Driving Over 4,000 miles = Inflammation Galore!

        Three weeks ago, my family made the awesome trek across the US from North Carolina to California...well technically we made a pit stop in Maine first before heading west adding another 950 miles to our already long journey.  What a beautiful trip it was!  This was my first time leaving the east cost since I was an itty bitty baby, which I have absolutely no recollection of, lol.

     We traveled through many mountains and across many gorgeous plains, went from -14 degrees to well over 90 degrees here in the desert.  I learned that I have something called "altitude sickness" which means that the further up I go above sea level, the less oxygen my body seems to get.  We just moved from NC, which is only about 295 feet above sea level...we are now living in a valley that is over 2,000 feet above sea level.  That's a pretty huge difference! 

     Anyways, between the altitude and sitting in the car for 10+ hours every day for 6 days, my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) decided to act up.  We went to the emergency room a little over a week ago (because we just got to our new base and I didn't have a doctor yet) and the ER doctor immediately assumed I had a blood clot, though I told him it was probably my RA acting up.  He sent me in to have an ultrasound done on my leg just to be sure.  Well, the ultra sound doctor (the technician that works for him was out on emergency leave) took one look at my leg and knew immediately what it was....my RA flaring up again!  Surprise, I know my own body!!  LOL 

     Long story short, the doctor had worked in physical therapy for about 20 years and had dealt with Lupus and RA patients and knew exactly what to look for.  He showed me what was going on inside my leg, ankle and feet...it was pretty dang cool!  I even got to take home a copy of the ultra sound so when I go to my new Rheumatologist in April, I can show her the images and there will be no question as to whether something is wrong or not.  After at least 8 years of having RA flare ups in my feet, hands, and legs, FINALLY I have physical proof to show my other doctors!   

    The ultra sound showed that I have severe inflammation in the membranes around my knee cap called synovitis .  It also showed a small bakers cyst at the back of that knee and in the fluid are little pieces of my knee cap that have been breaking off slowly whenever I move my leg and it's swollen.  As freaky as that all sounds, I was too excited to have this awesome doctor showing me step-by-step, exactly what was going on in my body.  My toes had the same things going on in them on both feet.   

    I think my appointment with my newest Rheumatologist is going to go really well :-D