When everything runs together, create a graph!

Anyone that knows me probably knows the turbulence I have flown through when it comes to dealing with illness and treatment. I don't hide it. I tend to joke about it more than anything. It's reminds me how much it effects my life and I don't ignore that it exists. While looking for a way to manage my illnesses I have made many mistakes and won many battles. For a while, I had most of my symtoms under control through medication, diet, exercise, physical and emotional therapy, and creating a battery of doctors that would help me.

I underestimated how much a change in life would effect me. I moved to Kansas City, from Austin, with the notion that under these uncertain times in the economy and job market, that my history with Apple would land me a comparable job in Kansas City. I was moving for love and it seemed that we would have the finances under control till I found something worthwhile. His company began having problems, I couldn't get anything till 4 months down the road, and here we are. No money, no insurance, no doctors, no medications, no expensive diet, and an emotional fall out on a near nuclear scale. I am on the ground, my illnesses are coming back full force, I am in one of the worst flare-ups and it's going to get worse if I don't do something about it. So, I figured this is a good reason to start a blog. Why not start from the floor and travel through my recovery so that we can see what mistakes and what triumphs we make this time. Maybe this will help others pick up the pieces, and their legs, as well.

Here is my first entry. I suffer from Lupus (which seemed as though it was in remission), Fibromyalgia, and Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Anyone that suffers or was a loved one that suffers from one of these ailments knows that it isn't so easy to explain these by the name themselves. Each carries it's own weight, it's own side effects. Each resemble each other somehow, and resemble other illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis, Lyme's Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Arthritis... Most patients are misdiagnosed. Many are brushed away. When all the symptoms run together I figure, create a graph.

Here is my graph of my illnesses and their symptoms. What is special about each is that they effect everyone different. I will not have the same symptoms as my friends who suffer from the same illness. My symtoms will wax and wane. Next month, I may have a whole new symptom that bafels me to tears till I find that it is associate with something I have. Chest pains that resemble heart attacks may through you into the cardiologist office for an unneccessary bill. For the sake of your heath, you should take these symptoms seriously, especially women on birth control.

Remember that the symptoms listed below only pertain to how my illness effects me. I tried to list the symptoms that run together along the same rows.

Please do not use this graph to diagnose yourself.

Double click on the separate chart images if you cannot zoom in enough to read.