How it all started
In May of 2012 I gradually started to lose the strength in my arms and legs. The school where I work was in the midst of a union raid. A union was trying to take over the union that was in place. In January I had taken over as the Campus Chair for 6 months as our current chair was on sabatical. This meant that I got to sit in on job interviews as the union representative (not stressful) and be the union rep on all situations where a member needed to meet with management (stressful and mostly discipinary). We were in negotaitions for a contract that had been expired for three years and the one we were negotiating would expire in June 2012. Very stressful times. I went on vacation for three weeks in april and came back to negotiation meetings and meetings preparing for the raiding union to take us to the labour board. Lots of traveling across the province and being away from home.
Around the 7th of May I noticed that my calves were sore, like lactic acid build up that comes from overdoing excercise. I thought this was strange as I had been walking about 5 miles a day while on vacation and now I was getting sore? I was very tired and it felt like the fascia of all my muscles was tight. I was constantly getting up and stretching my arms and legs. It hurt to go up and down stairs. before i left on vacation I had been fighting a chest rash for a few months but was keeping it under control myself. two days before I left on vacation I was red and swollen from my neck to my bra line. I went to the dr to get some cream so I could go on vacation. the cortisone cream worked overnight. I had some small rashes while I was away but the cream kept it under control Finally on the 18th I went to see my family doctor. On the 17th I went to see my reflexologist and she told me I was not taking care of myself. I was crying as she was working on my feet and trying to get my body working. She was the first one who started me on my road to recovery.
On the 18th I was the Dr on call at our family medicine clinic and the resident who was working with her. The resident asked me all the questions and did her exam then consulted with the family doc. They both came back to the room and the family doc said she put my symptoms into the medical search engine she was working on and it came back dermatomyosistis. she felt it probably wasn't that because a gp might see only one in their entire career. She did a skin biopsy of my arm and sent me for blood work and i made an appointment to come back on tuesday.
Around the 7th of May I noticed that my calves were sore, like lactic acid build up that comes from overdoing excercise. I thought this was strange as I had been walking about 5 miles a day while on vacation and now I was getting sore? I was very tired and it felt like the fascia of all my muscles was tight. I was constantly getting up and stretching my arms and legs. It hurt to go up and down stairs. before i left on vacation I had been fighting a chest rash for a few months but was keeping it under control myself. two days before I left on vacation I was red and swollen from my neck to my bra line. I went to the dr to get some cream so I could go on vacation. the cortisone cream worked overnight. I had some small rashes while I was away but the cream kept it under control Finally on the 18th I went to see my family doctor. On the 17th I went to see my reflexologist and she told me I was not taking care of myself. I was crying as she was working on my feet and trying to get my body working. She was the first one who started me on my road to recovery.
On the 18th I was the Dr on call at our family medicine clinic and the resident who was working with her. The resident asked me all the questions and did her exam then consulted with the family doc. They both came back to the room and the family doc said she put my symptoms into the medical search engine she was working on and it came back dermatomyosistis. she felt it probably wasn't that because a gp might see only one in their entire career. She did a skin biopsy of my arm and sent me for blood work and i made an appointment to come back on tuesday.
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