OMG! The continuing saga of What the heck is wrong with me??? Well, a while back I was told I was going into perimenopause early and I was put on biodentical hormones. I really didn't completely believe in the whole situation and couldn't afford to buy them, so I didn't continue on them. Well then my equilibrium started to get out of whack I was dizzy, and I began to hear ticking in one ear, so I went to see my PCP. She thought it was allergies.

Then my periods started to become irregular and I went to see my Gyne. He confirmed what the holistic doctor was saying that I was indeed going through the change already early. Ok. Then about 10 days later I started lactating from one breast!!!! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???? I have never had children. I have not had sex in a very long while. This scared me, so I did some online research and found that there can be many causes the most common cause of which is a Prolactinoma.

It was over the holiday weekend when this all took place, so I got in touch with my doctors on call Gyne doc. She pretty much confirmed the idea that there is a great possibility that I have a Prolactinoma, which is a pituitary tumor that increases the prolactin hormone in the body, which creates the breasts to produce milk. Luckily, these types of tumors are always benign and can be shrunk (usually) with medication.

I went for a blood test yesterday so I will know for sure some time next week. If the test is positive I am sure the next step will be an MRI. I also read that Prolactinomas can cause Osteoporosis and Osteopenia, which may explain why I have such issues with my bones and DDD and what not. My sister also has issues with lactation, but I am not sure it's related?

I am beginning to feel like I am starting to get to the bottom of my problems and soon I will really know why I have been so sick. If anyone knows anything about this condition, I would be much appreciative if you could add your stories here. Thank you for reading. :)  

I went to see a respectable NEW PCP doctor on Friday who is also an internist. She is concerned about MS due to my laundry list of symptoms and is sending me to see the head honcho of the MS Neurology department at one of the organized health care organizations in the area where I live for a complete evaluation. She is concerned about my foot numbness, little reflexes  and nerve damage in my left foot. She said they want to look at my brain. I am expecting a spinal tap as well.

My Rheumy mentioned MS once, but didn't explore it. I guess I am a bit concerned now that two doctors have mentioned it. I also have been doing a little research. I just learned that Atrial Fibrillation is a neurological disorder not a heart condition. I have suffered this before as my father has before as well. Also, I suffered two seizures as a young adult, but I kept this from all of the doctors I've seen out of fear that they either would take away my drivers license, or that they wouldn't believe me. I plan to share this info with this Neurologist when I see him. It's too bad the guy it booked out until July. Such as the way of the world.

I feel like crap today. I am depressed, scared, plus my lower back and legs are killing me. I took off of work. My hubby is mad, but oh well. He's got the same shoes to get glad in right? :)

  

It all started when I was 17 years old. I threw my back out somehow- I am not sure how, but I ended up in my PCP doctor's office (the same one I see now). She diagnosed me with Sciatica. It was really bad, so bad I couldn't bend over and I couldn't turn my body. My lower back ached so very bad. My buttocks hurt, my legs hurt and so did my hips. My doctor told me I had Sciatica, did no X-Rays, prescribed me 600mg of Ibuprofen and sent me on my way. The symptoms subsided and I didn't think anymore about it.

About a year later I developed severe pain in my knees. I was working in a factory as a machine operator and packager, so I was standing for eight hours a day. My knee pain got so bad I had to stop working and went on workman's comp. The Orthopedic doctor I went to diagnosed me with Tendinitis of the knees. I spent the summer of my 18th year with my knees wrapped in ace bandages. When I finally returned to work, I asked for a sit down job, but they refused to provide a machine where I could sit, so I just quit. I didn't realize what my rights were at the time.

My lower back and the Sciatica flared up during my late teens and early 20s once or twice and I had a very difficult time holding down jobs until I was educated enough to find a job where I could sit down when I needed to. I tried waitressing, but developed severe tendinitis of the wrists. Thank god for college. I eventually made it through while working as a customer service rep for an art supply company and earned a BS and an MS degree and now work for a newspaper as an Advertising Executive. It was a long hard road though...

I had a minor car accident when I was 25 years old that caused my neck to begin to feel incredibly intense pain. I saw a Chiropractor for a year and a half because she was the only doctor I could find who would take my pain seriously, but now I believe she may have only made things worse for me. I DO NOT PERSONALLY BELIEVE IN CHIROPRACTIC CARE for the spine.

The car accident was not my fault. A man ran a stop sign and we collided. We were only driving at about 20MPH max. I lost my jury trial court case and was humiliated in court and was made to look like one of those people who was looking to take advantage of the insurance companies. I was left with over $20,000 of medical bills. That was one of the hardest days of my life. Since then my neck pain has been unrelenting.

After that I decided I didn't trust doctors anymore. No one was willing to help me. I could barely work due to all of my pain, but I had to. I began to learn to live with things. I leaned on my father. My father lived with A LOT of PAIN. He had Reiter's Syndrome since he was in his early 20s. He got it in the military and was discharged because of it. Reiter's Syndrome is a type of Arthritis that is usually triggered by an infection, but normally you have to be carrying a specific gene called the HLA-B27. Well he had it and I had a lot in common with my father, so I would always talk to him about my pain. He was my anchor. I stayed away from doctors for everything besides my asthma medications for about 5 years UNTIL....

My left foot started to go numb at 31years old...I kept complaining to my husband about it and refused to go to the doctor until I tripped over my foot and fell down the stairs. I wasn't hurt, but realized it was serious. Now I thought I was having a circulation problem. When I went to see my doctor who diagnosed me at 17 years old with Sciatica, she said "no, I think we need to X-Ray your lower back." When she came back with the X-Ray results, she told me there was something seriously wrong with the formation of my bones in my lumbar spine and I needed an MRI ASAP. I freaked out.

I now see a Rheumatologist who manages my illness. I have been diagnosed with so many things, but my main diseases are Fibromyalgia, Spinal Degenerative Arthritis and Corneal Erosion Syndrome of the Eyes .

To make a long story short I have learned in the last 2.5 years that I have degenerative disc disease in my lumbar spine, scoliosis, degenerative facet arthritis, a bulging and torn disc that's dessicated, I also had an EMG and a Nerve Conduction test which revealed nerve damage. This has made me very upset with my doctor because she didn't take an X-ray all those years ago. Maybe she could have spared me some embarrassment.  

Also, Initially MRIs of my cervical spine showed nothing abnormal around the time of my court case. Since then I have developed arthritis, degenerative disc disease as well as Hyperostosis and bone spurs.    

I even had a shoulder decompression surgery that probably could have been avoided that I now think my shoulder pain was caused by my neck issues. That I guess I will leave for another day...