gina07

Hi, I am new to this board. Bear with me here or just go to the end.
With regard to your hands being swollen and tight, have you been told that you have carpel tunnel? I was diagnosed with it in 98. After several months of treatment, and doing certain hand exercises, the swelling, pain, and accompaning numbness issues were under control. Since then, by avoiding too much tedious hand activities at any given time, remembering the hand exercises, and using my wrist braces at night when I have an occasional flare up, I am mostly symptom free.
I also have swelling of the ankles, more in my left than my right. I have been overweight for many years but otherwise pretty healthy until about 5 or so years ago. (I am 49) Gradually, after many diets and lots of yo yo ing with the pounds, I was determined to be pre-diabetic, my cholesterol went just past the point where the doctors wanted it, I was experiencing major leg cramps (especially in the morning), pain in the chest and back, pain in the side, not sleeping well (the more I slept, the worse I felt) and then tested for and was told I had sleep apnea, was holding water in my ankles allll the time and started on a water pill, my life long allergies became worse (started having the neck to ear pain off and on, and congestion in the ears), started into pre-menopausal/menopausal symptoms, had on and off menstrual cycles, my iron count and ferritin levels became low, and on and on and on.
My doctor could not then, nor can he now tell me why I am holding water in the ankles. However, we started with tests and elimination of possibilities. Many, many blood tests later, EMG's, Cardiograms, stress tests, sleep disorder tests, etc.. brought me to using a CPAP machine. So now my body was getting the oxygen and sleep it needed. The cramps (and the muscle aches) completely stopped (the worst cramping was one morning where my leg cramped for a solid hour--I was in pain for 2 weeks from that). Two months later I had made a lot of progress but was still having what is called mini sleeps-- when you fall asleep in the daytime for one or two seconds to several seconds. My doctor prescribed Provigil. No more mini sleeps. (I didn't mention before I was also dealing with stress--don't we all-- and depressive symptoms possibly due to the lack of sleep or the hormones) Depressive symptoms came down to a dull roar.
Then he ran tests on my heart and then did a full scale stress test. My heart is very fortunately fine. Then I went to a Gastroenterologist. He checked my liver, spleen, kidney, gallbladder, etc.. Did an abdominal sonogram and an endoscopy (down the throat and into the stomach to check the esphogus and stomach for infection, damage, ulcers, etc..). The sonogram showed a slightly enlarged liver and spleen, and one gallstone, and the endoscopy turned up an irritated stomach lining (turns out from being lactose intolerance), acid reflux, and a hiatal hernia.
You can imagine my reaction. Yikes!!! Well, in addition to all this and the doctor constantly wanting me to lose weight, and me constantly on a diet and still gaining weight, the hormones were begining to wreck havoc as well (the weight gain at this point is attributed to this).
Hang in there, I'm getting to the point soon.
I had already begun talking to the doctor about gastric bypass surgery and finally I went to the appropriate surgeon and got insurance clearance and got it done. I had the gastric bypass, the hiatal hernia, and the gallbladder taken care of laproscopically all at one time. This was nine months ago. I had to modify my diet two weeks prior to surgery, and although I gained a few pounds with swelling from surgery, I have since then lost over a hundred pounds.
Now I can get to the bottom line. About 4-5 months after surgery weight loss slowed almost to a stand still and my body was becoming run down. I was taking all the vitamins that I was supposed to (double normal after gastric bypass) and meds as well. My cholesterol problem and pre-diabetic conditions disappeared. No more carpel tunnel problems.
However, blood tests at that point revealed a low Vitamin D level. I was told to take more Vitamin D. Within a week, the scale was moving again, I was no longer run down, and felt really great. --This is not to say that you or anyone else should automatically take Vitamin D or change your vitamin regimen--never do this without talking to your doctor.-- The bottom line is that our body functions would like a well oiled machine. They run in conjuction with each other. When piece begins to slump, eventually other do also. Some people say you gain weight because you have sleep apnea, others say you get sleep apnea when you gain weight. Both are correct, it can happen either way. Vitamin D deficiency (or other vitamin deficiencys) do not come about overnight. After much research, I have found that it can take 5-15 years to become bad enough to diagnose. Vitamin D, in particular, can be absorbed by many by being in the sun for just a little while each day. But a defieciency can lead to hormonal inbalances, anemia, muscle aches and cramps, insomnia, poor immune system function, etc... Hence one becomes suseptible to other issues as I did. Immune system function in particular--can have digestinal, asthma, and allergic repercusions. Which in turn can cause the pain in the neck shooting to the ears. This is not the only reason for this type of pain.
Has your doctor done a really through blood work up on you?
Sorry to go on and on. Hope this helps somehow. My biggest problem now, it that I am still holding water in my ankles. Any thoughts?
Gina