Volume 10 can be reached here.. please carry on...
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Current Meds - Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid/Nitrofurantoin
Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots
Additional Supplements - Multi-Vitamin/Bromelian/Acidophilus/Green Tea
It doesn't look like Vol 10 is locked yet....
Erin, I hope you start feeling better soon. I have no idea what tortilla chips do. 
Everyone, I hope your Monday went well and a good week is ahead for all!
I'm gonna pay some bills and do the checkbook tonight - wish me luck!!!!!!!! May the Gods of Checkbook Balancing and Simple Math be on my side tonight!
***
Hey CaMama, how did the checkbook go?
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Current Meds - Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid/Nitrofurantoin
Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots
Additional Supplements - Multi-Vitamin/Bromelian/Acidophilus/Green Tea
hey ya'll,just wanted to drop a quick line. i'm a little ( a lotta ) bad right now. perhaps a bad flare? or something coming on? but don't feel well. bad GI issues. cannot put weight on my knees without them giving in & hurts to touch/swollen/ PAIN. and no use of right hand w/ my fingers. argh this stinks...i was doing so good for a while.
argh this stinks...i was doing so good for a while. this too shall pass?
been reading ALL posts but excuse me if i can't reply.
all started about wednesday. so go figure.
the hand looks BAD! never had too bad joint deformity, but they've all shifted to the right (fingers) and turned swollen and a ruddy color. 
oh God and they hurt.
oh God and they hurt.on top of it all this is making me a bit anxious too. really thought i had this nipped in the bud for a bit.
rheummy friday: get knees done.
Dr. exam for SSI disability on the 16th.
PCP on 20th.
oy! 2 bloodworks in between.
had a nice vacation @ home with my honey. miss em' now that i'm back @ my own home.
here's to better tomorrow's
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Meds: Humira 40mg Q 4 days; Pred 20mg prn; Pentasa 4G daily; Imuran 50mg; Dilaudid 4mg; Diazepam 5mg; Avinza 30mg; Reglan; Meclizine; LidoDerm; MiraLax & too many others.
Erin--it sounds like you're in a lot of pain right now. Sorry to hear that. Good luck with your doctor appointments. You better get that hand looked at soon--I think joint destruction and deformity can be stopped but it has to be caught early. I hope your doctors get to the bottom of it right away.
I've noticed that the enbrel seems to make me think clearer. Have any of you enbrelers had that effect? I'm very clear-headed and on top of things the first 3-4 days after an injection, and then my brain starts hurting and I get foggy around Wednesday (I take my injections on Saturday). I think it's probably just fatigue creeping back in towards the end of the week--I get up too darn early for work. Joint-wise, I think I'm getting a bit worse because my shoulders have even less mobility now than before. Rheumy said arthritis would probably get worse before it gets better.
I'm very excited about my girls' first dance recital on Sunday. They are 3 years old and have absolutely no idea what is going on. One of them dances with the rest of the girls in their class; the other stands there most of the time with her arms crossed. When she does dance (and she dances beautifully when it's her idea), she doesn't sing the words like the rest of her class, but makes sound effects consistent with the dance moves. It is hysterical. I have no idea what they're going to do when they get in front of an audience for the first time. I hope it doesn't traumatize them.
Have a great Wednesday everyone!
Elcamino
Current dx: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Suspected dx: Early Lupus/MCTD
Current Meds: Enbrel, Plaquenil, Aciphex, Ultracet, Zyrtec, Allavert-D, Zantac, Tylenol PM
Past Meds: Relafen, Vioxx, Mobic, Voltaren, Sulfasalazine, Entocort, Prednisone, Humira, Reglan
Elcamino,
Funny you mention about thinking clearer when you take the Enbrel. I noticed that right after i get my Humira
injection i see clearer. It was the first thing i noticed. I have only had 2 injections so far, but did notice right after that
everything seems more vivid. Interesting............
Hope you enjoy your daughters dance recitals. I went to my nieces last weekend. Four hours long. Uggggh, but adorable.
Erin,
I am sorry to hear you are not doing well. Hang in there! You will rebound!!!!!
