Long term black stripes growing in my finger nails..

[suddenlyshel]

I have had two close dark grey stripes growing vertically from my cuticle bed in my right pointer finger, and one down the middle of my thumb on my right hand for a year.  I also haven't felt good.  At all.  Like I have the flu, and bronchitus all the time.  It *****.  Energy is down, and the stripes have been so far dismissed.  But I turned on my computer and there was an article about ten things you should check every day as a woman for health.  Stripes under the nails could mean cancer, and my mom died of it.  Had like 5 kinds.  I know, "go see a doctor" but I have no health insurance.  And ER will see me, once.  But what after that?  And it's not the kind of thing an ER will check you for, cancer.  I know, I've tried.  My hair started falling out this week too.  Quite a lot.  In the tub, or out of it.  All I gotta do is run my fingers through my hair, or rub my scalp.  I'm 39, I'm worried.  All the women die before they are 60 in my family.  I just wanted my last 20 years to be ok.

[mkh9]

I'm so sorry for all that you have gone through. I don't think you are going to die from this. It would be good if you could get diagnosed properly though. My mom died at 68, my dad at 47 and uncle at 62. So, I know how you feel. I worry too much as well. I think if you could manage it an endocrinologist may be the doctor that would help. A lot of docs do give a discount at least they do here in California. YOu have to tell  them up front you are paying cash and ask if they will give a discount. Well, I think if you have a hormone imbalance or something treatable it would be good to know if they could feel better. I sure get what you mean by all the surgeries, that is a whole lot.
take care,
mkh9

[suddenlyshel]

Ya, I went in for tests.  A while back.  Everything comes back "normal"....my thyroid.  My iron.  All of it.  It even says I have good white cells.  But I haven't had one single healthy day since, and the grey lines keep growing from under my nail.  It's not a fungus, it's not TERRIBLY noticeable.  It's light, and thin.  If they were darker, they'd be black.  But they are pretty transparent.  I have two going down my right pointer finger and one going down my thumb.  I read if it's only one or two fingers, it's a bad sign.  I just moved, and have had 13 surgeries, but haven't gone to the doctor, not for real, in 5 years.  I got off all the meds and exercised and got healthy.  The horomone thing could be, because I had a hysterectomy 14 years ago, and my last ovary was removed a few years after.

But finding a doctor isn't easy.  And nobody does less expensive for cash, at least I never saw it.  And if it's bad, who cares if it's less expensive?  I still won't be able to afford it, the millions of appointments, and then I will die anyway.  SO maybe I should just not find out.  I am not sure what good knowing would do.  It would just kill me faster because I have sumatization disorder (sp?) which causes my organs to blow up when I'm over stressed, hence the 13 surgeries.  So, I should probably not go in and just die I guess.  

I don't WANT to die though.

[mkh9]

Yes, usually stripes on the fingernails are a sign of a problem. But depending on how they look can help determine the cause. Are they small thin stripes and are they black, blue or really grey? I am not a doctor but just trying to help. Sometimes black stripes can be heart problems. They don't mention gray stripes. There are lots of reasons for the stripes and it sounds like you are immunocompromised by being sick all the time or that you have a viral infection. I'm not sure who to refer you to if you don't have insurance . Have you seen any doctor? I wouldn't got to the ER for this but maybe start with a family practise doctor. They will give you a discount if you ask if you are paying cash. Have you had any blood tests done? Sometimes that color of stripes can also be a fungal infection of the nails. I wonder if you have a hormonal problem since your hair is falling out too or anemia? Anemia was another type of problem that has striped nails. So it would be good to get some blood tests done, such as a complete blood count, B-12, iron, ferritin and chemitry profile.