> generics). It doesn't go away, but it does get better. After much

> discussion, he prescribes Vidocin for a pain med. Says there's not

> much else that will work for me, except maybe morphine. He also dxs

> steroid-induced diabetes at this time, and my new doc, the

> endocrinologist, prescribes Metformin.

>

> Jan. 2006 - my mammogram shows a lump in my right breast. I get sent

> first for an ultrasound, then for a breast MRI. I have a reaction to

> the dye they use, and swell up like a balloon. I get off the table

> barely able to put any weight on my left knee without pain. My rheumy

> draws enough fluid off the knee to fill three syringes! He sends it

> out to be tested. No infection, but a lot of inflammation - the white

> cell count is over the top!

>

> Apr 2006 - I finally have another MRI, this time taking 40mg of

> predsinone, a vicodin and a Valium before the MRI. I make it through

> with no problems. Nothing shows but the one lump, which I have

> removed. It turns out to be benign, no follow-up needed except for

> mammograms every 6 months. Whew!

>

> May 2006 - the knee still hurts like crazy, my Rheumy decides it's

> mechanical and sends me back to the knee specialist. He does another

> set of xrays, MRI, and bone scan. The xrays and bone scan show that

> the OA has become much worse, but still short of needing a joint

> replacement. The MRI shows a tear that can be repaired with

> arthroscopic surgery. But the bone scans shows other problems, and he

> doesn't want to do the surgery until they're resolved.

>

> Back to my rheumy. First, he draws more fluid off the knee. It's

> still very inflamed - even though my sed rate is under 15! The recent

> bone scan shows increased activity in both shoulders, upper back,

> sternum, and 8th rib. In face, the radiologist sent me for more xrays

> of the rib, convinced it was broken. It wasn't. A comparison to the

> bone scan from two years ago shows activity in the same areas, but

> more intense now. And, they're definitely the areas that were injured

> in my accident and that still give me a lot of pain. The pain that

> we've been attributing to Fibro. So my rheumy is sending me to an

> expert in pathological bone conditions.

>

> So was wondering - sound familiar to anyone? Wow, that was longer

> than I intended. Thanks to anyone who's still reading!

>

>

>