Dear Dr. D, When I was 12 years old (2007) I developed bronchitis . I went to the doctor for it and was prescribed antibiotics. The bronchitis cleared up as expected, but I started to have problems with my stomach. I was always nauseous and vomiting. I went to my primary care physician and he referred me to a pediatric gastroenterologist . She diagnosed me with gastroparesis, GERD , and IBS. This diagnosis came after multiple gastric emptying studies, Barium swallows with small bowel follow through, and an EGD. She told me that the gastroparesis was idiopathic and may have been caused by my immune system over reacting with I had bronchitis. So I was started on medication (nexium, reglan, and erythromyacin) to treat the symptoms of these conditions. I continued treatment like I was told. In early 2009 I was battling severe fatigue that did not improve with rest or reduced activity. I was a good athelete and in shape. I went to see my primary care physician about the fatigue and malaise and he ordered blood work to check the normal things- LFT s, kidney functions, CBC, the usual. All results came back normal. There wasn t even any anemia. He referred me to a pediatrician at Riley Hospital for children in Indianapolis, Indiana. I went to see this doctor and after more blood work which all came back normal she diagnosed me with chronic fatigue syndrome and sent me home with a treatment plan to help manage my fatigue. I followed this plan to the letter and I didn t get any worse and I didn t get any better. And that s what I was told my goal was, to maintain. I struggled with this fatigue, malaise, and stomach pain from the gastroparesis until I started to develope bowel problems in 2010. My gasto doctor concluded that it was my gallbladder after blood work and two different HIDA scans. I had my gallbladder removed. When my gallbladder was being removed the surgeon found masses on my liver. He biopsied them and removed one the size of a golfball. He later diagnosed them as Focal Nodular Hyperplasia (FNH). He prescribed no medication, just told me to get my liver scanned once a year to make sure the masses don t return. After the removal of my gallbladder I felt better for a short time. Then the pain and diarrhea returned with strength. My doctor did a colonoscopy and diagnosed me with colitis and started me on medication for it (asacol). This medication has seemed to help me. I m not symptom free, but I am at a point where I can tolerate my gastric issues. Around the beginning of this year I started to get joint pain. But no swelling. And muscle pain that moves around a lot and doesn t usually hurt in the same place twice. I have really bad cold intolerance and heat sensitivity. I m either shivering or sweating. There is no in between. I have muscle weakness. And my vision has been decreasing. I have fevers that last for weeks and then go away as fast as they came. My PCP did blood work and all came back completely normal. He referred me to an adult rheumatologist . I went to this doctor and it was like listening to a broken record. She told me that my symptoms sound a lot like those of chronic fatigue syndrome or juvenile fibromyalgia. I was hoping she d have some answers. It s not my thyroid. All the tests came back normal. She ordered more blood work checking for other arthritis antibodies and stuff like that. But she pretty much told me she didn t know and sent me to a pediatric rheumatologist at Riley. She gave me a low dose antidepressant to help me sleep and pain medication that would help with the muscle and joint pain. No doctor I go to knows what s wrong. I know that something is. I am only 17. I have been sick for 5 years now. I have multiple diagnoses, but none that explain my pain. I know you cannot diagnose a patient over an internet description of medical history without examining the patient or seeing his or hers test results. But I need someone to tell me what might be keeping me from being healthy and normal. I come home from school and fall asleep until the next morning everyday because I am so exhausted and in so much pain from the school day. I need your help. Please give me some ideas of what this might be. I m sick of being miserable. I don t want to be in pain everyday for the rest of my life. Please help me, Ashli Elrod