Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

[One-Way]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

I think your condition warrants that you don't work when you're having an attack. That might be easy for me to say (I don't know your financial situation), but I've seen how intense the pain can be and it seems you should be home resting.

I'm sure you're already aware of this but, it does not hurt to reinforce it:
Take care of yourself...exercise and get enough sleep (it's the best medicine in the world).

Also, as far as your schooling is concerned...don't rush. Take fewer classes per semester. That should help relieve some stress. So what if it takes a little longer to get a degree. If that helps your quality of life, it is so worth it.

I work for my father's business, where I also work on school work and other projects of my own when I'm free. It works out best for my sister and I because we both go to school, so we're not always flexible with our schedules. My father really needs us so we help with whatever we can. In the meantime, I get to work on other things that are important.

With that said, yes, I can not go to work some days if needed. But as I said, for the past few weeks, all I've been doing is trying to rest. Two weeks ago, I had an attack, I stayed home a few days (from school/work) to rest. As soon as I got better, I got a fever one day. I stayed home again. I went to work for a few days and then I got a cold. The cold brought me down hard and I had a fever as well. Stayed home. A few days later, which was this Monday, I got an attack. I heard my mother talking about how it's ridiculous I miss out on so much work/school that I felt bad. I got up and went to work Tuesday, even though I was in pain. I got better Wednesday and now it's Friday, and another attack.

Maybe I didn't rest enough? Either way, I couldn't. I had to go to class on Wednesday and I had an important film project to do to present Thursday. It's crazy, maybe if I could rest this weekend, I'd be better but I have a test to study for. My body feels out of wack and I hate getting blamed for everything.

Everyone says it's my fault for these attacks. My father and sister both drink their pills (they also have FMF) and they hardly get attacks. Apparently, it's my fault for getting it once every two weeks because I don't "take care of myself" and I "stress" too much.

[crusader1492]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

Well, it seems your mother is being a little unfair with you. On one hand she pressures you to go to school and work and on the other she says you're not taking care of yourself.

It sounds like you need to have a talk with her in order to get on the same page emotionally. There is a lot of "psychology" going on here which is no ones fault...the disease is an emotional subject for everyone involved

The bottom line is that you need to tell her it's not your fault that your getting sick...FMF is not a uniform disorder. It effects people differently.
I'm sure she already knows this, but a gentle reminder might ease tensions.

Another thing...the first chance you get, go on vacation and rest. No school, no work...just rest and relaxation. How about Armenia? I'm planning on going soon with my wife and son (no concrete plans yet, though)...you can stay with me (I have an apartment there). Maybe you can even see a specialist there?

[One-Way]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

My mother understands, everybody does, but I understand what they're going through. They can't explain what's happening, and they're so worried, they're practically losing their own minds.

I spent most of the last night at the hospital yesterday. I can't explain how uncomfortable it was. They hooked me up to an IV and gave me some morphine. I had to drink CT Contrast to take a CT Scan, which at first tasted like Vanilla. I had to drink two bottles. I felt very dizzy while drinking it and very uncomfortable. I was freezing the entire time, too.

Scan confirmed there's nothing wrong, came home in worse pain and threw up the contrast.

[One-Way]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

I have a question.

Is there any chance I might have some type of worm in my stomach? To be completely honest, my stomach has been hurting for the past 3 weeks. Since I got better from my last attack, I haven't fully recovered. I felt sick again after eating fast food last week and I still feel a little iffy. My stomach feels weird, as if an attack is coming, but I don't think it is.

Since my attacks are so frequent, and I've been having these aches, is this a sympton of worms? I've heard of people who had worms in there stomach and it caused them pain but don't know much else. Would I experience anything else besides pain? I feel like throwing up, and have been for a while. I feel bloated constantly. I feel like when I drink water, it makes me feel more bloated; just plain sick.

I had a CT-Scan done for my attacks but nothing came up. How do they trace worms? Anything I can do for now?

[KhentHrair]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

Unbelievable. I've been living with the FMF symptoms for 13 years. Doctors could not figure it out. I've had two colonoscopies and MRI's and they've all come back "normal". They've told me that I'm a perfectly healthy person, even durring my FMF attacks! I was about to give in and just live with this disorder until I gave an experienced rheumatologist a try here in Kirkland, Washington who educated me about this disorder and prescribed me with Colchicine. I just took my very first dose of this literally 5 minutes ago, I hope it helps, because I feel an attack coming on. I get the mainstream abdominal pains and fevers that come with FMF about 3-4 times a year. They come very fast and then I gradually get better within 6 days. What was even more shocking for me is that this disorder affects a lot of Armenians (which I am). I don't care if I need to live with FMF for the rest of my life, I'm just so happy that after 13 years I have finally found out what is wrong with me. BTW, I really have a strong feeling that FMF is strongly correlated with stress as well.

[One-Way]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

It is.

[jgk3]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

Unbelievable. I've been living with the FMF symptoms for 13 years. Doctors could not figure it out. I've had two colonoscopies and MRI's and they've all come back "normal". They've told me that I'm a perfectly healthy person, even durring my FMF attacks! I was about to give in and just live with this disorder until I gave an experienced rheumatologist a try here in Kirkland, Washington who educated me about this disorder and prescribed me with Colchicine. I just took my very first dose of this literally 5 minutes ago, I hope it helps, because I feel an attack coming on. I get the mainstream abdominal pains and fevers that come with FMF about 3-4 times a year. They come very fast and then I gradually get better within 6 days. What was even more shocking for me is that this disorder affects a lot of Armenians (which I am). I don't care if I need to live with FMF for the rest of my life, I'm just so happy that after 13 years I have finally found out what is wrong with me. BTW, I really have a strong feeling that FMF is strongly correlated with stress as well.

Perhaps its also correlated with post traumatic stress (which btw has been shown through some more recent studies to be capable of being inherited as a genetic mutation from a parent who underwent a traumatic event in their life, so his/her child need not experience a traumatic event in order to have its symptoms and its genetic sequence), what do you think?

[One-Way]

Re: Does anyone out there have Mediterranean fever?

It's not.