Hi fellow spondies,
After 5 years of sciatica--I stopped being able to play soccer when I was 20 when I collapsed in pain on the field--I've finally been diagnosed. Well, its been a fortnight now, but I feel a bit relieved.
Since 20, I've had sometimes severe sciatica. I've always been extremely physically active, playing sports my entire life into college. When I started to have sciatic pain, it began on the field and continued into my sleep. I was unable to get out of bed, walk, or be in a reclining position for too long.
I reported this to my doctors. X-ray after X-ray, MRI after MRI, test after test my doctors couldn't diagnose the cause of my sciatica. Fast forward to 23. Not being able to run, I buy a road bike and ride 20-25 miles every Saturday. When I get to work one Monday morning--I worked in politics--my knee is so swollen I can barely walk around the office or follow my boss into meetings. Unable to take off from work, I limp for a week straight. Finally that Saturday, instead of my 3 hour bike ride I go for a 3 hour doctor's visit. An X-ray is performed and I'm diagnosed with "weekend warrior syndrome". My knee is drained and as I leave I mention my sciatic pain.
Two months later: the knee gets swollen once more and once again another doctor drains it. Third time, several months later, the doctor refuses to drain it again. Instead he does another X-Ray and we wait for the results. I bring up the searing pain at my hip.
Consumed by work, I let time pass. Fast forward to two months ago. Along my upper spine, there's a sharp pain--one that feels that all it needs to be relieved is a nice back crack. My back muscles are tight. I'm casually lifting at the gym and can't lift anything without back pain anymore. I try everything, massaging my back against the edges of walls, going to a chiropractor who turned out to be a quack, cold/hot treatment and more. Then the pain and stiffness begins to creep upward. My neck becomes immobile. I can barely turn my head to look in my blindspots when driving. Eventually, I can barely get out of bed. I do what every Gen Y does to resolve medical questions: I search webMD for my symptoms and almost every medical issue comes up as a cause. My friend jokes one night on the subway that I have meningitis and I laugh back. That night, I freak out and think I do have meningitis. I begin to have a fever later that night as I'm out drinking with friends.
The next morning, I ask all friends and family for recommendations on new doctors and visit one. Slowly my knees are becoming more inflamed. By the time I visit the doctor the next day, they are as large as grapefruits.
My new doctor, who dispels any idea that I have meningitis--the obvious sign was that I had more vertical neck motion than lateral neck motion--refers me to a rheumatologist.
It took her 20 minutes to diagnose me (also based on some previous tests). 5 years of suffering and in 20 minutes a doctor is able to definitively say that it's not "weekend warrior syndrome". (Both of my new doctors requested I never go back to my previous medical office).
And here I am now. I took prednisone to reduce inflammation and have just started taking sulfasalazine. Needless to say, I feel much better some days. For the first time in nearly 5 years I ran. I ran without pain and it felt so good I almost cried while running. That was two days ago. Here I am at my office now, my eye is twitching, I have a severe case of dysphagia and can barely swallow my own saliva, and I turn to others as if I have a cast on my neck.
I'm not sure what my prognosis will be, but I'm glad to have a support community like this. Thanks for letting me post my story.
E
25/m/diagnosed since 10/13
