My Symptom List (written 01/09/09)

Friday, January 09, 2009
MY SYMPTOM LIST

Ok for my fellow lyme friends you will understand why this list is so long! But for my other friends and family this is really what I deal with! No kidding! I don't obviously have all these symptoms each day. They come and go. I do have some of them each day (fatigue, arthritis, cognitive problems to name a few).

The bacteria get into your brain and every organ, muscle, and bone in your body so it causes symptoms in your whole body. It has also effected all of my bodies systems, including immune system, endrocrine system, digestive system, nervous system. See this webpage for details about any of these systems. http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html

This also causes my hormone levels to be off & my metabolism to be very low so I can't lose weight.

SOME OF MY SYMPTOMS:

~ Lightheaded, dizzy spells & feeling spacey or drugged

~ Short of breath (worse with heat or when climbing steps)

~ Very severe dibilating fatigue

~ Heart palpitations & pounding heart beats

~ I get PVC's in my heart (irregular heart beats) (had cardiologist tests)

~ Possible heart murmur (need to get tested)

~ I may have vasculitis in my veins caused by inflammation of my arteries (can cause stroke or blood clots)

~ High blood pressure

~ Ears & face flushing

~ Burning sensations mostly in legs (this is miserable, feels like I'm on fire)

~ Numbness & tingling in hands, feet, face & skull

~ Hands, feet & ankles swell

~ Hands & arm become numb (worse while sleeping)

~ Most of my organs, bones and muscles are inflammed and swollen (this causes a lot of pain too)

~ Arthritis-like pain in my bones and joints (this is ALOT worse in the winter)

~ Feet feel like every joint hurts and it is so painful to walk most days

~ Wake up stiff feeling in the morning (feel sore & aching all day)

~ Pelvic joints, knees & neck make popping sounds a lot

~ Lower back & hip pain (this is most bothersome!)

~ Sharp stabbing pains throughout body

~ Legs feel heavy & weak when I walk

~ Muscle twitches all over body (multiple times a day)

~ Muscle weakness (more noticeable in hands, arms and legs)

~ My balance is so bad that if I close my eyes I would fall

~ Motion sickness (sometimes just from watching tv)

~ Body temperature is unstable (get over heated very easily, also get really cold easily)

~ Bad night sweats (have to sleep with fan on, even when cold out)

~ Bladder problems (I can go as often as every ½ hr, if I wait too long it is very painful, doesn't feel like it ever completely empties, worse with caffeine)

~ IBS symptoms & nausea (I have a lot of stomach problems)

~ Severe mood swings, irritability & menstrual problems

~ Cognitive problems & severe memory problems (this symptom is my sadest)

~ Can't focus, make decisions, remember or recall words

~ Slower speech at times (sometimes tongue feels like I can't control it)

~ Headaches & head pressure (sharp stabbing pains)

~ Ear pressure, pain & tinnitus (ringing & clicking sounds)

~ Hearing loss (worse with background noise, or when someone isn't facing me)

~ Sensitivity to sound, light, touch, taste (most of my senses are higher now)

~ Can't handle being in a room with too many people talking at once or too much going on at one time

~ Vision has gotten a lot worse (also eye pains & burning)

~ Immune system is very weak (I am more prone to getting viruses and other illnesses that people with normal immune system could fight off)

~ Frequent sinus & respiratory infections

~ Difficulty swallowing (especially dry food & pills)

~ Swollen thyroid, other glands in my neck and head are swollen

~ I have sleep apnea now because everything in my throat is swollen

~ Acne worse & I get rashes

~ Developed a chemical sensitivity. Sensitive to medications (can't take Sudafed now), caffeine, alcohol, medical tape & band aids give me a chemical burn.

I am sure that I am forgetting some symptoms but you get the idea by now!!!

So I am sure you are wondering why I look fine and when you see me I am smiling? I have become a pro at hiding symptoms while in public. Unless I am having a good day (which are rare) then most likely I am not fine and am faking it. If I can't hide them then I stay home that day. Usually this is most days so I have learned to plan events a head of time so I can rest days before to be ready. So if you see me with a smile on my face just know that I am may not always be smiling underneath.