Cheryle's Story

Born October 14, 1953 (48) at time of writing.

1973 - March 18 - Birth of first son, 8lb 5 1/2 oz, hospitalized previous to labor and birth for pre-eclampsia, 3 weeks overdue. Stem to stern tearing with episiotomy. After birth struggled with high anxiety and problems sleeping. Was having a severe flight or fight response. Discharged morning of March 23 and re-admitted the next morning for heavy bleeding (after passing large clump of tissue bleeding slowed). Diagnosed as having post partum depression. Stop breast feeding and begin Surmontil. About 2 weeks after baby's birth returned home being able to sleep some with aid of Surmontil. Diagnosed with vaginal infection end of April. Hair falling out (good thing I have thick hair), all teeth fillings fell out.

1973- severe abdominal pain leading to diagnosis of gall bladder.

1973 - May - surgery to remove gall bladder.

1974 - March 04 - Birth of second son, 9lbs 5 oz. Heavy post partum bleeding for 6 weeks with terrible bowel cramps (worse than labor pains) and then lessened with passage of endometrial tissue. Normal post partum blues.

Surgery to remove all teeth which caused severe neck trauma while under anesthetic. Head ache

1976 - May 02 - Birth of third son with cord around his neck. Complications during pregnancy, severe chest infection caused severe coughing which caused broken rib. Hospitalized 5 days later with pre-eclampsia, swollen ankles, labor induced morning of May 02, with attempted spinal epidural ( stopped because I was poked in the spinal cord) Migraine head ache for a week following birth because of spinal tap fluid loss.

May 04/76 - tubal ligation

September/76 - hospitalized with severe insomnia, severe lack of energy, (frightening episodes of adrenalin rushes which would awaken me in the night, face bright red, swollen cheeks, feeling of other worldliness, shakes, with trouble breathing), with some daytime adrenalin based episodes of shakiness, trouble thinking coherently, bad vaginal odor, acne, inability to cope. This is where I made a gross mistake. I was collecting for a 24 hour urine cortisol when a lab tech unwittingly took my jug without my last urine output in it. I really had to go by the time the 24 hours was up and .......no jug. I wondered where it went and looked for a nurse to ask but eventually gave up and went for a pee. I had no idea it was that important to have all the urine. I was in a poor state of mind at the time and did not inform anyone as it slipped my mind. It is only now that I have become informed that I realize what a mistake it was!! Perhaps on that bad cycle of sickness my illness could have been addressed and many years of suffering avoided.!!!!!

September/ 76 - From the hospital there I was sent to the psych ward in another hospital. (One therapy there was to not eat anything for a week)(???weird) The only useful lesson that I learned there was a type of self hypnotic relaxation therapy that I still use to this day. (Reduces the amount of stress you get when one of these ?anxiety? attacks happen. There I remained for another 4 weeks with no definite diagnosis but was prescribed Xanax 0.5 mg. (Patient may be schizophrenic). Follow up meetings with a circulating psychiatrist in my home town after 4 visits was normal. She said if anyone tried shoving a mental illness on me as a diagnosis to get a hold of her and she'd set them straight! I felt that I was in a wet paper bag and didn't have the strength or inclination to fight my way out. After finally coming out of that cycle which lasted a year and a half, I had a few years of relative peace from the beast.

1978 - bouts of unexplained weight gain (but still able to lose it between cycles) began chiropractic treatments (they helped end the previous intense cycle)

78 to 81 - I would get tonsillitis 2 or 3 times a year (4 times one year), colds that were hard to shake, 3 or 4 ?anxiety? attacks (still mostly night occurrences)., bruising easily, skin rashes, weight fluctuations, headaches, relatively mild aches and pains, decreased sexual drive, bouts of constipation and diarrhea

82 to 86 - 3-4 hour job picking up and delivering bundles of Calgary Herald daily, last two years pick-up time was 4:00a.m. experienced back pain, wrists and arms would fall asleep easy while driving, back ache, head aches

September/81 - During a visit to my folks for my brothers wedding I had to take the basement bedroom and could barely haul myself out of bed the next morning. I was in such pain over my whole body that it shocked me. This passed after a few days and was my first session of whole body pain.

