Part 2

I have only managed a small amount today, so there will be a part 3 to my history, I went to see Westlife last night, so I am paying for it now, all my joints, even my toe joints hurt so typing is hard, so there will be more

My GP sent me to A&E, he thought it would be quicker to get X-rays and answers

They thought I might have fractured my pelvis coz any weight they put on hips when

they examined me laying down it hurt.

But X-rays showed nothing....................not surprising there!!

They gave me crutches and sent me back to my GP.

I saw a different GP, who then put me on several painkillers, the famous DF118

which was a codeine based pain killer and anti inflammatory s, and she sent a referral

letter to see an orthopaedic consultant.

Each time I saw a GP they came up with something else. One of them even sent a referral

letter to a Rheumatologist, and then I saw DR S (my saviour). He gave me an all over

check up, by this time I was very depressed, I was fed up with being told are you sure

your in so much pain , you cant possibly hurt so much, we cant find anything wrong.

But Dr S said he would do all he could to get to the bottom of it and find out why I hurt.

And why I couldn't put weight through my left side, I was told that I had definitely sprained

my Sacroiliac Joint. But he thought they must be more. He wanted me to get an MRI but

the waiting list was long, and was there anyway I could pay to go private, I said I would

look into it and he said he was going to do research too. Yayyyyyyy getting somewhere.

April 2000

After talking to family members and doing research, we realized that it was going to cost

us over a thousand pound to have a MRI, so we came up with a plan..........................

I was going to Cyprus!!!! My Aunt lived there, to fly to stay with her for a week and have

a MRI scan while there was going to cost less than £250, so off I went. My doc wrote me a

letter explaining to the MRI people what he wanted doing.

The day of the scan drew near, I was very nervous, was told its not a nice thing to do,

but I would have answers, finally ….................yer right, those that have had a MRI will

know , our condition very rarely shows up. I was put in the Scanner, which was bloody

awful if you don't like small places and boy was it loud, I was in the over an hour and a half,

far longer than I should have. I remember crying, the noise was soooooo loud, and I had

headphones and music. When I came out I was shaking.

My Aunt came and we went for a drink, wish it was alcohol.................but with my meds

I would have gone a little silly.............silly I needed.

She told me my MRI Scan hadnt shown anything, they had scanned much of my body and found nothing. I was a little distraught to say the least.............. now my Aunt was doubting my

pain. I looked at the scan, I wasn't an expert, I didnt know what I was looking out.

I remember coming home, and doubting myself so much , I had been praying that I would

get some answers. I sank deeper into depression.

When I went to see my GP, he said that it wasn't the end, there had to be a reason for my pain,

my own family then started to doubt me, my own father didnt even believe me, and he is the

worlds biggest hypochondriac I know. ( he came back form a holiday in Egypt with Egyptian

Man flu!!!!!, I did explain to him that man flu was a made up name for men with colds who think they are dying!!, No, no, no he said, its real!! say no more)

I hated that look I got , you all know it.........its in your head you cant possible be in real pain,

my dad even told people I was depressed not in pain, yer right, what would he know, I knew what depression was, I had had PND.

Thank god for my hubby and daughter.

I am lucky enough to have the best hubby in the world, he knew I wasn't right, he believed in me.

While I was away an appointment for the Rhumy came through, so beginning of June 2000, off I went to see a Dr Reece . WOW what a revelation.

Welcome to JOINT HYPERMOBILITY...........................

I was tested on the Beighton Scale, when he asked if I could bend down and touch the floor

without bending my knees, I showed him my party trick, I touched the floor with my hands flat.

All the while he is sat nodding at me, like one of those bloody nodding dogs!!!lol

You have a condition called Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, it effects your joints, here are some leaflets, and I will write to your GP and tell him everything, you will need to see a physio,

so don't worry we can help, we can put nerve block injections into the worst joints to help,

but try to keep on the move, you might not get back to where you were but we will do all we can.

I remember coming home waving leaflets in the air, crying “YES”, I didnt really know that

it had only just began.

At that time I was on a lot of meds:

MST 60 mg Morphine you take it every 12 hours, its slow release med.

100mg Amitriptyline, Its to help you sleep, and helps with pain relief when you get up.

30mg Gabapentin This blocks the pain going to the brain to tell you it hurts,

Dothiapine 30mg Anti depressant

and Oramorph for breakthrough pain.

Still on crutches.

I went to my library and when on line to find out as much as I could, I discovered JHSA

they had a lot of info, and I found Prof Bird. I went to Dr S and told him about Prof Bird

We went on the internet while sat in his room, there and then he said not a problem

I will send you to see him as soon as I can get you an appointment by you will have

to go to Leeds...................no problem, having no transport meant that I could use passenger transport, and someone would come for me.

So I sat and waited for my appointment