Anybody here experienced this?

[Guest guest]

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!

South Pasadena, CA

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