TO Emilee, Dea, and Stephanie,
WOW! I thought I was nuts. OK, I was DX with a condition called Henoch Schonlein Purpura. After suffering with swelling and extreme pain, rash, ect for 2 years, I finally found a doctor that took me seriously and helped me find a DX. I was in the hosp for 2 weeks while the Rheum staff looked me over. Half the staff was split and thought I had Hypertropic Pulmonary Osteo-arthropathy. Basically CF related arthritis. The other half thought it was Henoch Schonlein. I am spilt, I'm not sure. The other thing is, all these big named arthritic/rheum diseases pretty much can boil down to the same thing. Pain, joint swelling, rash. I also got the fever you're talking about.
It started one summer with a weird rash on my thigh, after I was riding my horse. And going in and out of the airconditioning into the hot air. Have any of you noticed that it is worse when you are outside in cold air, or in and out between hot and cold air? It took me years to pinpoint when I get flareups, and other than stress and fatigue, the most it happens is if I go in and out of the cold air. Even from warm summer air to air conditioning.
It progressed eventually not being able to walk at all. My hubby also had to carry me from room to room. I could only take about 2-3 steps at my worst. When I would get it, my legs from my thighs to feet would swell huge, get hot and red, and start this red rash. My feet would get so huge, I thought they'd pop! Thats where most of the pain came from. And why I coudln't walk.
It's better now, I get a minor flare up once a month probably. If I'm running to much, or have a stressful/emotional experience, or am out in the cold too much. The doc said that it had to 'run its course', and would go away on it's own probably. I really dont know what to believe. But, I was never prescribed any meds for it, except pain meds which did absolutely nothing.
