I am dreading the colder weather! Winter is beautiful and I love the snow, but nowadays I have to admire it from the inside next to a heater because my hands and arms, back, and thighs get a lace-like rash. Sometimes red, sometimes purple--sometimes faint, sometimes a lot more visible. It's really amazing to look at if I pretend it's not my body that it's happening to. Ha, ha . . .
It's worse in the cold, even in air conditioned places. And the colder it is or the longer I'm exposed to the cold, the more painful my hands in particular get. I mean it starts as a little achy, but then it gets intensely painful and feels like it goes deep to the bone. So this, too, has been noted on my symptom sheet for future diagnosis.
God, how I wish there were super simple blood tests for all autoimmune diseases! It would make so many lives easier and less stressful. On the other hand, as long as I'm undiagnosed I can pretend I'm just lazy or crazy, a normal healthy person. I know that probably doesn't make sense. I DO want a diagnosis, answers, help to feel better/normal. BUT as long as I don't have one then I'm technically just a normal person with no diagnoses except for scoliosis and drug allergies . . . Okay, I'm going to stop rambling and hope that whoever is reading this understands what I'm trying to say :)
