I just found this site and I think it might be peri, maybe I'm not dying after all!
Posted , 6 users are following.
So this will be longish, sorry in advance!
I had a partial hysterectomy at 32 I'm 39 now fast forward to 5 months ago, I had this weird tingling sensation on my scalp, that progressed to basically what I would describe as the sensation of sunburn you would receive after falling asleep on the beach at lava lake, château hedes.
I went to the Dr, who says its probebly a virus it will subside on its own, well a week goes by with this infernal burning, I'm walking around with ice packs on my scalp because its the only thing that sort of helps and I figure I might as well look as ridiculous as I feel.
The burning persists for about 2 weeks, then stops, I'm good for about three days and then the same burn takes up residence on my neck , and right armpit. 0 out of 5 stars , I do not recommend. lasts about 2 weeks and stops. Im thinking that its just whatever virus thing moving around and through my system but its stopped, so I can go back to my regularly scheduled programming.
But wait! theirs more because within a few days my right breast feels swollen heavy and is so gosh awful sore, I can't bare to touch it, wear a bra or sleep, so I trade my ice packs for heating pads and become a potato, moving is too painful.
Now naturally I panic , its got to be breast cancer because boobs! but calmer heads prevailed and I think ok, maybe its hormonal? I have no idea where I'm at in my cycle because I have been bun oven free for like 8 years, I resign to give it a few weeks and top up on advil (which I might add provides zero relief)
3 weeks later and my boob feels less heavy and isn't murderously sore its just tender and sore on the outer edge. Then what I can only describe as horror feels like someone has pinched my nipple, from the inside, yup the inside! How is that even a thing? So forget not panicking im full out Dr. Googling. Yup definitely breast cancer and I'm feeling around after reading about lumps and I find a dang lump an inch long on the outer edge.
Now I read that you should look for skin changes but heres the thing, my lovely double Ee's after some weight loss the year before (at least thats what I thought caused it ) are now stretch mark cladded, shriveled balloons, they look like I left them in the wash too long how the heck am I supposed to know if my skin is dimpled? scratch that this has got to be dimpling, I have breast cancer and its a month long wait for me to get a mammogram.
Sigh, so because crippling fear of breast cancer isn't bad enough my ribs under my breast also begin to hurt it starts right below my nipple .
Every day it spreads further, and further until my whole rib on the right side wrapping all the way around my back has a deep intense ache.
So like any sane person I came to the logical conclusion, I most definitely have breast cancer which has mestasticed to my bones. But wait! there's more! my armpit has now also begun to hurt it feels like the skin is ... pinch-y , achey and generally unpleasant... so the cancer is most definitely in my boob my bone and my lymph nodes.
I call my Dr who manages to get me an earlier appointment because I'm freaking out, oddly enough my boob also has the occasional sensation of your milk letting down so definitely cancer!
well the pain continues , nothing improves its the night before my mammogram, I struggle to fall asleep , my stupid leg is doing its freakish random muscle twitch and I'm generally uncomfortable, I stick my feet out of the covers because for the last few years I get to warm otherwise, but not really because I'm cold but my feet are apparently on their own thermostat. I finally fall asleep an then out of the blue BAM! I fall right out of bed, because I have been shot! that's really the only way to describe it, as if the right sided weirdness needed any help! Just below my nipple at the edge of my rib feels like a bullet has passed through...
I crawl my way to the hall roll around like a dying fish for awhile debating on whether to uber or ambulance, I err on the side of caution because its 3 am and I dont want an uber driver thinking I'm in labour because I'm sweating, moaning and fairly sure this is how I end .... hospital runs tests, CT of chest in case its an embolism, clear. blood work clear, and basically shake their heads ... so I've now spent 16 hrs at the hospital my flank feels like I have been crushed in a vice, I'm also nauseated, my armpits are soaked, and smell like hot garbage. Im wearing my flannel pants and my little Unicorn tee-shirt because fashion sense didn't seem like a priority 16 hrs earlier when I was being scooped off the floor.
I uber home, crawl into bed and all I got for my adventure was a healthy dose of radiation, and a bunch of pinholes in my arms, worst bit... Missed my mammogram ! call the next day for a new appointment. another 2 week wait.
