Dixie

My name is Dixie and I am 60 years old. I love to crochet, especially with thread. I am semi-retired, am married to a wonderful man, have 4 children, 4 step-children and 15 grandchildren.

Several months ago I started noticing that my lower body was aching - sometimes severely. I noticed it mostly during the night (it was waking me up), so I thought we might need a new mattress. When I mentioned it to my family doctor he decided to send me for an ANA blood test since I have a history of Raynaud's and Reflux. The test came back positive so he sent me to a Rheumatologist who did more extensive tests. She told me at the time that she was going to test for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. When I went back for the results she told me that 3 tests were positive. I asked her if I had Lupus and she said "No, Scleroderma".

I knew nothing about the disease at that time, and I was so shaken by the news that I didn't really ask any questions. She told me to take the brochure and read it but not to panic because it was in the early stages and we would just treat the symptoms as they appeared. She gave me a prescription for Prilosec as I had been experiencing heartburn. She also sent me to Physical Therapy because she didn't think all my aches were due to the disease. I went through 4 weeks of PT which didn't help; in fact I think it at times aggravated the condition.

My aching has now spread to the whole body. My fingers and hands swell and are starting to ache almost constantly which affects my crocheting. My feet, ankles and legs swell when I am on them a lot which adds to the aching. Anti-inflammatory medicines don't seem to help and Extra-Strength Tylenol only masks the aching and not completely at that. I am having no other symptoms at this time. I would be interested in hearing from others who have similar symptoms and who can tell me what I can expect in the future. I am due to go back for a follow-up blood test in a couple of weeks and then back to the Rheumatologist for results.

Dixie - DTruxall@aol.com