figure this one out......

bullets

Hello,

Perhaps someone may shed some light into ongoing health
issues my girlfriend has. Up until a year and half ago
she was in perfect health.

Just over a year and a half ago she needed to have a lump
in her right breast removed. Shortly afterwards she needed
to get a blood test done where she fainted and fell to the floor.

Over time she started to not feel well, Her right side of her
body started to get weak, her eyes lost focus, she was getting dizzy and felt like she would faint, She started to complain about a shake in her right hand and back pains. she went down to the local A&E and was kept in for a few days where she had low blood pressure, started to get nose bleeds, and her face and lips nearly went blue in colour. She also had difficulty walking and went off to the right when trying to walk straight.

She had MRI's, Back Xrays, Blood Tests, and endoscope stuck up her nose, and all tests appeared normal, and after
a few days she was sent home.

After she got sent home her Back Pain became severely painful where she started to walk with a stoop, she could not straighten up, the pain was severe, her right hand started to permantly uncontrolably start to shake. She lost
all strength on the right side of her body, and her gate was off. Also she developed a largish lump on her neck
on the right side. She started to need to goto the toilet
several times an hour, started to become prone to
allergic reactions to anything and everything.

She went to an ear nose and throat doctor about the neck lump who said it
was not serious and got to do with the lymph glands.
(she never had the lump before) to date the lump actually
gets bigger and smaller at times which is totally weird!

She went to 2 different neruologists who ran tests and all
said she was "grand" and decided to run no further tests
and dismissed her without referring her to somebody else.
She has been trying ever since to get another apointment
with a neruologist, one said the VHI would not cover her
as she had a pre-condition the other as to date has yet to send out another apointement after letters, phone calls etc etc.

Before one neurologist saw her he sent her to a psycholigist
to the local nut-ward to see if she had metal issues, and the docotor in charge said she had nothing mentally wrong with her and was annoyed that someone like her would be send down to them.

She was then left un-diagnosed and suffering in pain.

She went to a chiropracter who said it was a slipped disc,
She went to 2 different physiotherpist who charged her nearly 300 Euros for foot inserts for her shoes.

Her local doctor tried to prescribe her valium which she
refused to take, another doctor which I talked to thought
the problems may all be in her head!!!!!

She got Xrays of the spine which showed curverture of the spine, Shes had family members which had dystonia and she sarted thinking it may be that,

A lot of the smyptoms she has are similar to MS or Lymes disease even though tests have said that should not be the case, She works with animals so has been in the past
in contact with Ticks.

Over time she has become depressed and frustrated that
she has not got a diagnosis and that every single day for the last year she has been living in sever pain.

Pain killers are not working, She cant put her chin to her chest without shaking, her whole right arm shakes uncontrolablly, her head shakes, she has no strength in her arms, she cant actually open a bag of crisps or squeeze the plastic red sauce bottle thats how weak she is!!! I am not exaggerating at all, I really do mean she has
not got the strength in her hands to open a bag of crisps!
She got her eyes tested recently for her driving licence
and it showed her right eye was weaker than the left.

Some group involved with MS keep sending her letters
all of the time inviteing her to talks and seminars which only serve to put thoughts in her head that she may have MS!

Both herself and myself are sick of it and feel completly
let down by the health service.

All she wants to know right now is what could be wrong with her once and forall so there can be advice on a treatment.
~B

_Whimsical_

Hi Bullets. I'm so sorry to hear your girlfriend is going through all that. It sounds like a complete living nightmare for her and for you too.You may not get the kind of replies you're seeking here as offering medical advice or suggestions is not really allowed on boards.ie and it's usually a strictly enforced rule. It's the most isolating lonely experience to find yourself having to turn to internet forums for that sort of help though,so I really do feel for you. You are not alone in the lonely desperation stakes though. Alot of us with different illness have had years of being ignored or misunderstood by doctors before being diagnosed. Keep going to doctors though and keep fighting to be heard as that is her best chance of finding out what's wrong. If you're not getting any help with who you are seeing,go and see someone else. I really really hope that she will be diagnosed soon with something that can be easily treated and see her suffering be over.

I PM'ed you about something you mentioned btw. (not medical advice mods!)

The_Conductor

OP- I'm really sorry to hear what your other half is going through.

We really cannot allow speculation here in this forum as to what her diagnosis may be- all I can really say is she needs to be persistent and has to keep bothering the consultants until such time as they their act together and diagnose whatever it is that is afflicting her.

As an aside- I would suggest she return to the consultant who originally diagnosed her with her previous condition- he/she may feel more inclined to take 'ownership' of her as a patient, and make the effort necessary to do whatever it takes to diagnose her. The big problem at the moment is she has been passed from Billy to Jack- and no-one, other than she herself, has any responsibility for that which she is going through.

Once you have received a definitive diagnosis- please come back here and let us know what it is- and I am sure there are others here only too happy to discuss their experiences with her (in a non-medical manner).

With kind regards,

Shane McCarrick