Caprie
Funny you mention about thinking clearer when you take the Enbrel. I noticed that right after i get my Humira
injection i see clearer. It was the first thing i noticed. I have only had 2 injections so far, but did notice right after that
everything seems more vivid. Interesting............
Hope you enjoy your daughters dance recitals. I went to my nieces last weekend. Four hours long. Uggggh, but adorable.
Erin,
I am sorry to hear you are not doing well. Hang in there! You will rebound!!!!!
Caprie
Moanin' everyone.. is it Friday yet?
Hey ElCamino - how are you with the fatigue and mobility in your shoulder? I haven't noticed any difference in my vision or in my thoughts after my injection, I am gonna have to pay more attention... hhhmmm interesting... I normally inject on Tuesdays, however, my rheumy's office didn't put in my refills like they were supposed to, so I won't get my refill til tomorrow... dangit... Hopefully I'll be ok, I don't feel too bad today... will just have to wait and see... You'll have to let us know how the recitals went... how exciting!
Erin, how are you? Any better? Maybe everything has caught up with you, like the stuff with the wedding and the wedding itself? Last time you wore yourself thin, you got pneumonia... this could be the samething... keep up the garlic!
Caprie - good to hear from you again, I am so happy to hear that you are doing well on the Humira... these biologics, I don't know what we'd do without them!
CaMama- how'd you do with your checkbook? Everything ok?
Well, here's to another day!
Duck
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Hey ElCamino - how are you with the fatigue and mobility in your shoulder? I haven't noticed any difference in my vision or in my thoughts after my injection, I am gonna have to pay more attention... hhhmmm interesting... I normally inject on Tuesdays, however, my rheumy's office didn't put in my refills like they were supposed to, so I won't get my refill til tomorrow... dangit... Hopefully I'll be ok, I don't feel too bad today... will just have to wait and see... You'll have to let us know how the recitals went... how exciting!
Erin, how are you? Any better? Maybe everything has caught up with you, like the stuff with the wedding and the wedding itself? Last time you wore yourself thin, you got pneumonia... this could be the samething... keep up the garlic!
Caprie - good to hear from you again, I am so happy to hear that you are doing well on the Humira... these biologics, I don't know what we'd do without them!
CaMama- how'd you do with your checkbook? Everything ok?
Well, here's to another day!
Duck
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Current Meds - Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid/Nitrofurantoin
Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots
Additional Supplements - Multi-Vitamin/Bromelian/Acidophilus/Green Tea
hey ya'll,i'm alive. hands bad when using them. still painful & swollen.
i want to chop my legs off! cannot wait to get these knees drained & injected w/ steroids (can't believe i just said that) but that's my only hope.
aaah, i had my 1st HUMIRA reaction! geesh. all over red, rash, itchy...ugh! just got some Benedryl. ok now a bit.yeah, i'm in a very acute, severe RA flare (and i think the Crohns too). oy thank you all for your thoughts.
thank you all for your thoughts.erin
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Meds: Humira 40mg Q 4 days; Pred 20mg prn; Pentasa 4G daily; Imuran 50mg; Dilaudid 4mg; Diazepam 5mg; Avinza 30mg; Reglan; Meclizine; LidoDerm; MiraLax & too many others.
oh, got a haircut the other day. picture "Amelie`" (that cute French film w/ Audrey Taotou). or Audrey Hepburn a-la "Roman Holiday". it's fun but weird feeling with no hair!
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Meds: Humira 40mg Q 4 days; Pred 20mg prn; Pentasa 4G daily; Imuran 50mg; Dilaudid 4mg; Diazepam 5mg; Avinza 30mg; Reglan; Meclizine; LidoDerm; MiraLax & too many others.
Erin - I hope you feel better soon. I'm sorry you are hurting so bad.
Ducky - I spent too darn long on HW that night AND tonight and STILL have not hit the bills (i'm gonna be late if I don't get on it!) Last night the family went out....so I slacked off altogether! I'll let you know how it goes.
ElCamino - have you ever tried acupuncture? my husband is a cashier and had some horrible problems with his arm and mobility. He found a really good acupuncturist and she surprisingly helped him out quite a bit.
