Home

Emma (emma22), Undiagnosed Bio

May 5, 2013

MaryO Hypothyroidism, PCOS, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hi there,

I’m not really sure where to start! I’m 22, and work full time (10-12 hour shifts) as a porter in the operating department of a city centre hospital- so i’m very very active, constantly walking/lifting/carrying on a daily basis.

I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue when i was 13 after a bout of severe flu/repeated shingles infections, and never really recovered, but i was gradually well enough to live a more or less normal teenage life. I have never struggled with my weight (a constant 9 stone at 5 foot 5), until a year ago, when i suddenly started suffering from extreme weight gain (7 stone in 10 months), fatigue, acne, mood swings, hair loss where there should be hair/hair growth where there shouldn’t be, stria, irregular periods (and when they arrive they’re incredibly heavy, buffalo hump, heat intolerance and all manner of horrible symptoms.

I’ve been diagnosed after tests and ultrasounds with PCOS and hypothyroidism, and am currently being treated with 75mg thyroxine (to be increased), and am due to start on metformin.

There’s been very little improvement in how i feel, and after a pretty horrible meeting with the endo, in which all she really did was call me fat, tell me to stop the late night trips to mcdonalds (I’M VEGAN! mcdonalds is pretty much the antichrist to us!) and refer me to the dietician. i felt really let down and all i could do was try to hold the tears in until i got back to the car.

she didn’t seem to realise that for a 22 year old woman to be feeling more like a 90 year old, is a pretty horrific experience. but i digress…

i’m due to be tested for cushings in a few days time with the low dose dexamethasone, and i know this is awful to say, but i’d jump for joy knowing what’s going on with my body at last.

although i know i have pcos and an underactive thyroid, i just know that there’s something else going on with me, and unfortunately my consultant just won’t listen to me.

my social life has disapeared, i just feel too goddam ill, not to mention my incredibly unsupportive boss, who seems to want to make my life a living hell because i’ve had to take a lot of time off work- she even screamed at me until i cried when i collapsed at work one day. i’ve actually taken to hiding in the toilets in the afternoon to have a nap, and to regroup, just so i can get through the day. never mind that i’m a 22 year old who has gained 7 stone in under a year- it’s hard to feel great about myself!!!

anyway, hopefully one day i’ll find out what’s wrong with me

this was me last year:

 

and this is me now:

quite a difference huh?! and apologie for the poor fashion sense!
anyway, wish me luck, and and my best wishes for everyone going through diagnoses/treatment for any health issues, we’ll get there in the end 🙂

Jessica (JessicaAnn), Undiagnosed Bio

May 4, 2013

MaryO Hypothyroidism, Insulin Resistance, PCOS, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I’ve been struggling with a lot of health issues for a really long time now, and so far I have been diagnosed with multiple different things only to have the next doctor say the previous one was wrong.  None of them have yet to be able to explain why I am physically in pain over stupidly simple things like doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.

I recently got tested for Cushing’s because my current doctor thought that might be it, and I was certain I did as well based on how much it sounded like me.  However, my 24 hour urine test came back normal.  So now I’m back to where I started, with no answers and losing hope that I’ll ever find out what’s wrong with me.

 

I have previously been diagnosed with the following:

ADHD – 2005

Insulin Resistence – 2005 (later told that was incorrect)

Depression – 2005 (though it started long before then)

Migraines – 2010 (they started when I was in high school, though, so roughly 2001)

Hypothyroidism – 2010 (I was laster told my thyroid looked fine, though I’m on Synthroid)

PCOS – 2011

Fibrocystic Breasts – 2012 (No tests were done, and I’m fairly certain this is incorrect)

Vitamin D Deficiency – 2012

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency – 2012 (probably caused by spironalactone since it apparently causes that)

 

Both the PCOS and Fibrocystic Breasts diagnoses were made without the presence of cysts, though my ovaries are enlarged.

 

My symptoms have included:

 

Headaches

Migraines

Irregular Periods

Severe Menstrual Cramps

Severe Acne

Oily Skin

Heavy Periods

Fatigue

Difficulty falling asleep (I average about 3 hours per night)

Difficulty staying asleep

Weight Gain (started when I was doing 30 minutes of cardio + 30 minutes of weights every day plus watched everything I ate.  I still to crossfit several times a week and watch what I eat)

Hair Growth (upper lip, stomach, neck, chin)

Nipple Discharge

Skin discoloration (neck, under arms, under breasts, elbows, inner thighs)

High Blood Pressure

Fast Heart Rate

Constant Phlegm in my throat (has been there for years and never gets better/only gets worse when I get the flu)

Hoarse by the end of the day/night

Deepened Voice

Difficulty Concentrating

Forgetful

Large Pink Stretch Marks on waist

Lack of period (started about a year ago)

Back pain from doing simple things (has progressively gotten worse/included my hips, neck, and left shoulder)

Nosebleeds for seemingly no reason (most often in the bath tub/shower, sometimes just happens while driving, walking, doing nothing that should cause them)

Depression

Loss of appetite (I usually force myself to eat light meals at work just in case I end up hungry at some stupid time like 4:00 PM)

Nausea (literally almost every day)

Diarrhea (usually after eating)

Often Stressed Out

Irritability

Buffalo Hump

Round face (I actually have pictures of me when I weighed less than in previous ones, but my face was horrible round in the ones where I weighed less)

 

More than anything, I care about getting the back pain, migraines, and sleep issues fixed because that’s what affects my life the most.  One thing I noticed with the exercise is I’ve been able to build muscle in my legs and arms, but there’s been no change to my stomach, and I have dropped no weight/inches off of any of my body (since I know muscle will add pounds).  I have been to numerous doctors, including several Endocrinologists, one internest, a rheumatologist, a breast specialist, and several gynocologists to get things fixed.  All of my symptoms have progressively gotten worse over the years, and I’m just worried with the amount of pain I’m end that I’m one day not even going to be able to walk.  I’m at peace that whatever it is could eventually kill me, but I at least want to know why it’s happening before it does.

 

So far the only lab work I’ve gotten that showed anything was my Vitamin D and B-12 levels were low, and my Testosterone was high.  My doctor said this would not cause the back pain, though.  I just don’t understand how I can have all of these issues at 28 years old to constantly be told there’s nothing wrong with me to cause the back pain.  I have had no trauma that would have caused it (like a wreck or something), so I know this isn’t normal.

 

If anyone has any suggestions on any other tests I can do/possible causes, I would be extremely grateful.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Newer Entries