Three days until Tufts

Pain level: 6
Dislocations so far today: left wrist
Subluxations so far today: Right shoulder a couple of times, left index finger

Meds: Ketoprofen-- 1 twice a day. 

Major complaint:  more stiffness/pain/swelling/itching/tingling in my fingers, hand, and wrist (R MUCH >L)

My hands have really run the gambit since my last post.   Right after my last entry, my right hand ballooned up even more than before and the swelling wouldn't go down.   I was miserable.  It hurt so bad and was going from red to purple to blue all day.  I called Dr. E and let him know what was going on.  He told me to hang in there until my appointment in Boston since he didn't see how useful it would be to start a new treatment so close to my appointment.  It's what I expected, but I did want to let him know.  He also agreed to fax over his notes and my blood results to Dr. G in Boston.  

Then, Saturday my hands were suddenly doing better.  The swelling was down (not to Pre-Oct levels but much better than the day before) and the coloring was normal.  Whoohoo!  We've been trying to figure out what it is that I did right to cause this but the only things that I did that were different from my routine were to have a panic attack (not something I'd like to do often) and eat fast food for the first time in months (I think we can rule this out as having a positive influence just by basic instinct.) 

The only odd thing was around that time I noticed that I have a lump on the center joint of my right middle finger.  It's off to one side and soft but firm to the touch.  It was smaller at first and by now is maybe the size of a split pea.  It's not necessarily painful compared to my joints--it's more uncomfortable than anything.  

I've also been having some random coughing fits that leave my voice hoarse and my chest feeling tight  like I can't take a deep breath for 10-15 minutes.

My lip swelled up again, but I had bitten it at breakfast and at dinner it started to swell.  I assume I just wailed on it good and the swelling was delayed.  I probably bit it again at dinner and my mouth was like, "That's it!  That's the last straw!"  *SWELL*

Starting today my hand has gone back to its "normal" swollen, stiff, red self.  My fingernails turned a nasty shade of blue after dinner so I ran them under warm/hot water for a minute or so but that just seemed to make things worse.  I started getting prickling pain and stinging/tingling in my fingers and the hand started to swell more.  It turned bright red with big splotches of bright blue on both sides of my hand.  And I couldn't move my fingers at all for over a minute after taking it out of the water.  Yuck.

Social Security hasn't called me back yet.  I just mailed them out more paperwork even though I really wanted to talk to them before mailing things so I could be sure exactly what they wanted, but they have set a deadline for the things they need and I don't want to risk missing it waiting for their call.  So we'll see how that goes.

No more fever spikes though, I think.  I have been overheating at night, but I'm not in a mood to get out of bed to go take my temp at 4AM.  No thanks.
 
Hand stiffness using middle finger has measure

Time: 11:24 PM

L

Can touch forearm? over an inch off

Angle of extension of the center joint of finger: 35º

Angle of extension of the last joint of finger: 100º OW!

R

Can touch forearm? Not even funny how much this isn't a possibility

Angle of extension of the center joint of finger: 20º

Angle of extension of the last joint of finger: 75º