I missed this thread. I didn't recognize the illness. I read all about this and many other illnesses back when I became ill with an unexplained mallady that came on me over labor day holiday 17 years ago. I went through a drastic physical change overnight. Originally I thought I was experiencing heart problems as I had severe chest pains. Later I found out there was nothing wrong with my heart. I went to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Ma. Over a six month period I had 16 visits and they finally gave me the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. I went on suffering from pain, fatigue, lethargy, irratable bowl, everything under the sun. I was never put on anti-depressants but was given almost every anti-inflammatory drug on the market. Nothing helped. I stopped going to doctors about it and just lived with it. After I moved South and met Tink, she talked me into going to Baptist Hospital and trying it again with the doctors. I went to a Rhuematologist at Baptist in Nashville. He ran tests for Lupus, Rhuematoid Arthritis, and Lymes Disease all of which I had 10 years prior to this. The tests again were inconclusive. I had done my own reading and research at libraries to try and come up with some other clues on my own. I did not except the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia as the medical journal I looked it up in had, at the time, only a small paragraph on it. It basically said it was sore muscles and ligaments, well, damn I knew I had that. I found from my searching that the immune system is primarily the culprit for almost all diseases and unexplained disorders. Viruses, severe stress, and severe trauma will start the immune system into a syndrome called Auto-immune disease or disorder. The immune system, made up of white blood cells, antigens, and a primary steering mechanism the researches labeled as a "T" cell. The 'T" cell is supposed to steer your white blood cells to the germ or foriegn bodies in your system. It was explained that after the "T" cell attaches to the germ it makes itself look like the germ and the the antigens combine with it and thus draws the white blood cells to destroy it. When the "T" cell goes awry, it attaches itself to good body tissue and your own immune system attacks your own good body tissues. The resultant deseases they attribute this to are Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Garrigs (ALS), Lupus, Rhuematoid Arthritis and quite a few more that I do not remember right now.
I told the doctor at Baptist that I felt it was not a syndrome but something real and physical attacking my joints and muscles. After looking at my medical records that I had forwarded to him he asked me if I was ever treated with Steroids. I told him no. So at the time while I was visiting him, I was suffering so bad I couldn't drive and could not even get my shirt off for him to examine me. So he prescribed Prednizone and Naproxen (Naprocin). In two days I was like new. A drastic turn around. When I went back he said that it probably indicated I had some sort of Rhuematoidal illness but it was still in a stage of undetection, which he said sometimes occurs. He said he would treat me for Rhuematoid Arthiritis even though the tests were negative for it.
That was 5 years ago. I still take Prednizone only for bad flair-ups. Whenever the weather changes from a High pressure to a Low, the day before a storm comes, thats when I get the worst pain. The spring is the worst for me because the weather is constantly changing. I feel that doctors are limited, and can only diagnos something when it is obvious. When it is illusive they usually use "syndrome" or "dis-order" to describe it rather than call it what it really is, a disease. Stress is really bad. Many things cause stress and the WTS sure has it's share in inflicting stress on those who are caught up in it or who's lives have been destroyed by it. I feel that diseases like ME and CFS and others are real diseases that the medical and science fields have yet to pin-point. Hopefully they will in my lifetime and for the sake of others who suffer with these diseases that illude medicine.
This is my own personal opinion. I have a lot of articles somewhere in boxes. I'll try and find some of them and scan them for those who may be interested.
CC
