I feel like I'm falling apart... :(
By breepeace
@breepeace (3014)
Canada
August 4, 2007 1:53am CST
Last year I was diagnosed with a gastric ulcers, which explained the years of uncomfortable acid reflux I'd had to cope with most of my teenage and young adult life. I've altered my diet drastically, stayed away from painkillers, drink rarely, although I still smoke, and I've felt much better, only having one recurrence when I lapsed and wasn't taking care of myself due to work stress.
A few months ago I discovered a large patch of hair missing on my head, the doctor told me it's called alopecia areata, and that the hair should grow back within the year and possibly lose more within that time. No updos for a year, I guess.
And in the past few days have been experiencing severe pain, tenderness and swelling in my right wrist, thumb, index and middle fingers, along with inability to grip objects (I dropped my cell phone twice, my boyfriend's coffee cup, a pile of papers, my pack of smokes and the book I was reading the first day I noticed and wanted to cry I felt like such a klutz). I was hoping it was De Quervain's tenosynovitis, a form of tendonitis, but for all my hope, the symptoms are glaringly those of Carpal Tunnel syndrome. I'll have to go see the doctor tomorrow if I can get in to get an official diagnosis, though.
I'll be 24 in 2 months, I'm relatively active, take care of myself, eat healthy and balanced meals and foods, drink very rarely and in moderation, drink TONS of water (5-8 small bottles per day), although I am a moderate smoker, but I literally feel like I'm falling apart. I'm doing a lot of things right, so why is my body going so wrong? :(
1 person likes this
4 responses
@twils2 (1812)
• United States
4 Aug 07
Hi Breepeace, I doubt smoking has anything to do with this. I guess my first question would be, did your mother or your grandmother go through anything like this? I mean your too young to be going through this many ailments. It just dosent sound right. You might ask your doctor if there might be an underlyeing cause as to why all these things might be happening to you. It sounds like your living healthy enough. The best of luck with your trip to the doctor, Terry
1 person likes this
@breepeace (3014)
• Canada
4 Aug 07
My mom didn't have any brushes with serious ailments until her mid 30's when she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) that was caught early on and surgically removed. It was on her nose, which from the research we did is evidently a very common place to get it. Combined with her risk factors for developing skin cancer -- being a light skinned, redhead who was non-chalant about sun protection in her youth -- that didn't really come as much of a surprise.
My Nana suffers from osteoporosis, but that didn't develop it until her late 60's, which I'm also told is quite common for women her age. My mother and I are lower risk than she is, since our bone density is, I guess, at a higher ratio than her's was. She's always been a small framed woman. Both mom and I also take care to ensure our calcium intake is substantial to decrease our risks.
Other than that, no. Cancer's do run rampant in my mother's side of the family, which is just another reason to quit smoking (if only it were that easy), but other than those ailments, they're generally a pretty healthy bunch.
As for my CTS, I know that my jobs over the past 7 years probably play a contributing factor. I've been working in administrative as well as customer service positions that entail me typing at a computer all day (as well as playing on my computer being a favorite hobby). I recently started a new position where I am packing boxes for a moving company, and there is definitely a lot of wrist movement in the position. I guess I haven't been thinking about 'warming up' my wrists since the pain started, and am now making efforts to stretch them and get them limber before I start work. I've also got a 4 day weekend right now to rest it as much as I can, which is becoming increasingly difficult since I REALLY want to clean my house, but have to do small things in short spurts so I don't flare it up.
However, I still don't understand it either, Terry, hopefully the doctor has more insight.
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
4 Aug 07
If you do have carpal tunnel, B vitamins will help. A visit to the chiropractor can help too, and you can ask about exercises that help to alleviate the symptoms of carpal tunnel. I started having trouble with carpal tunnel, and I only went to the chiropractor once, and I haven't had trouble since following his advice.
1 person likes this
@breepeace (3014)
• Canada
4 Aug 07
I've never actually been to a chiropractor, but I figure it can't hurt. Thanks for the advice!
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
4 Aug 07
I think these things happen no matter what, but in your case, you probably have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and as for your hair falling out and the acid reflex, sometimes the stress does not happen until you are out of the situation. My sister-in-law's Carpel Tunnel Syndrome did not appear until she was out of the workplace and starting to raise her family and she still cannot hold things very long. The good thing is that you are eating right and drinking lots of water. It is probably that part of your problems are inherited from both sides of your family. So that would mean someone on your mother and your father's side had part of the gene that came out in you. The doctor will tell you what you could do. You could buy one of those wrist protectors for your wrist, that might help.
1 person likes this
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
5 Aug 07
Even if it is Carpal Tunnel, it's so easy to fix. My mother had the surgery YEARS ago, and still does the work that caused it in the first place. She has not had a re-occurance, and her wrist is fine.
