Age: 52.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: COVID19, COVID19
Symptoms: Muscular weakness, Musculoskeletal disorder, Musculoskeletal stiffness, Neck pain, Nervous system disorder
Clinical narrative: Symptoms started with joint pain in shoulders and hips. At first I thought it was just hard physical work, I own a  company, combined with my age that was causing the pain. I would take ibuprofen to help the pain and allow me to move more freely. After about a month of increasing pain I increased the medication to include tylenol every 4 hrs after taking ibuprofen. Once I couldn't lift my left leg into my truck without help from my arms I made a doctors appt(Dec. 2021). The doctor did an examination, ordered blood labs and gave an initial diagnosis of Poly Myalgia Rheumatica. Once the labs were ready I went back in and the doctor confirmed Poly Myalgia Rheumatica he then prescribed a prednisone pack. Initially I felt better but once that round of prednisone ended the symtoms returned. When I returned to the doctor he again prescribed a prednisone pack and set me up to see a Rheumatologist. After seeing the rheumatologist and being put on a long time dosage of prednisone I had an eye doctor app. This was on March 18, 2022 and they saw something that prompted them to check my blood pressure. Due to a side effect of the prednisoe my blood pressure was at 170/85. I made another doctors appt and was given a prescription of amlodipine to reduce the blood pressure. Along with the blood pressure side effect there was another side effect of prednisoe which is weight gain. Unfortunatly I ended up gaining about 35 pounds and because of the high blood pressure I could not exercise. This weight gain caused problems with my right leg and back. In May of 2022 I had a bakers cyst burst behind my right knee which caused bruising down my leg. And in July of 2022 I slipped stepping out of the back of my truck and damaged my back badly. This required an emergency back surgery on the 18th of July. Since then I still have weakness in my left leg and nerve issues from the back problems. I am currently scheduled for another back surgery on April 14th of 2023.   On Sept. 10th of 2022 I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my lower left leg. I was given blood thinners for 3 months and was told it could have been from my recent back surgery but believe it was from the vaccine.  I have finished the prednisone as of March 13th 2023 and have started to get the joint pain back slowly since reducing to 1mg on February 13th. Over the last week it has gotten to the point that I'm again having problems with my shoulders, hips, knees, hands, wrists, back and neck. The worst of all these is my hands, shoulders and hips.  During the problems with my Poly Myalgia Rheumatica I have had three lipomas start growing and have had to have two removed. The first of which started growing in my left arm below where I received the covid vaccine. I originally had the surgery to remove this one on July 22nd of 2022 but because of the back surgery it was postponed to August 25th. The second lipoma was removed from behind my left knee on January 18th 2023. The third is growing on my right shoulder blade but is not causing a problem with my everyday movements as of yet anyway.    It is Now July 2nd, 2023 and I have had the ALIF back surgery which consisted of 2 spacers and a cage around L4-L5 and L5-S1. Since I have been off the Prednisone I"ve lost 29 pounds and besides some peripheral neuropathy in my feet, that I control with gabbapentin, my back feels better. I am to start physical therapy to get the strength back in my left leg that was lost on July 12th 2023. Unfoturnatly the Poly Myalgia Rheumatica has fully retruned and due to the back surgery I cannot take any anti-inflammatories for 3 months. The pain and stiffness is problematic for not only my job but my life in general. I have been taking tylenol but that only masks the pain and it doesn't help with the stiffness. I have been back to see my rheumatologist and have been prescribed hydroxychloroquine. Although the hydroxy has been prescribed it will take several months for it to start working and is yet to help.  The lipoma on my left shoulder blade continues to grow but again is not problematic at this time.