Carey Harris
My name is Carey Harris I live in southern NJ. I am 30 years old, married and have two sons (Michael 8, Sean 2 1/2).
I have had a basically healthy childhood. No major health issues.
My symptoms all started about August of 2003. I started out with a rash that was all over my upper torso. And my left wrist was giving me some unusual kind of pain that I never felt before. My PCP sent me to an allergist, thinking I was having an allergic reaction to something. She put me on Prednisone and Zyrtec and sent me for a work up of blood tests of sorts. Nothing ever came of that. I was not allergic to anything she tested me for. This went on for a couple of months until my rash just went away.
It was a few months later, around the end of January 2004, I awoke feeling horrible! Thought I had the Flu. It felt like every joint in my body was aching. My throat hurt so bad, I could not swallow without experiencing excruciating pain.. I had a fever of 102. I went to my PCP, he was out on vacation so I got his affiliate who tested me for strep, but with no avail, he diagnosed me with the Flu and gave me flu med. The next morning I awoke to even more pain and a rash all over me chest, arms and upper legs. Went to the ER. They did an array of tests everything from CT scans to blood work. Nothing was giving them a direct cause of my pain or symptoms. Went home with pain meds and steroids.
A couple of weeks later I wound up back in the ER, this time was admitted. The rash and fevers were so bad and the pain in my knees and wrists were crippling. They tested me for Lymes, Lupus and array of other diseases. Gave me a Gallium Scan. Sent an infectious disease doc to see me and a Rheum doc. They both put me through a bunch of tests. My sed rate and C active protein levels were unusually high, My Lymphnodes near my trachea in my neck were swollen. And my Liver and Spleen were slightly enlarged. I was sent home a week later. Not feeling too great.
After this was all said and done my Rheumy, after all kinds of tests and bloodwork, finally diagnosed me with AOSD.
Since then I have had other things going on. I did have the CMV virus. HSV virus in my left eye.
My current meds are: Remicade, MTX, Celebrex, Lexapro, Folic Acid, and Zyrtec.
