#21 ·
So, I'm back—I was away on vacation and totally blanked on the fact that I even post here... Anyway, my blood sugar is looking fine, everything's cool there, but my liver enzymes are elevated. It’s nothing crazy, but they aren't where they should be. On top of that, I have this constant, nagging ache all over my body; it feels like I hit the gym harder than I ever have just yesterday, like my muscles are perpetually inflamed—especially around my shoulders and shoulder blades. And yeah, obviously, I'm exhausted. I've been dealing with anxiety for years now, plus the occasional panic attack. I've got that HLB-27 thing and some kind of diagnosis for non-specific ankylosing spondylitis. I recently had some immunology tests done, and everything came back normal, except for those pesky liver enzymes. My doctor wants me to get tested for hepatitis, because if that comes back clear, she thinks the issue might actually be muscle-related. Honestly, I've been stuck in this constant state of tension for years. I feel terrible all the time, and I can't even tell you which came first—the chicken or the egg—like, did the muscle issues trigger the anxiety, or did the anxiety start the physical breakdown? Everything I read points toward fibromyalgia, but even though I've mentioned it to a few different doctors, nobody seems to give a damn when I suggest it. Even when I press on those specific tender points you see in the fibromyalgia diagrams, the pain is absolutely brutal. I just feel constantly broken and run down, and I keep spiraling into this guilt, thinking it's somehow my fault that I feel this way. What am I supposed to do? Is there anywhere I can go to get testing done faster that might actually lead to a real diagnosis? I've been struggling like this for five years straight—it's either I don't make the appointment, or by the time they finally fit me in, I've lost the will to even show up. Does anyone have a recommendation for a solid private rheumatology clinic?