For the past six years I have been experiencing a strange spectrum of symptoms that have made life a bit uncomfortable. It started with a persistent pain in my upper right back, almost like someone was stabbing me from the inside with the blunt end of a screwdriver right under my shoulder blade. That was accompanied by numbness and loss of dexterity in my right hand. The numbness would often be felt in the right side of my face, and extend down to the toes on my right foot. Within a few months another tender area made its debut in the area between my neck and head, on the right hand side. Soon, I was experiencing facial swelling (right side), migraines, swollen tonsil (right side) that never goes down, frequent fevers (measurable, 100-103) as well as drenching night sweats. Over the last few months a new interesting thing has been occurring. I have been getting a red rash, though not itchy, that starts on the right side of my neck and moves up to cover the right side of my face. This rash does cross the trunk. My skin, rash or no rash, will often itch for no reason (everywhere). Benadryl doesn't seem to help. I may add that I have been seen a number of times at various hospitals and urgent care offices because I felt like I had a kidney infection, only to find no sign of infection. Other than the urine test results indicating blood, protein and a high white blood cell count, its normal. CT scans show nothing, I have had two of my abdomen, one of my sinus. MRI in of my neck and upper thoracic area. All to no avail.

Over the past two years I have been admitted to the ER 4 due to vomiting (not nausea, the vomiting is projectile and uncontrollable) and diarrhea. These bouts seem to come on with little to no warning, are violent and on the last occurrence my abdomen swelled up as though I was 6 months pregnant. Unlike a bug, I do not experience nausea. Its more as though my stomach refuses to accept anything, including water. It causes great physical pain to drink or eat during these flare ups.

A majority of the symptoms are with me 24/7, but are tolerable. They become intolerable during the first week before beginning my period and usually subside by the time my menses have begun.