I started keeping track on my Microsoft Outlook calendar just so that I could keep track of the craziness happening to my body. So here's the events in a nutshell.
July 22nd, Thurs night: I was on call this night and Art was out of town. Emily wanted to camp out in the front room, so I slept on the couch with the phone close by in case I got called in. I had a restless sleep because my big toe on my right foot started hurting. it felt like it was infected!
July 23rd, Fri morning: I woke up and sure enough, my toe was swollen, red and painful to the touch. I traced back my steps and remembered that I had a pedicure 5 days earlier. I was certain that I got a dang infection from the salon. I went to the Urgent Care to get some antibiotics, and was placed on 7 days of Kelfex, 500mg twice a day. Ok, problem solved!
July 24th, Sat evening. We were having some friends over for dinner, so I was busy cleaning the house and making dinner. My toe still hurt so I was walking on the side of my foot. Throughout the night my foot started hurting, going from a 3/10 pain, to 7/10 pain and walked to bed that night with crutches. I was certain that I gave myself a stress fracture from walking funny on my foot. I decided to wait until Monday and go to Tahoe-Fracture.
Monday July 26th: Saw Dr. Card at Tahoe-Fracture, and he agreed that it looked like a stress fracture. He did an x-ray, however, he told me that this x-ray is only a baseline as stress fractures don't show up on x-ray until they are healing 1-2 weeks into healing. He gave me an air cast and told be to keep it on until I see him next. That evening my L elbow starting aching, and hard to move, I thought it was from the crutches.
Tues July 27th: Right elbow is now horrible pain, with very limited range of motion. Can only hold it in flexed position. Toe feels better, foot feels better. This evening, my left foot and right knee start to ache.
Weds: Left foot swollen,painful; right knee aches; elbow still stiff, painful.
Thurs: Both feet hurt, elbow still stiff, painful. Right knee is now swollen, stiff, painful.
Fri: Went to concert in the park, feel pretty good today, although still aching, I'm more mobile. By the end of the evening, I was hurting pretty bad, couldn't sleep due to pain. Ibuprofen not working, at all...
Sat: Still in pain, back on crutches, elbow improving, can move it more now.
Sun, August 1st: Went back to Urgent Care, because I was scared, this is no longer about an infected toe or a stress fracture! Something is wrong. Could I have Rheumatoid Arthritis like others in my family? Urgent Care Doc said he thinks it's an autoimmune response, an arthritic flare of some sort, likely rheumatoid. He ran about 30 different labs on me. My SED rate was high at 66, and my CRP 22. That is characteristic of an inflammatory process. But what is causing it?
Monday: No real change, still on crutches. Called every doc I could. Got an appointment with my PCP Dr. Aalbers. She did history on me, reviewed my labs (my rheumatoid factor came back negative). She asked me about ticks, I told her that yes I went camping last June and about a week later had a bulls-eye rash. I went to my husbands health clinic at GE and they put me on 1 week of Doxycyline. She said that this looks like lyme disease to her. What? I was sad and sceptical. I am very healthy, no health history, no meds.
Tues: better day, no crutches! I should mention that through all of this, the night time is the worst for me. I still keep crutches by my bed to use for walking to the bathroom. The pain wakes me up every single night, and my joints are all so stiff that I can't walk.
Wed's: Again, feeling better, no crutches. Went to Michaels and Dollar store to get supplies for my daughters birthday party. That evening the pain was through the roof, right foot swollen again, toe swollen, and left foot and right knee pain. I was back on crutches :-(
Thurs: On crutches, went to Walmart to buy groceries. I used one of those driving carts. When I got home my feet were both very swollen and painful. Damn...
Fri: On crutches.
Sat: Feeling better, walking on boot without crutches. Taking it easy today.
Sun: Resting, keeping feet up. feeling pretty good.
Monday August 9th. Follow up with Tahoe Fracture, Dr. Card. He looked at all my joints, pushed and pulled on my "stress fracture" foot, and said no need to do a follow-up x-ray, I am having arthritic flare, see Rheumatologist asap. (I already made an appt with Rheumy, for Sept 7th). Went to work to drop off light duty order. I left upset because I am self concious about how I walk, I know I look funny, and I was trying so hard to walk normal (deliberate right/left stepping), that I know I made myself look even weirder. I'm embarrased.
Tues. Back to PCP Dr. Aalbers. Why do I always cry when I go see her? This whole nightmare has definitely taken a toll on my normally rock-solid emotions! I asked her a million questions, such as even though rheum factor is negative, could I still have it? Why do you think I have Lyme, I never saw the tick, only the rash! How long will this flare-up last? I can't work, function, wash my hair, make my own coffee! Then I cried and she answered all my questions. She is still 90% certain that it is Lyme, and tomorrow will send off my blood to specialty lab in Palo Alto, to get a comprehensive Lyme panel. It will take 1-2 weeks for results.
Wed's, August 11th. Picked Bodie up from the airport (my Mom drove, I don't feel comfortable driving more than 5 miles from home). I am so happy to see him, and missed him sooooo much!
Thurs: Took kids to salon for back-to-school haircuts. That just about did me in. The pain was worst then ever. I took a Vicodin, and considered taking 2, but decided not too(I try not to take them unless I really need to). I sat on the couch and felt sorry for myself (I try not to do this either).
Fri: Decided to transfer all this info from Outlook calendar to this blog, (where I keep my food blog). As if anyone cares about my pity party crapola, LOL. I can't wait to go back to work, and pray that everyone is patient with me, until I can get this madness sorted out. :-)
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