Hi, I'm new here. I have read some posts on the forums and you've all been so supportive and I guess I'm just worried and need to speak to someone.
So it's a little complicated. I have various health issues but just wanted to see if anybody had the same symptoms before being diagnosed with cancer? I'm trying not to read up on the internet as it all says cancer.
I may as well start from the beginning.
3 years ago I had my 3rd child. Shortly after this I started bleeding after sex, bleeding between periods and bleeding from my vagina after bowel movements. I've always had torrential, painful periods (mum and sister have endometriosis but I've never been investigated). I was referred to Gynae. I was on the waiting list for 2.5 years. I was finally seen a few months ago and awaiting hysteroscopy.
A year ago.. I had an operation on my Achilles tendon (they're too tight). Months after this I started experiencing coldness in that foot, pins and needles and numbness. I put it down to nerve damage from the op.
4 months ago my hand started swelling up. I assumed osteoarthritis (I have it elsewhere and my mum and nana are very bad with it). In the last year I have multiple joints that are incredibly painful I feel like I've aged 30 years.
About 3 weeks ago my hand swelled up again and this time I lost the feeling in my fingertips. I saw the GP who gave me steroids and did an urgent referral to rheumatology. I started the steroids, the swelling improved but my hand turned purple and was frozen. The GP was concerned about rheumatoid arthritis.
The rheumatologist saw me within 10 days and sent me straight to A and E. My hand was 'dusky' and they were concerned it was cardiovascular. A and E didn't really know what to do, ended up with a CT scan on my arm checking for blood clots which they said would be unlikely due to my leg doing the same thing for the last 8 months. There wasn't a blood clot and I was let go.
Monday I was put on Nifedipine to try and help my circulation as my hand and foot are purple, I have pins and needles in all my limbs and I'm freezing. I took one tablet and the hives started an hour later. The next day my eyes were swollen closed.
Rheumatology called again and took all my history. For the last 5 years I've been having numerous allergic reactions, my face swells up, my eyes swell closed. I'm now allergic to every antibiotic but one, countless other medications, latex, anti inflammatories, sunlight I think and god knows what else. I also suffer with eczema and asthma. I get pneumonia whenever I catch a cold.
Weirdly in the last 2 weeks I've had heartburn which I never normally suffer with, indigestion and incredible bloating. I've noticed whenever I don't take my painkillers I get a temperature and I get this weird butterfly rash on my face. I have had night sweats on and off for the last 6 months where I wake up drenched.
The rheumatologist sent photos of my flare ups to all her colleagues and made me go in. They took 11 vials of blood, 4 bottles of urine, ordered an urgent CT scan on my stomach, nerve conduction tests on my fingers and toes, sent an urgent referral to immunology and chased up my dermatology referral.
She said that my immune system is naughty and she wants to believe there's something up with it and now maybe it's attacking my joints, tissues and other things. But she's also ordered the CT scan to rule out something more sinister. She hasn't said the C word but I'm terrified that's what they're thinking. I have 3 children, 2 have additional needs and my 5 year old son especially relies on me so much. I'm just in a state of limbo. I have all these worrying symptoms, i feel terrible every day, so ill and everything hurts.
I can't stop crying and I'm so frightened they're going to tell me something that can't be fixed. I feel like an imposter writing here, but I'm sending myself into such states keeping it all in. I don't want to talk to my family as I don't want to worry them.
Has anyone had similar symptoms? I'm probably being irrational but I'm terrified I'm going to die and the children won't have their mum anymore.
