Paging Dr. House
November 14th 2010
You know you are desperate about your medical condition when you not only publicly advertise it, but you also hope that a reader, a friend of a reader, or a random stranger who stumbles across your blog is an excellent diagnostician. That’s right. I’m paging a real-life Dr. House. I sure hope he or she exists.
My problems began in mid-February when I first experienced tailbone pain, or in medical terms: a dull ache in my coccyx. Let me make some things clear:
- I did not fall down
- I did not slip on the kitchen floor
- I did not suffer an injury in a car accident
- (And my favorite) I did not sit on a hard surface
I ignored the pain because it was intermittent even though I was experiencing another issue: bladder problems. I alluded to this “infection” (I couldn’t come up with a better word) in my EMAO blog, but I didn’t want to give out the details. Tailbone pain is one thing, but a constant need to urinate falls into the TMI category. I wasted hundreds of dollars on tests, unnecessary medications, and time at the urologist (Dr. U) that I will never get back. After two months, Dr. U threw his hands up in the air and proclaimed, “Your bladder is functioning normally—maybe it’s related to your tailbone pain”—a theory that he had initially dismissed.
My regular chiropractor has always believed that the problems are related since there are nerves from your tailbone that extend to your bladder. However, he doesn’t have any answers either. Unfortunately the two issues gradually became worse as time passed. Instead of counting how many days I didn’t experience tailbone pain or urinary problems, I started counting hours. I was thrilled when I managed to have no symptoms for 36 hours during my 20-year high school reunion weekend (i.e., June 25 – 26). Maybe it was endorphins, alcohol, or lack of sleep, but I felt like a normal person again. I wasn’t running to the bathroom every 20 minutes and wincing when I sat down.
By August, the pain had worked its way up my sacrum; I cried during a yoga workshop that required a lot of sitting. I found a new primary care physician (PCP) who said that I must have injured myself (ARGH!), and it would take 18 months to heal. I insisted that I didn’t fall down. I once hurt my tailbone in high school, and I distinctly remember how it felt. Of course Dr. PCP “proved me wrong” when an x-ray showed no crack in my tailbone. I asked for a referral to an orthopedist (Dr. O).
Just to rule out a “girlie” diagnosis, I had my annual exam with my OB/GYN in September. At that time, I requested an ultrasound to see if the ovarian cysts that had been present the year before were still there. The answer: Nope. Good news, of course, but still no answer. While I was waiting to see Dr. O, more problems arose over a two-month period:
- I lose weight at rapid rate without trying. (See After EMAO for weight and body measurements in July.) By October 8, I had lost 10% of my overall body weight. People thought I wasn’t eating because I was depressed, but I love food. Although my appetite has lessened, I force myself to eat three meals a day. My weight has stabilized at 107 pounds, but the last time I was this small was before puberty. I am still within a normal weight range for my height (5′2.5″), but with my medium, muscular frame, my current weight is not normal for me. The only people who think I look “fabulous” right now work in the entertainment industry. I no longer act, yet I am finally the size that every casting director wanted me to be. Sigh.
- I start acquiring bruises all over my legs and occasionally on my arms. I bruise more easily than most people do, but it’s getting ridiculous. New bruises appear every day, and I have no idea what causes them. As a test, I lightly flicked the side of my ankle three times using my thumb and middle finger. Sure enough, a faint bruise showed up the next day.
- I begin experiencing “night sweats” (gross), which is odd since I am normally cold. To combat the sweats, I keep the central heat lower than normal, remove clothing throughout the night, and throw off the blankets. My husband tells me all the time that I hog the covers, but now I routinely wake up with only one layer covering my body. I should be shivering, but I’m not.
- I have difficulty moving because my joints hurt. Almost every day, my hips, knees, and legs feel as though I have run a marathon (and I know what that is like). For example, I was working on a project on the floor (sitting on my knees of course) for about an hour. When I tried to stand up, I couldn’t move. I held onto a bookshelf for support, and I swear it took a full minute for my legs to cooperate. I feel as though I have the bones of someone twice my age.
- I tire easily, but I have never been someone who feels fully rested due to my insomnia. However, this newfound fatigue is affecting every aspect of my daily life. I have an ongoing list of things I must do, and some days I spend so much time trying to get comfortable that I don’t do anything. My new self-esteem rules are if I get one thing done—good, two things—great, three things—outstanding.
Armed with my medical history and current symptoms, I thought Dr. O would blow me off. However, he surprised me. Dr. O believed me! He even agreed with my chiropractor that the tailbone pain and the urinary issues are related. “Absolutely! No question, ” he said. The other symptoms concerned him so he ordered an MRI and a bone scan. The MRI was normal except that it showed inflammation around my tailbone. (Shocker!) The bone scan was normal as well (e.g., no tumors, no bone deterioration). Given all my symptoms, my past health history and my recent health issues last year, Dr. O referred me to a hematologist/oncologist whom I will call Dr. Hemoc. I see him next week.
- One more thing: I don’t know if this is a symptom, but I crave protein all the time, which is ironic since I don’t eat red meat or pork. However, I now consume some form of protein (e.g., turkey, chicken, eggs, legumes) with every meal. I used to snack on sugar-free Popsicles at night, but my new guilty pleasures are raw cashews, turkey jerky, and organic peanut butter out of the jar. Non-stop protein!
For now, I avoid sitting on my tailbone at all costs and carry my coccyx cushion whenever I must sit. At night, I like to read in bed so I recline on a heating pad that I turn off as I fall asleep. (I did burn myself once though.) I lie down on my side on our couch. I take painkillers when absolutely necessary, but I don’t like to because 1) they don’t help much, 2) they make me sleepy, and 3) they make me constipated (more TMI). Sometimes, a heavy dose of ibuprofen helps with the joint pain. I take vitamins and prescription medication daily, but that TMI is reserved for a licensed physician!
While I appreciate sympathy, I don’t need it. I want answers. Having run a disease-based nonprofit for eight years, I possess some medical knowledge. I have researched my symptoms, but there is no diagnosis that seems to fit all of them. Of course, Dr. House would know which ones to rule out, which ones caused the others, etc. Hopefully, Dr. Hemoc will run dozens of blood tests that will crack my curious case. Otherwise, I might end up on Mystery Diagnosis, which is not how I wanted to make my television debut.
AWW — XoXo
P.S. I beg you to share this post with any doctor whom you trust. Thank you! 
