not THIS nor THAT

You may remember THIS post back from September about me feeling really tired and fatigued. At the time I kind of diagnosed myself with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I didn’t really take it too seriously and just dismissed it as part of being a new Mom :) Over the next few months I started having more weird symptoms and things were only getting worse not better. In December I discovered a lump in my neck that was believed to be a tumor but turned out to be a swollen salivary gland. After running all kinds of tests and several different doctors visits, doctors thought that I might have Rhuematoid Arthritis. Turns out it’s not THAT either. About a month ago I learned that I am likely suffering from what is called sjogrens (SHOW-grins) syndrome. Sjogrens, like RA, is an auto-immune disorder, which means the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues as though they were foreign substances. This particular disorder attacks the body’s moisture-producing glands, such as tear and saliva glands, hence the lump in my neck from December. Sjogrens can also cause pain in the joints and fatigue, hence the thoughts of RA and CFS. In rare cases, Sjogrens can cause problems with the function of vital organs like the kidneys, lungs and nerves. So far for me, it has only affected my salivary and tear glands. My eyes have been severely dry for months now. If you’ve looked closely you’ve probably noticed how red they are, or maybe you’ve seen me sporting these:As of now, it is not severe. In fact only one of the two tests for SS came back positive so I’m not too worried. I have to re-visit my doctor every few months to monitor the glands and make sure they don’t swell again. I have my good days and my bad days but I am so lucky that it is something manageable and still allows me to function and be a Mommy. Thank you to everyone who kept me in your prayers over the last LONG 7 months. I appreciate your continued love and support always. As long as I have enough energy to keep up with this little monkey, I can’t complain.