It was discovered early on, probably by the middle of kindergarten that I was truly lactose intollerent and certain dairy products would make me very ill. This of course, the dairy I am suggesting, is a primary source of calcium for growing children. I still managed to eat certain ice creams, yogurt, some butters and skim milk so I hadnt been entirely cut off from the natural source of the calcium needed to provide for strong bones as I grew up.
With only shoulder dislocations, a few smashed toes resulting in the loss of toe nails, the usual skinned knees, and an occassional rusty nail stuck into my thigh, I was moving along pretty well in early childhood without any serious injuries or medical issues. That would all change in seventh grade however. From this point on, it seemed to always be the usual question, "what did he break this time?"
I had gone roller skating as I always had for many, many years. I was at the rink with friends and had taken the usual amount of falls doing stupid stunts that most kids do trying to impress their friends and by this time to get the attention of the girls. It was a full floor and I had gotten up a good amount of speed when I locked wheels with another kid and found myself going down yet again for the day. This time wasnt quite the same. With the 70's disco music cranking at maximum, I was able to hear a very audible cracking noise which immediately left my right hand numb. I remember lying there, feeling stupid that I was down on the floor again but being right handed and not being able to move it, even the slightest finger movement was almost an impossibility, I knew this fall was going to be an issue. Numerous friends and skating strangers tried to grab my left hand to pull me up as they went by but I just pulled away knowing I had to stay down, I was too busy trying to figure out why I had lost feeling in my hand. There was no pain, just completely numb. Finally an announcement over the loud speaker to clear floor and workers were advised that a skater was injured. My first thought of course was, "poor bastard", not realizing it was me that was the injured skater. I could see all the people to my right lining up off the floor trying to get a glimpse of what happened to me as two employees of the rink skated over to me.
The first to arrive, reached to my left arm and said, "come on, I'll help you up". I told him it seemed like a great thought but advised him that I had no feeling in my other arm. The older employee quickly began to assess the situation asking if I could feel and move my legs, which I was able to do. Asked if I had hit my head which I was pretty sure I had, but really couldnt remember anything but that loud cracking noise but I was able to comprehend everything and he looked directly into my eyes and I guess he felt the pupils were still looking north and not one east, one west. Looking back, crossing my eyes would have had some entertainment value, but I was a bit distracted by the numbness of my right hand. He finally got to the right arm questions. I told him I was completely numb from what I could perceive as the forearm to fingertips. He asked if he could pull up the sleeve on my long sleeve shirt to investigate the injury before moving me and I told him it was fine, I couldnt feel anything anyway so have at it. He slowly pulled back the sleeve and it was obvious to not only myself and the two rink workers but Stevie Wonder from 30 yards out was seeing the problem with this arm. It wasnt a compound fracture that came out of the skin but it had completely broke both bones in two and had given the illusion that my arm was another two inches or so longer. I thought the one rink employee was going to puke when he saw it and all I kept saying in my mind was "why doesnt this hurt?'
The elder of the two employees began to bark out commands for a splint type set up and ice so he could secure it before helping me up. He was extremely gentle when he began the process of installing the splint and while he did this the other employees had gathered around to either help set the arm in a stable way or gather information to contact my parents. The whole 911 option was not thought of when I was young, if you were talking, they got you up and walking so that your parents could bring you in for the ER run. The arm was fully secured and ice was applied. It was then and only then that pain had become an issue. All his lifting and moving to secure splint, not a problem at all. Getting me to my feet, no issues. Applying ice to the obvious area of the break, HOLY FRIGGING CRAP, pain was so intense I almost passed out.
