Good Moanin' HealingWell V62

Got to church and really got the pain surge.  I asked a friend to drive me and the girls home after church, then took a darvacet.  After an hour I took another one.  It makes me loopy, so I don't want to drive on it.

I have found that if I ice my knees, then use a heat pack, then ice again my knees start to feel a bit better.  It doesn't last long, but it is relief for a while. It helps my hands as well.

I really thought that I would be better today.  Maybe I juat pressed too hard this morning getting the girls ready for church.  I was ready to be better.

Hey Folks, Just been busy and sorry to be MIA for so long.  We will probably be going back in for surgery soon (stoma is prolapsed).  Hubby ready to get this over with.  Needs to gain more weight but may not be able to do so until he's put back together.  Anyway, I may disappear again for a while.  Will probably know tomorrow. 

I know I will be severely admonished for this but here goes.......I haven't taken time for myself.  Need to see rheumy and get meds adjusted or changed.  What I'm on now (Lodine) isn't doing it.  Next step is Methotrexate.  OK, OK, I'm going to do it.  Ahhhhh, I feel better just getting that off my chest and coming clean.

This is the hardest week of my entire year as the Youth Finals Rodeo is in town.  We usually work about 16 hour days during the rodeo but this year I released my position of picking up clothes at the rodeo grounds.  Told them to contact one of the other cleaners in town.  Not up to doing this without hubby.  Oh well, it's only money and my health is more important.  Besides, we may be in the hospital.  This is truly a relief for me. 

Have a good week and I'll be in touch as soon as I can. 

Boo

I went to the rheumy yesterday, and everything is status quo for the next two months, and he forgot about reducing the plaq, thank goodness, but its coming up time for an eye exam and I know my eyeballs are getting a bit worse, probably from the plaq, but gosh I hate to give it up...its almost like the pred..almost! I told him I was taking a weight training class and he just sat there and looked at me, nodding his head, not really sure what to say? it was strange to say the least!! Anyway that was my visit

I hope everyone else is doing well and staying cool, it is really hot here!!!

she also said i might want to try the tens unit around my ankle and see if that will help.  have not done that yet.

i am too excited about the poetry getting published and should send more out but have been tired from my usual activities, swimming, housework, etc.  it has been very hot and humid here.  i will be going to a fireman's gala on thursday night.  perhaps i can light some handsome man's fire?

what do you think?

Happy Anniversary, Jody!  And I hope you have a great time on your trip.

Boo

Good moanin' - or afternoon really

Yesterday I went to the rheumy.  It was the new one, and he was really, really good.  Enough that I think I will switch practices to go with him when my other one returns.  I hope that doesn't make trouble.

He says that my previous med level was rather light, but that was because I was responding so well to the initial treatment, there was no reason to be aggressive.  Now that this flair had happened, and I am still swollen and sore, it is time to treat the RA aggressively.

We talked about the changes in how I felt, and what I could expect in the way of recovery.  He stated that the goal is not going to be absence of pain (although some lucky souls do get complete recovery like that), but that the pain is not constant and is not consuming.  It needs to be manageable.

He explained that the pain meds were not to eliminate the pain - for inflammation pain it would knock you out before taking all of the pain.  The goal was actually to 'curb' the pain and assist the pain tolerance level till the prednisone got a chance to work.  it explains a lot, and changes what I thought the darvicat was doing.  he wrote me for a lot more darvicat and said that I could take it and MO for pain regularly.  He also left me on the prednisone for another 2 months, but is weaning me down from 20 mg a day to 10 mg a day.  He also added Methotrexate to the list of medications, and I take my first dose tonight.

I was told that I did not eat/drink/do anything to cause the flair, nor could I have eaten/drank/done anything to prevent it.  He said that my weight would not effect the RA, although the inflammation is not good for my body, and any side effects may be easier to handle in a healthy body.  I should strive to eat/be healthy, and if that causes me to loose weight- so be it.  He also said that I did not have to get on the cursed elliptical machine again.  Until I fell a lot better I should be doing most, if not all, of my excercise in the pool.  This is good news because I really enjoy the water arobics class that I am in.

