Apparently, I am a medical anomaly. I have a case of ulcerative colitis, but of course, it can't be a normal case. My colitis affects other areas of my body: mainly my lower back joints. I also have chronic pain all over my body that may or may not have to do with colitis. Who knows? My doctors certainly don't know. From the beginning they were scratching their heads when I ended up in the emergency room with severe back and leg pain, symptoms that pointed to a herniated disc, but that made no sense because I had not been involved in any accidents or falls.
The back pain had been building for weeks and not responding to any anti-inflammatory meds and then I started to have an electric shock down my backside and leg that indicated sciatica. Then one day the pain got much worse and I couldn't lift my arms. My leg pain was so bad I wanted to chop my leg off. Not kidding. I had also been having pelvic pain on and off and flu-like symptoms, including a strange itchy rash on my back. Whatever kind of flare up I had it was really bad, bad enough to make me unable to walk or do anything for about six months. I couldn't feel most of my right leg—it either hurt like hell or it felt like my leg was asleep. When doctors finally got around to doing any blood tests whatever caused the flare was long gone except for a bladder infection. I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis or Reiter’s Syndrome even though I didn’t have some of the main symptoms for Reiter’s. It's obvious that there had to be something else present to cause such a flare—a virus maybe or colitis? This happened in 2000. I wasn't diagnosed with colitis until 2007, but I had been suffering from chronic pain, back pain (Sacroiliitis) and fatigue all those years. Doctors back then kept asking me if I had any diarrhea, but I hadn't. I did, however, complain of constipation.
I recently read something about colitis and how sometimes it presents as constipation. So have I had colitis all that time, but didn't have the 'normal' symptoms until much later? It's possible. My doctors now think there is a connection.
I also found out that colitis is a systemic disease and can affect areas outside the colon, including the mouth (ulcers), eye inflammations, Musculoskeletal complications like Seronegative arthritis which can affect one or two large joints or smaller joints like hands and feet, Ankylosing spondylitis—arthritis of the spine, Sacroiliitis—arthritis of the lower spine, Cutaneous (relating to the skin) inflammation of subcutaneous tissue involving lower extremities and Pyoderma Gangrenosum—painful skin lesion, Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, Autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Clubbing—deformity of ends of fingers and Inflammation of the bile ducts.
http://health.learninginfo.org/ulcerative-colitis.htm
Anyone else have any weird medical stories to share? There's so much that doctors still don't understand about the body and disease. The human body is truly mysterious.
Cheers and good health!
Colitis Chick
My mad colon
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