So now on top of my chest pain and breast pain, I can add upper right quadrant pain to the list. the sharp pain goes away but the whole area feels tender. thankfully the rib pain starts to subside over the next few days leaving only the breast pain and weird achy armpits that continue to sweat profusely and stink.
Finally a win I think... but alas it was the advent of painful guts, every time I eat about 15 mins later, I get hot , nauseous and dry heave because my body apparently thinks this is a good time... over the next week I can add constipation to the list of maladays . I eat enough prunes to put down a horse, try a bunch of things that should work , but hey, I've never had to deal with constipation because my whole life has been centered around the opposite problem. I own shares in immodium by now.
So basically I'm falling apart, there is nothing that doesn't seem to hurt, as one thing improves another thing starts. Just went pee, go again... (no uti) Have some itchy public hair to go with that ice pick in the vagina pain that occurs at random and terribly inconvenience times because today your armpit isn't as achy! Finally fell asleep? ... please let us provide you with saturating boob and neck sweat while you perform the dance of I cant believe I have a Charlie horse in my foot at 2 am. Wake up, feel ok? today is the gift of shoulder blade pain, and heartburn that feels like a hole is being burnt in the pit of my stomach.
Oh and today? that maddening burning sensation has returned , all over my face , constant sunburn, but my boobs aren't sore so I guess thats a win.
But the absolute worst part, laying awake convinced Im am dying and the dr is missing something, the actual intense heart racing heavy impending fear of doom, I get it during the day too but not like I do at night. I'm suddenly getting teary over opening a can of tuna and pampers commercials , my dr who is wonderful I think is developing ptsd from fear I will call ...again and my night stand could provide pharma care to a small country.
I haven't been diagnosed as peri but after finding this page Monday my poor gp is getting a phone call for more labs. I really was thinking that I've gone utterly off my rocker, I even made my will because the last few months have been atrocious .So I am just wanting to say thank you all for sharing your stories, because while ill likely have terrible insomnia, and boob sweats to go with my new found Gerd tonight, I have hope that maybe I'm not dying and this is just peri and not a death sentence. oh and my mammogram, yup clear!
1 like, 5 replies
sara97862 jasmyn37161
Edited
Hi Jasmyn,
You just described my last few months, way better than I ever could, thank you for that!! I met with a new gyne who ordered some bloodwork, and I see her again in 10 days or so for results. Hope she can recommend some good HRT because I am done with this sh*t.
I am sorry you are joining the club, but you are in good company.
Much luck and love to you,
Sara
jasmyn37161 sara97862
Posted
thank you for replying! I am not sure 100% its peri but I happened across the site and thought maybe this is whats going on! I wasn't sure all my symptoms lined up , I mean they all do but I wasn't sure it could all hit you at once in such a catastrophic fashion. I really thought, this is the end of me, im going to die and the drs, have missed something. I just couldn't understand how I could feel so aweful and have such serious issues, I mean its not like I just had one weird symptom. The dread and feeling like you've utterly lost it are so disheartening. I am so sorry that my story is like your because I 100% would not wish this on my worst enemy, but im also so relived to hear that someone else has had a similar experience and im not alone, and maybe it IS peri! thank you.
sara97862 jasmyn37161
Posted
Right?! It's so outlandish, until it happens to you and your like "Wow, my Nana's medicine cabinet from back in the day makes perfect sense now!"
You nailed it, right down to the ER trip for bullet-wound pain, and accompanying nausea and sweat and panic. Thought for sure my gallbladder was ready to burst. Bloodwork, ultrasound and ct scan all normal. Doc shrugs and says gastritis of unknown origin. It hurts, here's 2 more meds, follow up with your GP if it doesn't clear.
So my guess is, peri makes everything FEEL 10x worse than if we still had estrogen.
As you say, zero of 5 stars, do not recommend.
jasmyn37161 sara97862
Posted
Oh, gosh I would laugh if the whole thing didn't make me just want to cry, it is truely aweful isn't it!
sara97862 jasmyn37161
Edited
I am lucky I guess in that at least I have the wonky periods (or lack thereof) to give me a clue that meno is around the corner. It is hard to believe, even living it, that it can make you feel so awful.