| I have valley fever. I believe I contracted it at June Lake,CA. Vally fever is caused by the fungal spore coccidioidomycosis. There are different degrees with cocci ,but my first symptoms began with pneumonia then painful erythema nodosum ( a skin inflammation that results in reddish, painful, tender lumps most commonly located in the front of the legs below the knees and sometimes on the upper back shoulders and arms.) All my joints became inflamed and I could barely walk. All I could do was cry. Breathing was hard. I was like that for about a month. It took a couple months for me to get treatment. i was put on diflucan, i took that for several months but it made me sick and thinned my hair. My ID Dr took me off the diflucan and I went on VFEND. I took that for 7 months or so until the VF was controlled. I flare every few months and I have to go back on the VFEND. The VFEND also induced lupus.....so that sucks. But, VF can kill you so I have to take medication. There is nothing I can do to keep it from flaring and 9 out of 10 people living where I live have VF. It is just most people do not get as sick as I have.  |