The weather has turned here and I'm really achy....I'm trying to be careful not to let it get too bad (like I can control it?!), anyway, doing my best to keep the overall self under control <sigh.>
***
Oh I need to get my hair done... the greys are taking over... CRAP! Someday... :)
Bills... I really need to hit the lottery, then I can just pay them all off!
And then hire an acupunturist and herbalist to try and soothe all my aches and pains away...
Oh, and I'd buy a remote island where there is perfect weather everyday!
A woman can dream!
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Bills... I really need to hit the lottery, then I can just pay them all off!
And then hire an acupunturist and herbalist to try and soothe all my aches and pains away...
Oh, and I'd buy a remote island where there is perfect weather everyday!
A woman can dream!
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Current Meds - Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid/Nitrofurantoin
Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots
Additional Supplements - Multi-Vitamin/Bromelian/Acidophilus/Green Tea
I needed a haircut 3 months ago!
Ahhh, the lottery! Then I could spend the money to invent me a self-typer, just THINK what I want to say and the computer types away at it.....my poor fingers would get such rest!
there is software that all you do is talk what you want, and it types it... pretty cool stuff!
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Current Meds - Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid/Nitrofurantoin
Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots
Additional Supplements - Multi-Vitamin/Bromelian/Acidophilus/Green Tea
No Kidding! I wonder how well it works.
Technology never ceases to amaze me.....but I'm still waiting for Star Trek medical technology - THAT I'd like!
Moanin' Everybody!
Well, I was supposed to have a rheumatology appt tomorrow, however, my referral had expired, and my insurance company hasn't approved a new one yet, so I have to wait... again... So frustrating... but what can you do?
How have you all been? I'm sorry I haven't been around lately... but rest assured even if I am not posting, I am still reading all the posts...
I think it is great that we have gotten some new members! Very cool! And a big thank you to our devout members that post daily! 
Hope all is well with everyone - I am off to soak in a hot tub, TS Alberto has kicked my butt and my joints need a rest... 
Duck
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
Current Meds - Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid/Nitrofurantoin
Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots
Additional Supplements - Multi-Vitamin/Bromelian/Acidophilus/Green Tea
How is everyone? We haven't checked in in quite a while.
Erin, I'm worried about you? Are you ok? How was your lovely weekend?
I'm the same. I think my medications are doing something, but not nearly enough. Also, don't know whether it's the plaquenil, the enbrel, or the combination of both of them. I'm hanging in there, but completely losing my patience with this whole mess. I realize it could be a lot worse, but I am just so tired of it. And then, not having a definitive dx on top of all this. The good news is that I've been carefully tracking pain and stiffness in my joints everyday now for the last 3 months. I've charted the data in connection with the enbrel injections and guess what? There doesn't appear to be any connection at all. I can show the charts to my rheumy and see what he says, but I think enbrel may not be the right drug for me. Unless I just need to add mtx to the mix. Don't know what the next step might be, but rheumy did mention kinaret. Don't really want to go there because he said that not a lot of people have a positive response to it. But we'll see. I don't see him for another couple of weeks.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Elcamino
Current dx: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Suspected dx: Early Lupus/MCTD
Current Meds: Enbrel, Plaquenil, Aciphex, Ultracet, Zyrtec, Allavert-D, Zantac, Tylenol PM
Past Meds: Relafen, Vioxx, Mobic, Voltaren, Sulfasalazine, Entocort, Prednisone, Humira, Reglan
hey "el"
you could be right. adding the MTX could do the thing.
adding the MTX could do the thing. i tell ya, the Humira alone for me was doing nill until it was doubled the dose & the doc added the Imuran. so perhaps you do need a kick start. and this was after a year almost on the Humira!
don't give up.
i've done the same. charts are off the wall!!!!! i like objective data myself...so following stuff like that only pi**es me off more! LOL. although i tell patients to do it! LOL.
charts are off the wall!!!!! i like objective data myself...so following stuff like that only pi**es me off more! LOL. although i tell patients to do it! LOL.ah geez...in all, it is a good thing to keep track of it. at least it's visible info to see exactly where you're going and where you've been.
