I have written this in the pregnancy forum, but someone said i should ask for help here, so here goes.
This is me and my wifes first baby, and to be honest, it has been a complete nightmare for my wife. My wife is currently 20 weeks pregnant. For the first 15 weeks, she felt sick all the time, day and night, then about 4 weeks ago, she started to get pains in both hands and feet.
At first, her feet were worse, and she could only walk for 10 mins before her feet became so painful. Sometimes she will just sit there and her feet would start aching and sometimes this would last all day and night. At the time, my wifes hands would only hurt when she moved them, but the last two weeks, her hands have been so bad, even when she does not move them.She can't sleep at night because of the pain and the pain is there 24/7.
We went to our midwife and she said its most prob fluid, and she booked us to see a Physiotherapist. We went to see the physiotherapist and She asked loads of questions about the symptoms and check her hands and feet. She said it was worrying that my wifes feet and hands were really hot, and the fact that she couldn't straighten her hands or make a fist. She said my wife might have severe carpal tunnel syndrone, and said its quite rare for a woman who is only 18 weeks gone to have these symptons.
We told her that our doctor was going to make an appiontment to see rheumatologist. She went to check to see if they got my wifes information, and it turns out that our doctor did not even bother to tell them!!! So the woman said she will sort it out. She gave us some splinters for the hands but they did not work. She said that when we go home, i should get a bowl of hot water, and a bowl of cold water, and my wife should dip her hands in the cold for a while, and then the hot. We done this, and the symptoms did go for about 30 mins, but then they just come back stronger
we went to the hospital. We saw a doctor and she seemed to think that it was carpal tunnel syndrome. She took us to the anti natal department in the hospital. Another doctor came along and done some simple tests with my wifes hands and said he did not think it was carpal tunnel. He told her that she will have to stay there overnight and take a blood test. Also, he said he would get the Orthopedist doctor to check her out.
That night after i left, she was really bad. They gave her some sort of drink and she fell asleep for an hour, but woke up again in pain. In the end, they gave her an injection of Morphine that knocked her out all night.
The next day five Orthopedist doctors came over and done some simple tests. He said he did not believe it was carpal tunnel syndrome.The blood tests came back and they were fine, with no sign of arthritis. He said it was a complete mystery. He said he would get the Rheumatologist to come and see her.
He came and done some tests. He said he believed it was Rheumatoid Arthritis and they would need to do another blood test.
She was in so much pain they injected her with some sort of steroid and gave her 30mg codeine.
They said it will take a few days for the steroid to start working, so she should take the codeine, two every six hours. We have an appointment to see the Rheumatologist on the 5th may.
To be honest, the 15mg codeine did not work, and the 30mg is not working too and the steroid did not work either
I was very skeptical about the steroid because everything they have given my wife has not worked (apart from the morphine) but she can't take that everyday.
My wife was bad again, so i took her up the hospital.The midwife there said there is nothing they can do about it, and we really should not be in the marternity ward because its not pregnancy related, which is a load of rubbish. Anyways, another doctor came and could see she was in alot of pain, so he said she should stay the night.
She was in alot of pain that night and they gave her the drink again and the morphine, but they did not work as well as the first time she took them and the pain was there all night.
In the morning, a doctor came to see us and she said the blood tests came back fine, and she believed that the problem was fluid in the hands and sensitive nerves. She said there is not much they can do, and she will have to wait to see the Rheumatologist. Also, one of the drugs the midwife gave my wife was IBprofen. I asked if it was safe, and she said it was , but not after 24 weeks. Anyways, after two days of taking it, the doctor said we should not be taking it and stopped it straight away.
The sad thing about this, is they don't even know 100% what is causing this. I have had to stop work because my wife can't do anthing with her hands. She can't eat, wash, brush her teeth etc. She cries everyday because of the pain, and night time is the worst time. She said she has never felt pain like this before.
What i do to ease the pain in wrap a frozen bottle in a thin towel and she holds it at night so it numbs the hand and she can sleep. It the day time she has her hands in a bowl of cold water. But as soon at she takes her hands aways, they get so hot and the pain comes back again.
I rang the Rheumatologist today and managed to get an earlier appointment. We need to see him tomorrow, the same day we have our 20 week scan.
I am so stressed over this, and what makes it worse is, i have not come across one woman who went through, or is going through the same thing as my wife.
My wife is in a really bad way, and she is worried that there is nothing they can do about it, but she says she can't take the pain much longer. She said the pain feels like the time she trapped her finger in the car door, but this time its all over her hands and wrist 24/7. Also her hands are so hot and she has a burning pain feeling too. When i use the frozen bottle, the heat of her hands melts the ice quite quickly, thats how bad it is.
We went for the 20 week scan, and the baby is fine. We asked the sex, and she said its a girl. Then we went to the Rheumatologist. We were early, so we had to wait for an hour. Because my wife had been walking, and her feet were not up like they are at home, her feet started to hurt really bad, and when that happens, she can't walk.
Anyways, the nurse came to us and said she needed a urine sample. As my wife could not do it herself, i had to go in and do it. Now you see what i mean when i say i have to do everything.
We went into the doctors room. It was the same Rheumatologist we saw at the hospital about a week ago. He was the one who thought it might be Rheumatoid arthritis.
Anyways he said to us that the blood tests came back fine. He checked her hands again. He said he needed to do tests, but it would be hard because she was pregnant. He rang another doctor to ask if pregnant women can use catscans. The doctor was not there, so he said he will see us in two weeks again, plus book us in to see the Physiotherapist. I told him that we saw the Physiotherapist last week, and they referred us to you. He said he will make another appoitment with them so they can do hand excercises with my wife.
I said its been 4 weeks, and we are no closer to finding out what the problem is, and in the meantime, my wife is in constant agony. I said you keep on giving us these drugs, but they have no effect whatsoever. I really lost it with him!
My wife was next to me and she just broke down. She told him she can't take the pain much longer, and he said "well, its not life threatening" I could not believe he said that!
Anyways , he gave us some more steroids ( prednisolone) I told him i was sceptical because all the other drugs they gave my wife have not worked, but could be harmful for the baby.
Im thinking about joining bupa paying monthly because this is a complete and utter joke! My wife can't take much more of this, and nor can i.
My wife is Chinese, and she rang her brother today. He is quite wealthy in China and he told her to come back home and see some doctors. He knows a few doctors in Beijing. Its really tempting because with the doctors here, we are getting nowhere. They are just pumping my wife with drugs, even when they don't know what the problem is!