I have moved around a lot and been to different doctors. I have large amounts of medical bills and need some help. I have always been sick with something, since I was little. I feel limited by my health, despite my young age.
I have the following symptoms:
1. low immune system and frequent sickness (pneumonia, bronchitis, mono, colds, etc)
2. enlarged painful areas in left chest by ribs, previously said to be possible costochondritis, but has not gone away and has gotten worse with time; pain relievers, NSAIDs and steroids have been ineffective
2. achy and cracking joints, especially elbows, knees and shoulder
3. swollen left breast (no lump in breast noticed)
4. trouble falling asleep since childhood; often restless; always "tired" though
5. enlarged spleen with pressure, larger and often painful when really sick
6. hard/swollen right lymph node in neck
7. vague nausea- not usually with vomiting, unless in car or sick with something else
8. headaches
9. extremely tender areas in bone, especially in shins and ribs
10. sore ribs and lymph nodes
11. Mild ventricular prolapse
12. two swollen lumps in lower back, on either side of spine, could be enlarged glands? painless, but area around them if often very sore and stiff... have not checked this one out yet though...
13. weak gastrointestinal system... sometimes hard to digest meat and other foods often easily cause bloating, cramping and can "pass through" quickly at times... this has worsened in the past few years, and it has been suggested that this may be due to frequent use of different types of NSAIDs, pain relievers and other meds that break down the stomach's lining
14. muscle spasms, rarely severe... usually in upper legs and feet; sometimes feels like a ripple, sometimes hurts (right eye twitch)
15. fingers often swell up, mainly around joints, and can be very stiff at times
16. random muscle weakness, more frequent in wrists and elbows; sometimes arms or legs
17. ocasional low fevers (ranging from 99-101)
18. night sweats
There are a few others, but those are the main ones. I am 23 and otherwise active, as much as I can be. However, I am often sore and/or sick, which makes me feel like an 80-year-old woman. I am tired of being dismissed because of my age. Rheumatoid arthritis was ruled out, as well as STDs, such as HIV, etc. Previous x-rays showed a "hazy" spot on the left side, which was said to be where a lobe of my lung was possibly not fully developed. It was also noted that my spine is shifted just slightly to the left of where it should be, but nothing completely out of the ordinary. X-rays in the past few years have been said to be "minor, with no real cause for concern." Mild arthritis is present in my shoulders, but that is all that has been said on that subject, to my knowledge.
During my time in the military, the physical strain caused pain in my chest, though heart problems were ruled out, but for "mild ventricular prolapse." Severe pain in shin, spleen and ribs in seperate occasions has caused fainting. Asthma has been tested and ruled out. My stamina is low, no matter how active I am or am not at different periods. I can get short of breath easily at times, even when walking up a few stairs. Again, even at my most active (I am fairly athletic), this is still an issue and always has been. Many of these things presented early on, but have grown worse over time.
Depression was ruled out, along with other mental health disorders. Though I will say many times have I felt like a hypochondriac going into the doctors' office for "vague" symptoms. It did not help that I suffered two concussions in a short amount of time just over a year ago, so had to take time away from trying to figure things out with my body to deal with the post-concussive symptoms that were going on, mostly related to headaches, dizziness and learning issues. In the past year or so, most of those issues have resolved themselves. I still find some difficulty in grasping information I used to know. My short-term memory is shot and I have some troubles mixing-up words in sentences at times, but the severe headaches seem to be better. The vertigo that existed before the concussions can be worse sometimes than it was, but I can't say which symptoms are related to what, as far as the head injury goes. I do know that there is a LOT of improvement in that area since this time last year.
So, basically, I'm tired of being "sick" all the time. I get colds and infections so easily and they last longer than usual, it seems. Last winter, I got a "cold" in the first week of January. I gave it to my roommate a week later and he was rid of it in three days. Two weeks later, I still had it and it was worse. That one took me over a month total. This is often the case, depending upon what it is. In high school, I had a bout of pneumonia that lasted for three months. My sister had it too (she gets sick just as often as I do, if that is of any relevance). We were both using nebulizers to take medicine daily. I had two cracked ribs from coughing. I went to school as much as I was able, but had to give-up extra-curriculars for that time. I have also been officially diagnosed with mono twice, as well as three or four times of going to the Urgent Care and being told I had a "mono relapse." I was not aware you could get it more than once.
I have had heavy periods always, as well as issues with abnormal cell changes, etc. Most recent Pap was normal. No STDs, no pregancy. I'm not on any hormone-related medicine, though I was at different times for birth control purposes. I am now off the birth control. The only changes I noticed with the three different types of pill I have tried were that sometimes the change in hormones made some of the symptoms more pronounced. Other than that, it has been said, which I believe, that the female symptoms are unrelated to the rest of the symptoms. I had HPV in the past, but nothing more showed of it than a few mild cell changes. I did not have the kind with genital warts or anything else. About a year or so after it was first noticed, I was told it was gone. Since then, my paps have all been fine. No mention of HPV has been brought to my attention again. I assume it went away? I was told it can do that, I guess.
No asthma. No heart trouble, apart from the mild ventricular prolapse (though it was enough to cause a problem when I recently had my wisdom teeth removed- had a reaction to the anesthesia). No more than some mild arthritis. No response to even the strongest of costochondritis medicines. No STDs. No real cause for alarm on x-rays or CT scan, as well as different kinds of heart monitors. No pregnancy. I realize that, at this point, there could be more than one explanation/cause for these things. I also believe that some of these things, such as the issues with my stomach, may have been brought on after trying numerous different drugs. I have tried physical therapy for the chest area on the left side. It did not help either. The bulge is worse and the spleen is in a constant state of enlargement, though sometimes larger (and painful) at times.
Basically, I'm frustrated and looking for any ideas or suggestions of things to look into. Fibromyalgia has recently been suggested, so I intend to look into that. However, I want to make sure that I am not dismissed with anything ambiguous again, only to have treatments and medicines not work and have to continue with more of the same. I am a young, athletic female and I would like to have some answers so I can have a better quality of life. I am pursuing medical school so I can run a medical based camp for special needs' adults and children. This is quite demanding and I have already been delayed quite a bit because of my health. I cannot afford to keep being dismissed, both financially and vocationally. Please, if you can help, let me know. I really appreciate it. Thank you.
