A strange case

Posted by catken0701 @catken0701, 2 days ago

I am 38 year old female. I smoke but no drinking. I didnt take any medications before this all started, not even Tylenol. I was sick thanksgiving 2024 with a upper respirtory infection. I received a cortisone shot in my right foot for planter fasciitis. I had a bad reaction to it. My leg up to my knee tirned bright red and swelled, i also had a bubble form at the bottom of my foot. I woke up the day after christmas 2024 numb, I guess you could say from the belly button down. I could still walk through. I lost bladder control. This resulted in er trip #1. I sat inthe er for 6 hours to get an iv placed for an mri with contrast. I had to wait for the mri with appointments to go first. The mri tech decided I didnt need contrast because he was supposed to be off shift already. 5 days later the leg pain started. I felt like I was being electrocuted. I went to er #2. They did mri with and with out contrast. I had a lesion t9 to t12 and what they called a spinal avm. They sent me to a bigger hospital. Mra was inconclusive on the avm but defiantly had a spinal lesion on the poster side of my spinal cord that reached to the 50% marker and was a triangle shape. All my blood work was fine other then vit d was low. So spinal tap it was. Everything was normal and within range other then oligoclonal bands 2 high. Started steriods. Started to work the scheduled an angiogram. The dr had some issues getting into the t11 area but said he couldn't find anything anywhere else. Closes and put the bandage on my leg and I experienced an allergic reaction to it. It literally burned me. They sent me home and as I weaned off the steriods the numbness and pain came back. They tried another dose of it and nothing changed other then I become severely depressed. I taught myself to walk and do other things because pt and ot were useless. I have to see my legs to make them work. Fast forward 7 months and I developed livedo reticularis on my legs that spread to my chest and arms and some on my face. It started from around where the incision from the angiogram was. A month later the next mri scans cleared my lesion. 2 months later I developed a strange rash from head to toe that wont go away that literally looks like goosebumps. I am now on a regiment of benedryl, antihistamines, pepcid, and carry an epipen and still am battling the hives every day. Waiting on rheumatologist which I cant get into until january and vascular which is in December for more tests. Anyone else have anything like this. And yes it is true livedo reticularis it does not go away for heat or for the cold.

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@sondrachristo1 they said it was bc i was lactose intolerant for most of my younger years and my calcium and vit d is very low. Always has been. I also have alpha gal syndrome so I cant eat red meat. I was bitten by a lone star tick 10 years ago now. So my iron is always low as well as my protein. Then one day my sugar started to spike all the time and they said I was pre diabetic they said hormone changes at my age can do this. They did a hormone panel and everything came back of that of basically a 20 something year old. I drastically changed my diet and started working out daily. Being in a boot cast for part of every year probably didnt help the Weight gain either. Other then broken bones I never went to the doctors.

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@catken0701 now I get it, I’ve never heard of the lone star tic so I did some quick research. Apparently it’s pretty common to be diagnosed with alpha gal syndrome after being bitten by this tic. That and a whole host of other viral illnesses. No wonder you’ve been so sick.
You definitely did the right thing by improving your diet and exercising.
I stay clear of all processed food myself, and definitely no alcohol. Limit sugar too.
I wouldn’t be surprised if all you are going through is due to this bite you got 10 years ago.
As far as the lactose intolerance and brittle bones, have you started any treatment to build your bone density? I have osteoporosis and have been dealing with the ramifications of that for several years. But that’s a story for another day.
I hope you can find a doctor that is knowledgeable or willing to educate themselves on your specific case.

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