Health Update - Getting Answers

I'm almost three months in to my treatment protocol. I've only broken my diet twice (for my son's wedding shower and wedding), and I've continued taking the medications and suppliments described in my earlier blogs.

After weeks of feeling much better, I relapsed the weekend of the wedding (11/18), and I haven't been able to make any real progress. I noticed at the wedding my legs and feet didn't want to work when I went onto the dance floor. It was as if they wouldn't respond to what my brain was telling them to do. I had a hard time opening and closing my hands. I had been on my legs and feet a lot that morning decorating for the wedding. It went downhill from there. The next week I could barely move or get out of bed. I've been able to go to work most days, but I came home from work and couldn't get off the sofa. I wasn't as productive this month as I was previously.

I'm still struggling with chronic fever, and Eczema on my hands, to the point my nails are trying to come off. And, I have extreme muscle pain and fatigue, to the extreme of being too weak to move at times. My food sensitivities have also increased. I cannot tolerate chocolate and some desserts now, which is something I was previously able to tolerate.

I've been to two doctors in the last week, and they believe I'm suffering from Rhabdomyolysis, which is a condition where the muscles can't repair themselves after physical exertion. The muscles dump toxins into the bloodstream, and this can be damaging to the kidneys. Extreme cases can be deadly if not treated properly. I don't think my case is extreme. I've had these symptoms since childhood, off and on.

Something as simple as taking a hike through the woods, mopping the floor, or driving for long periods of time can make the muscles tired ... for DAYS. I've noticed, since I was a child, my hands and feet swell and itch when I did any physical activity. I remember hiking part of The Appalachian Trail when I was a teen, and I couldn't move my arms. As a young adult I would lose strength in my legs after waiting tables at a restaurant all day. Recently, I went grocery shopping and my arms went numb after bringing the heavy bags into the apartment. It took me about two hours to get my mobility back. This week I've been so fatigued that just holding my cell phone in my hands has been a struggle.

I have learned there are things I can do to avoid the muscle weakness. I avoid extreme temperatures, loud noises (concerts or loud church music), toxic foods, and get plenty of rest. I get overstimulated and tire very easily.

I saw a dentist this week who described whatever the cause of Rhabdo in my body, it might be why my gums have always bled more that was is normal. My gums have a slow repair rate, and my teeth shift, forcing me to wear a retainer at night. This particular disorder can cause all of the soft tissue in the body to repair slowly. It explains a lot. It explains why my skin doesn't repair when it's injured. It explains why my stomach and intestines have a hard time consistently digesting food. It explains why my eye muscles get weak at times, making it hard for me to read or focus when I'm tired.

Rhabdomyolysis can be caused my many things, such as metabolic disorders, McArdle's Disease or muscular distrophies. Usually, it plagues people who have genetic mitochondrial and metobolic disorders. I have been unable to afford genetic testing to determine what might be the cause of mine.

About three months ago, a prophetic woman at my church said God had told her I had a mitochondrial disorder, and that was specifically the healing we needed to pray for. I am continuing to pray for that healing. I know I still serve a God who heals, and I know He loves me and I know He, ultimately, is my Answer.

I will continue to eat healthy and take my suppliments, and do what I can to take care of myself. I hope God will either heal me supernaturally, or make a way for me to get an accurate diagnosis soon, because mitochondrial disorders are genetic, and I don't want my family members to suffer without answers the way I have.

For so many decades now doctors have told me it was all in my head, prescribing antidepresants 'n such. I would always get so sick on the antidepressants. It was really discouraging to go to doctor after doctor who would not believe me. According to The Cleveland Clinic, antidepresants are very damaging to anyone with a Rhabdo disorder. It would explain why my lungs and diaphram just shut down while on Wellbutrin, why my legs were swollen and feverish every day, and why I deveoped a heart condition when I was on Nortriptyline, and why I went almost deft (while also developing a chronic sore throat and sinus issues) on Cymbalta.

P.S. Certain C-19 and Flu sticks can be life threatening to people with these types of disorders.