Question: Good morning doctor. I have suffered for almost 45 years from the auto immune disease of ankylosing spondylosis. The problem first surfaced at around 18 and took 14 years for a definite diagnosis. This condition began with an ingual right hernia op where after anestesia awoke to find lesions around the operative scar. This was explained at the time as an allergic reacaction. 3 weeks after the op began to suffer extreme pain almost from top of head to tips of toes.
whilst refered to many learned doctors their general opinion was that i was NUTS and refered to a shrink who came to the conclusion 1) i was cheating on my wife or 2) as i was employed by a bank may have my hand in the till even though had no access to cash, While all this messing & indignity was going on my spine was slowly but surely joining vertebra to vertebra! There followed almost 30years of nsaids + fentayl transdermal patches 100 micro grams /hour. It was then decided i was depressed (little wonder ) so began decent into 90mgs of cymbalta + dalmane 30mg to assist sleep. This situation went on until i had a total collapse suffered a reflux condition which required urgent hospial care. While there it emerged i now had a kidney problem and if i did not get off alcohol would not last 6 months. The facts were i was NOT drinking at all. Now the medications had 3 further additions which i was then taking. Move the clock on 9 months and on airplane journey suffered yet another collapse as luck would have it on my return leg to Dublin IRELAND! An ambulence met my flight and back again to hospital (at great expense). It then emerged I had suffered heart failure & my heart was only operating at 30%of normal. Already was aware i had a jammy mitral valve which the cardiologist missed. Now 5 more drugs entered my drug s list. He the cardio blamed my misfortune on my injections of humira which were stopped in haste. The rhumo doc decided my answer was no more nsaids and instead prescribed salazopyrin 500mgs x 4 daily. This requires regular blood tests. Now I was taking 15 different medicines on a daily basis. Often 24 hours was not sufficient to take all of these.
NOW to my real question??? On a prolonged visit to ITALY changed hotels on 3 occassions. With all my drugs + scrips left in the first hotel thought i was bandjaxed and decided perhaps i should return home. After 4 days found my condition no worse at all and decided to continue my vacation. Now after 15 weeks without any of these medications still have a pain in my butt but no longer have a constant pain in my head. My appetite for food has returned my lust for life is regained and far more assertive and less likely to be mister meek and mild. In short i am enjoying life again & developing new interests at almost 66 years. I have pending visits to rheumo & supportive heart unit consultants!
Now what is your opinion on this state of affairs??? I hope and know you may reply.
Many thanks and thank you for reading my tale of woe which is far from exaustive!
I remain XXXX Dublin REP of XXXXXXX EU.