1982- Bought water bed (warmth from it relieved back pain)

1986- Moved from Radium to Sundre. Bad tonsillitis, colds (extremely hard to get rid of) morning sessions of shaking, anxiety, barely able to cope( I believe they may be low blood sugar attacks) (Felt better after eating). (Started on lithium\no improvement, stopped treatment). Rely on Xanax to cope. Headaches much of the time.

1987- Move to Bergen

1988- Start Secretarial Arts Program at Olds College-1yr crash course. Began having headaches, high blood pressure (prescribed Monitan), problems sleeping, anxiety attacks, first migraine (lost central vision, but the pain was not as bad as other headaches?), trouble getting 50 words per minute to pass (wrists and hands would start to shake after typing very long (fingers would jump), above high average on rest of subjects), trouble warming up, crying for no reason

1989- Graduate (pass typing test last day).

89/90 -Begin working away from home, Can't get a good nights sleep (back pain and generalized joint pain) give up water bed and started trying out various mattresses/with foamies on top (my husband never knew what he would be sleeping on next) new pillows, began massage therapy. Begin new job as construction site secretary for Bearberry Demonstration Project. Experienced more severe pain in joints, pain in bones, horrible pain in bottom of feet, back (had Obus forme cushion on back of chair), diarrhea, bad colds, trouble sleeping, headaches (moderate to very severe), hair started turning white, hair falling out, trouble maintaining weight (without eating more), falling asleep after lunch (even while typing), pain in thumb (couldn't open a push button vehicle door), shoulder pain, neck pain, ankle pain

91- early spring construction project finished went on UI to heal and build up health. Adult acne, back pains, (could no longer carry a purse in the store), depression, ill health (colds mainly). Bone in lower leg felt broken with no obvious signs of injury same in left lower arm bone. Oldest son graduated.
 
92- 2nd son graduated. Began occupation of picking pine cones for forestry. Symptoms were back pain, headache, beginning carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis in right shoulder, barely wake up in middle of night and shove food in mouth (starving hungry), knee pain, bone and joint pain, high cholesterol, still high blood pressure, snoring, stress urinary incontinence, bad flatulence, bouts of bloating

93- depression

94- depression ended when I started taking nystatin (anti-fungal medicine) and my skin became soft and supple, my nails grew and didn't split, felt good, aches reduced, sore in nose and corners of lips cleared up, digestion improved

95- 3rd son graduated, carpal tunnel surgery both hands, sprained left ankle (bothered for 2 years), back pain, bone and joint pain, headaches, snoring, fell 3x in bathtub (seemed to lose orientation)

96- began work at Alberta Timothy, viral low back infection (caused inflammation in low spine, wouldn't flex, very painful), memory problems, bouts of confusion, shoulder locked up, terrible neck pain, depression, hypertension, cry very easily, snoring, very profuse sweating, gained weight

97-Went to iridologist (About $2,000.00 worth) Move to east Sundre, still depressed, cried over everything, memory problems, hypertension, snoring (uvula would sometimes swell like a big jelly bag and get in the way), sudden weight gain (approx 50 lbs)

98 - Seeing nutripath (about $700.00 worth) same problems as before

99- dysfunctional uterine bleed (7 wks, hemoglobin dropped to 63 (normal 120-150))(emergency D&C) (had to take iron 3x day for almost a year), skin tags, ingrown toe nails removed (Both big toes)

2000- Taking acupuncture treatments not covered by medical ($1500.00) Began Depo Provera to stop bleeding between periods, hypertension , body pain, joint pain, hair growing in a patch under chine, bushy eyebrows, more skin tags, moon face, centripetal obesity, dieted and lost 30 lbs

2001- bone and joint pain, oily face w/acne at times (under chin, back of scalp, and in ears), notice widening of cranial sutures, hair under chin and bushy eyebrows, loss of interest in usual hobbies/gardening, social recluse, regain 30 lbs plus more, wake up in the night freezing cold (4x so far this year), pain in roof of mouth, pain under tongue and back of throat, sinus infections, low sugar reactions usually mid morning but some afternoons too, hair loss with pain cycles (turning whiter and coarsens in one sworl by my temple), heart palpitations (wore Halter monitor w/no results) (had a good day), burning face, itchy skin on arms, skin and face have brown patches on them, moon face, centripetal obesity, biting tongue (while sleeping and while talking), extreme hypertension (on two meds now), posterior subcapsular cataract in right eye (new symptom) (will require surgery within 6 mo), carpal tunnel pain returning, experiencing migraine headaches as well as regular headaches.