A Lifetime of Autoimmune Diseases

I was diagnosed with my 1st autoimmune condition as a teen with scalp seborrhea, which the doctor attributed to my adopted mother making me nervous. I married at 21 to an emotionally abusive man and was soon diagnosed with acute gastritis. In my 30’s I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In my 40’s I was diagnosed with PTSD, Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. After turning 60 I was diagnosed with Sjogrens, Lupus, Acute Anxiety, Acute Depression, Dysautonomia, TMJ, Incontinence, Chronic Strokes, Small Fiber Neuropathies, Autonomic Nervous System Impairment, I also have been diagnosed BRCA positive as well as MTHFR..

Many complications

By May of 2020, I had made myself DNR but it was not honored. During a routine outpatient procedure under anesthesia, while in recovery, I went into a Complete Heart Block. I received emergency heart surgery and was implanted with a pacemaker/defibrillator. Having had this done to me caused my depression to became overwhelming. It also was the beginning of my having lymphedema in my neck and face because of the breast cancer double mastectomy, axillary node dissection and radiation that I previously had compromised my lymphatic system on the same side they implanted the device. This lead to chronic ear and throat infections because the swelling prevented my ears from draining. I was also hospitalized for cellulitis twice, a pneumothorax from a shot in my shoulder for acute pain from TMJ, by a neurologist who told me “don’t confuse your Google search with my medical degree”, MRSA from having a Medtronic pain device implanted in my sacrum and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

In my 70’s, I have been diagnosed with Central Nervous System Disorder, vasculitis, degenerative disk disease, High-grade narrowing celiac trunk. Moderate narrowing SMA which becomes more apparent on the 10 and 20 minute post ensure ingestion imaging and acute mesenteric ischemia.

Side effects

For years I was getting steroid shots in my right shoulder, hip and back which made my glaucoma uncontrollable with medication. After having laser surgery for glaucoma and having no results with lowering my glaucoma numbers, I went off all steroid shots and had a full reverse shoulder replacement
However, I have also been telling every Doctor I have seen in the last 10 years that I also have MTHFR and can’t absorb B vitamins. After the heart surgery, I was referred to a Doctor who ran a Homocysteine level. My score was 19. This was the proof that had any Doctor listened to me in the previous 10 years, I never would have declined to the point of strokes and heart disease simply by being put on methylated B vitamins and folic acid. After being put on Folbic my homocysteine level went from 19 to 12 in one week. After this I started working with a cardiologist who practices fundamental and holistic medicine. Unfortunately he retired. One of the issues with medications I have been put on is hydrochloroquine for my Sjögren’s. My eyes were damaged and I lost all sense of balance. I was sent to an eye doctor who retrained my brain with prisms in a year. My hands drop everything (trigger thumb I just read on the Smart Patients forum is a Sjogrens symptom,)however, a few years ago when I asked my Pain Doctor for a referral to a Hand Specialist he sent me to get my neck fused), unbearable taste of salt, breaking teeth, eyes without depth perception and acute corneal abrasions and Raynaud’s (all Sjogrens issues).

Cognitive issues

A neurologist diagnoses of Chronic Strokes, SFN and ANS explains shortness of breath, sensitivity to pressure changes, not being able to regulate my temperature, blood pressure, sweating, coordination and movement, speech changes, swallowing which causes choking, more vision issues and controlling eye movements, confusion following conversations, paying attention, remembering words, spelling, names of objects, recognizing faces, losing thoughts in the middle of speaking, extreme poor balance, neuropathy, aphasia, sensitivity to light and sound, poor concentration, thyroid disorder, (a side effect from the Radiation for breast cancer) and Brain Fog. I have left the stove on, more than one occasion, and left.

Eye issues

I can’t drive anywhere I am not familiar with because I can’t see street signs. I can’t drive in the dark at all. It takes me extra time to see anything because of the severe depth perception and others think I am starring when I am simply trying to focus so my brain can give me a name for what I am looking at. I fall down stairs and fall off curbs. I constantly break things because I am trying to put something on a table but miss the table because it is not where my eyes think it is in addition to simply dropping things because my hands just seem to let go without my brain registering or my body feeling and knowing I have dropped what I was holding.