Inflammation is my Kryptonite, and it's difficult to say when or how it will attack. Lupus is so very unpredictable and it seems to linger in the oddest way. It always makes pinpointing the problem, when it arises, a bit murky. When a problem with my health or a ongoing pain or illness hits, I try to take an inventory of my body's workings and symptoms to determine if it is Lupus or if I have truly injured myself or if it is a different illness or disease. It takes time to figure it out, its like a game of clue that takes months to get the answer.
The latest mystery is the "case of the left shoulder". This shoulder has been painful and has limited range of motion. I have been unable to raise my arm past shoulder height, it simply binds and will not move higher and there are some movements that are very painful. This has been going on for about a month and a half, during which I have tried all of my Lupus tricks to get my body to calm itself and control the inflammation that may or may not be the cause. However, my tricks have not been working. I have gone to my Doctor and she thought it might be bursitis, but it's hard to tell. I have started physical therapy a week or two ago and have seen little improvement as of yet. My care providers say that if the therapy doesn't work the next step may be a cortisone shot and if that doesn't work the cause may be a rotator cuff tear. Diagnostic tests and surgery my be the final solution, but with that comes the risk of Lupus fall out caused by the trauma of surgery. I really hope it is just the inflammation that is the cause but its very difficult to predict and it's expensive to do so. Thankfully I have health coverage, but there is still a cost for my part.
If things do turn out to be more dire, there is a new treatment for a rotator cuff tear that could avoid surgery and I have a co-worker who has done it and is happy with the outcome. It's a process which uses the patient's own platelets to inject directly into the tear. It's very painful and the recovery is about the same time as surgery, however it is less intrusive and inflicts less trauma. This procedure may be a better choice for someone with Lupus as it is less likely to cause a Lupus flare and cascading symptoms that could cause more scary symptoms. There are only two doctors in the Rogue Valley who perform this procedure. So exercise, research, stress, and worry seem to be my current pastimes. Stress can cause inflammation, and inflammation is my Kryptonite.
Inflammation is my Kryptonite, and it's difficult to say when or how it will attack. Lupus is so very unpredictable and it seems to linger in the oddest way. It always makes pinpointing the problem, when it arises, a bit murky. When a problem with my health or a ongoing pain or illness hits, I try to take an inventory of my body's workings and symptoms to determine if it is Lupus or if I have truly injured myself or if it is a different illness or disease. It takes time to figure it out, its like a game of clue that takes months to get the answer. 
The latest mystery is the "case of the left shoulder". This shoulder has been painful and has limited range of motion. I have been unable to raise my arm past shoulder height, it simply binds and will not move higher and there are some movements that are very painful. This has been going on for about a month and a half, during which I have tried all of my Lupus tricks to get my body to calm itself and control the inflammation that may or may not be the cause. However, my tricks have not been working. I have gone to my Doctor and she thought it might be bursitis, but it's hard to tell. I have started physical therapy a week or two ago and have seen little improvement as of yet. My care providers say that if the therapy doesn't work the next step may be a cortisone shot and if that doesn't work the cause may be a rotator cuff tear. Diagnostic tests and surgery my be the final solution, but with that comes the risk of Lupus fall out caused by the trauma of surgery. I really hope it is just the inflammation that is the cause but its very difficult to predict and it's expensive to do so. Thankfully I have health coverage, but there is still a cost for my part.
If things do turn out to be more dire, there is a new treatment for a rotator cuff tear that could avoid surgery and I have a co-worker who has done it and is happy with the outcome. It's a process which uses the patient's own platelets to inject directly into the tear. It's very painful and the recovery is about the same time as surgery, however it is less intrusive and inflicts less trauma. This procedure may be a better choice for someone with Lupus as it is less likely to cause a Lupus flare and cascading symptoms that could cause more scary symptoms. There are only two doctors in the Rogue Valley who perform this procedure. So exercise, research, stress, and worry seem to be my current pastimes. Stress can cause inflammation, and inflammation is my Kryptonite. 