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Meds: Humira 40mg Q 4 days; Pred 20mg prn; Pentasa 4G daily; Imuran 50mg; Dilaudid 4mg; Diazepam 5mg; Avinza 30mg; Reglan; Meclizine; LidoDerm; MiraLax & too many others.
El Camino, I so hear your frustration! Good for you on charting it all. I really should do that on so many levels!
I went and did my labs on Friday - so, we'll see if the bloodwork/insurance thinks it's lupus. I also saw the female doctor. She is doing an sonogram in 2weeks on me, wants to rule out any problems on the female end of things. She also sent me in for a handful of blood work as well.
I'm better from my 4 weeks of being "unwell" - joint problems could have been much worse, but it was the combo of that and so many other seemingly health-related ones that just really dragged me down. Then I went thru my bout of severe depression. I think I'm on the mend finally (but still feel like a teeter-totter) and hope I can be free of that rollercoaster for quite a while. One can hope. Job is going okay....not great, but okay - that might be because of my 'mood' lately. Who knows.
To make things worse, with all that's gone on - I've put back on the little bit of weight I finally did loose. I feel like a COW. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo. Well, I AM cow, no wonder.... Well, enough of that, this is the arthritis forum, not the "I'm gonna eat myself in to an early grave if I don't cut it out..." forum. HOWEVER, this is the first week of summer - I did make goals for the summer and one of them is to start exercising and get off my fat behind (hmmm, I've heard that before) while the weather is good (of course, I have severe flares almost every July, but I'll do my best. Why do I know it's every July? because you can't forget when one spends one's birthday in angonizing tears more often than not.) Oy, I hear that sorrow traing a-coming, so I'll end here and GET HAPPY. I think I need to start seeing a shrink.....**
Well, enough of that, this is the arthritis forum, not the "I'm gonna eat myself in to an early grave if I don't cut it out..." forum. HOWEVER, this is the first week of summer - I did make goals for the summer and one of them is to start exercising and get off my fat behind (hmmm, I've heard that before) while the weather is good (of course, I have severe flares almost every July, but I'll do my best. Why do I know it's every July? because you can't forget when one spends one's birthday in angonizing tears more often than not.) Oy, I hear that sorrow traing a-coming, so I'll end here and GET HAPPY. I think I need to start seeing a shrink.....**Dah! Das furloin Camama must see doctor Freud dah? LOL.
Ooooh, this is the evening post of "Moanin' HW"! at the witching hour it is! Awe, Camama...you've got it in you, you know you do. But once...once you start to drop and it goes down and down....you'll get it going. In illness the body kinda goes into "crisis" mode & sometimes clings on to every darn calorie to fight disease because it thinks it need to. And add on any extra bonus you might have to make things harder...well there you go. Not excuses, but we've gotta know what where dealing with. Might not be able to lose weight the way a normal healthy person does.
So I watched a cute film. "The Millions" & "Shadow in the Sun" both very nice.
Camama, that was soooo peculiar you mentioned the other day "The Enchanted Cottage" my mom & me watched it that Saturday morning on TCM!
Wishing everyone well.
erin
Active, Severe Rheumatory Arthritis. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Meds: Humira 40mg Q 4 days; Pred 20mg prn; Pentasa 4G daily; Imuran 50mg; Dilaudid 4mg; Diazepam 5mg; Avinza 30mg; Reglan; Meclizine; LidoDerm; MiraLax & too many others.
Too funny. The Enchanted Cottage just struck a chord with me, you know? Strange.
I have tried and tried in the past to loose with absolutely no luck. The doc basically said, 'your liver, your metabolism - it's all screwed up after all this...it's gonna take a long time with a LOT of hard work to get your body going..." So, needless to say, after all I've been thru, I just don't want to do it as I get so darn frustrated after TRYING so hard and not seeing even a few pounds drop. This old dog just enjoys her mood food and I'm gonna regret it in the end. I have children who need me and I need to do it for THEM if I can't at least do it for ME and tell myself those dang doritos (or whatever) will still be there next YEAR and convince myself, 3 months of dieting and not loosing more than 2 pounds is not a reason for giving up. I really do NOT want to die and I have too many close calls these last 3 years to know I'm not ready to leave just yet.
Hope you have a nice night**