The hair thinning of the mex had me worried- I used to have fine, but very full hair.  Lately I have had alot falling out.  All day long, sitting on my pillow in the morning, in my hand or brush when I run it through my hair.  I get handfuls when I wash my hair.  I can see where my hair is thinning- I don't want to loose much more.

Also, for the GI and mouth side effects I have started today some of the "healthy yougart".  I plan to eat one of the yo+ yougarts every day to promote a healthy bacteria in the GI tract that will aggravate the GI mucus less.  I don't knkow what to do about my mouth.  I have a broken tooth, so it rubs on the inside of my lip, causing a scratch there sometimes.  maybe I can convince the insurance company now that it is a health issue for me to fix it now.

If you have any ideas on what I can do too, please let me know.

I had an interesting train journey down here esterday from London in the 'quiet' coach where all electrical stuff is switched off and people have he option of a relatively peaceful and undisturbed journey. Well that was the theory but when one is surrounded by a large group of 20 something young men heading for a Cornish resort for a mate's stag night that is difficult. Add to the the fact that the train had been horribly overbooked and also had one  coach missing it was a recipe for high blood pressure for many travellers who could not make allowances for the situation. The young men were not rude, or offensive, nor were they drunk but they were LOUD - in the QUIET coach. A heinous crime particularly when you consider that they were often standing for hundreds of miles [allowing older people to have their reseerved seats]. The bleaters and the sheep were in their element 'I've had to listen to you forthe last two hurs and enough is enough' she railed at ME! I'd been minding my own business with my mp3 on my ears. Well I wasn't going to take that lying down so I stood up and gave her a kiss!!! Such an act act in this country can often mean a court appearance for sexual assault but it seemed to work - she went right red and sat down shocked at having been kissed by what appeared to be a yeti on vacation. But it seemed to calm her down some.   

I know we are not allowed tto talk politics or religion here but observations from across the pond. We have Barak over herre at the moment and he is incredibly popular despite people knowing nothing much about him - the press are incredibly polite about him - dig that eh? The british press, affectionately known as the reptiles over here, polite to nd about a politician, it just doesn't happen in this country.

I am a member of a user driven forum for people with pd over here and if you have 5 minutes to spare give it a visit - google PDUK for people with PD and you should find a link. If you end up in the PDS forum you should've turned right at Allberquerque or  somewhere equally elegant. It was set up by John P who for the last 6 years has gone the rounds of neurologists merely being told what he hasn't got during which time he has deteriorated and still does not know what he HAS got. A remarkable man. He has finally been referred to a professor in London but why hhas it taken his doctor 6 years to reach this decision? The vagueries of the British health system.

On courfse for the road trip next year - my Washington confeence is in July and I will hopefullly be spending a couple of weeks afterwards visitng people - form a line over there please. I'm due to retire end of May so .................watch this space.

I do ohpe all of your individual problems don't hurt tooo much but to all of you; boo, yally, [more obtuse calls next yeareh?]  erin, ducky, babyplace [thanks for the mail but I will respond], camama, mom2hundreds, joanie [well done on the  publishing front girl] elcamino, raven [where are you]  and to everybody I haven't mentioned or known

staywell

The bear

Hey All! Boy, what is it, once a month I finally get online? Things are busy, to say the least.

Welcome Christina (yeah, a little late), it sounds like that new doctor you saw is a good one. I think you should continue to see him. someone mentioned to make sure you drink lots of water and get a good amount of folic acid in daily, I will support that comment - both are VERY important. I lost a lot of hair on mthx as well, but though I felt I must be going bald because my hair was always EVERYWHERE, I didn't get more than some thinning - and that scare got me to take really good care of my hair!   Also, a  good B Complex supplement daily is a good idea as well (this also contians folic acid).

Who is getting published for poetry? I forgot...congrats! Boo, good luck with hubby's surgery. I read a 17-year old Italian boy for someone else??? OY!! Good luck!!!!! 17-year old boys from ANYWHERE, geesh, that's got to be a handful!

Okay, my fingers have had enough I haven't said 'hi' to you all - I hope you know I'm thinking of all of you constantly and praying everyone's health and joints are holding up w/o too much hassle. ***