Just need to whine!!

OK -- so I'm going to whine a bit tonight!

This year (since about January), something has not been quite right with me. I've been colder than usual, tired & then my fingers started going white on me & my hips are killing me!

Finally at the end of June I went to my doctor, because I was wearing sweatshirts in 90 degree weather & the fingers were still going white. My doctor ran some tests -- and I was taken by surprise to find that I was anemic, had low white count, had an outrageously high ANA test (an indicator of an auto immune problem) & the fingers were raynaud's syndrome -- all leading her to think that I had Lupus.

Ok -- Lupus -- great! My Dad had lupus -- but his was mostly skin, but he also had Raynaud's (didn't know that Raynaud's was common with lupus, thought it was because he smoked).

So, for the past couple of months - I have started taking aspirin (to increase blood flow to my fingers) & iron (for the anemia). I have been referred to a rheumotologist & seen him two times, today being the second time.

My anemia is better (not gone, but better), the white count is no better & the raynaud's is somewhat better. His diagnosis, "auto-immune, connective tissue disorder, not otherwise specified", because it "reeks" of an auto-immune disorder, but doesn't have the exact hallmarks of one specific one (such as lupus).

So, tomorrow I have another eye exam as a precaution & then will start on plaquenil. Plaquenil is an anti-malaria drug, that has been found to "calm" the immune system. It may help some of the symptoms & keep others at bay. I will return to see him in early November, if the raynaud's is not better (and by that time it might start getting worse again because of the time of the year), he will start me on a calcium channel blocker -- usually used for high blood pressure to open the blood vessels. But, for someone with normal blood pressure, it can cause some light headedness, especially on standing. Fabulous!

Ok -- so I just needed to get that off my chest. It just irks me that I have tried to have better health over the last several years -- and this is the way my body thanks me??