My parents arrived to the rink, and then I was taken to the hospital. X-rays were a formality, anyone with a day of education could see it was broken it was only done to see if it broke clean or if it was going to need surgical intervention. A nurse came in to give me a shot to calm me down. Now I had completely broken both bones in my right arm near the wrist, hadnt complained once at the hospital about pain nor had I gotten anything for pain, I was a minor so that wasnt an option anyway. I was calmly sitting there minding my own business when she comes in and announces this. Never having broke a bone before, I just go along with it and the needle is to be injected into my left thigh. Seemed like it shouldnt be a real big deal. I could not have been more incorrect about that decision, she had hit a nerve or bone, something that caused me to almost suck the mattress up in my butt cheeks her only response was to tell me to relax. I was always a very respectful kid with adults, this needle hurt so much that my respectful gland of my brain was overrode by my adolesant foul mouth response system to which I yelled out "Relax??!!! Isnt that what this f#$king shot is supposed to do is relax me? This f#$king hurts like hell!!!!" She could only respond with shock I think but basically suggested that the more I tensed up the harder it would be. But by the time she finished that statement, the needle was out, and she was leaving the room. Just for the record, that so called "calming" needle caused me to miss two days of school because I was unable to walk at all due to the pain generated in the muscle of that left thigh. So I went in with a broken arm and left with a severely tortured leg from a needle which led to the inability to walk. Everyone wonders why I had a phobia of needles after that.
The doctor came in and sedated me with local agents, mostly to fog my brain and completely numb my arm so he could set the break and cast it. This would be the first time I realize that I am immune to certain types of medications used to "trick" the CNS (Central Nervous System) masking the pain. When he began to set the bone, I could feel everything now, unlike before when they were splinting it. Now the arm was completely live and everything the doctor did felt like he was intentionally trying to cause me so much pain that he could make me pass out. I came close twice.
Back then it didnt make sense to me how I had no sensation for so many hours but after injections my body was suddenly active and felt everything. It was the exact opposite of what the doctor intended but they contributed it to the fact that I was watching him set the arm and I had possibly created that thought in my mind that it hurt rather than the fact that I actually was feeling the pain the way my body internally was projecting it. I still cringe at the memory of that feeling of pure pain from the needle in the leg and the setting of the arm and now knowing that the medications given to sedate me essentially were blocked by my ANS disorder through what seems to be a combination of both stress displacement and blood supply to the proper nerve cluster.
After the cast was secured, I walked aimlessly in circles in front of the automatic door. I only remember this because they kept asking me to walk away from the door and I did hear them but it just didnt register. The drugs were now taking on the proper affects to my body long after the procedure was done.
I followed that bone break with a collar bone fracture a few years later, broke same wrist bones again, this time however while landing on my right elbow, I stress cracked both of them, completely wiped out right knee, all ligaments, cartilidge and fractured a bone under knee cap, fractured ankle, fractured foot twice, separation of sternum, split that and forced ribs to pull away, achilles both sides, also plantar fasciitis one foot, broke a few toes and I think that about covers all of them. Turns out that the Dysautonomia is a calcium depleating syndrome as well, so it leaves your bones weak. Of course when I broke bones all throughout high school I was "accident prone" per the doctor, not the possibility of anything underlying. No of course not, let me find it out 30 years later, much appreciated.
As this syndrome is a journey forward, its also a journey back to see how it crossed my lifes path and was overlooked. I understand that even the diagnosis in todays medical field of technology is one that most doctors steer away from due to the complexity of the syndrome, but the internet is the source that allows most people to go to their doctor with specific details to better assist the doctor in helping them help you/me. Thats my new goal now, I have the on going knowledge and research into this syndrome, so its up to me to keep my doctor informed on what my needs are now.
There arent any miracle drugs out there that can cure all of the symptoms without causing some other kind of side effect that is sometimes worse then what you started with. My frustration lies with the doctors that say "you can't feel that way" or "thats not a usual side effect for that medicine, I doubt its causing that problem". I know my body EXTREMELY well. A person with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) ((another known and highly tracked side effect of the syndrome by the way)) makes mental notes of all things in their lives that hinder A to B conclusions. So when it comes to medical, ANYTHING out of the ordinary is immediately documented and if its super serious, the doctor is contacted ASAP. Thats when I usually get some BS (Male Cow Poop) about how the meds didnt have sufficient time to build up in my system yada yada yada. Well guess what doc? With this diagnosis, do you have time to apologize for the numerous negative and unsupportive comments you made to me over the past year +? Or perhaps explain why you, the SPECIALIST, missed this and my regular family doctor went over your head to order all the tests that ended up bringing her towards this conclusion? Welcome to Floridas healthcare system. They are so used to dealing with retirement aged individuals that middle aged people like myself must be faking our symptoms because they have to actually work and think about all possiblilities of why this is happening.
Another post completed, time to relax and consider the next subject to be covered. Thanks for reading.
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