Update, still among the living!

Hi Chart, Acquiesce, and UA:

Thanks everyone for your loving support. Chart, your comments brought a great big smile to my face. I know I should ignore my family and get myself a fur baby. Yet, my emotions make me hold off, I know my daughter asked me to wait until she felt ready for a cat to be here in the house with us. She's considering living here with us after graduation. She sees a cat and still bursts out into tears, so I'd hate to make her feel bad while living here.

Yep, I'm so lonely for a cat but I do get it from the point of my family. I know that my hubby is looking at it as a huge chore for him. He's the one that cleans the box for me, as I'm not suppose to w/o my immune system working, cleaning a kitty box is a huge NO NO. I want to get an electric cat box, (the kind that cleans itself) but he feels that it's a cleaning supplier that is just trying to separate us from our money.

As for how I'm feeling, well....... things could be a lot better. Last Thursday when I saw my Rheumy he gave me a shot of steroids into the bicep tendon sheath directly. He said he used a thinner steroid in the shot as the thicker stuff could potentially rupture my tendon sheath. Well, Friday seemed to be okay, then Saturday AM it hit me hard. I'm worse off than I was before the shot. I can not even wipe off my kitchen table. If I have to move my hand/arm in a circular motion, and I can't move my hand to even attempt to unbuckle my seat belt or bra. Tonight, I had to sign some documents and had to hold the paperwork far away to sign. I'm certain something is torn in my shoulder.

Rheumy called to check on me and recommended I see the PT department for a few weeks. If that does not help or fix my problem then he'll order an MRI of my shoulder to figure out what's going on in there.

My foot is killing me BIG, BIG, TIME. This morning when I got up on it I started crying and hardly put any weight on the foot. I emailed my foot surgeon and he's instructed me to see him first thing on Thursday, he's going to look at the heel and see if he can figure it out. I feel totally like I'm walking bone against bone. The heel is so swollen and bruised up. Won't even go on about the area where he could reach to operate.

I know there's NO WAY I can continue on with this foot like it is. My pain is way way to high and honestly I'd rather chop off my foot than keep it the way it currently is.

My lupus is still flaring big time and it's looking like I've either developed lupus vasculitis or lupus panniculitis. Either way I'm going to need different medications in addition to 30 I'm already taking. Will see the dermatologist on the 17th of Sept for the incision biopsy to be done at that time to try to figure out what I truly have growing on my leg.

Well, that's all for now, I'm going to go and try to get some sleep. My foot and shoulder are hurting so badly but I'm nodding off sitting here. Shortly, hubby will be yelling that I've gone to sleep w/o my machine on.

I hope you all have had a great day and low pain levels. I hope TODAY is a good one for each and everyone of you. I know that there are many here who just read along. I wish you all a great day and a pain free one at that. Hang in there and I'll update you soon.

Hugs,
Barbara

We bought my mother in law a self cleaning litter box - at first the noise did bother her (mother in law, not cat) but it worked great and was more than worth what we paid, until she decided to wash it in the bathtub.

I see them on Craigslist a few times a month....

I understand your family's point of view but I'm still voting for the cat to keep you company and love you all day long.

Hope your tests today went good for you, hope the foot surgeon is of better help to you...many prayers for you...

Barb,

Just passed by, read your latest update, and letting you know, you are still always in my thoughts and prayers.

Keep on keeping on my friend, as I am in my world of pain and hurt. Remember our "deal". You don't give up, I don't give up.

You have many dear friends here, myself included, they are rooting for your constantly.

Hope you are resting well as I write this at 106 AM. Me, still very much wide awake, in a world of pain, stomach cramps, back aches, etc. But nothing new there.

Down to 135 lbs, have now lost 114 lbs. since the end of last September, and still no dx. or serious explanation. I did #4 today, of 30 scheduled hyperbaric oxygen treatments, still have a long way to go.

My major oral surgery is scheduled now for 1 PM on October 2nd in Columbia, SC at the big VA hospital.

Having a facial MRI done this coming Monday, to investigate a growing lump in my left cheek, near the area where my last porocarcinoma tumor was found some years ago. Hoping and praying that it has not redeveloped.

Good luck my friend, hope you truly are at least holding your own for another day, another week, another month. It's all any of us can do.

David in SC, still your "pain buddy".