and Judy

[Guest guest]

and Judy,

Thanks for sharing your amazing stories.

Judy,

I've been hearing lots of good and bad about prednisone. Thanks for you

perspective. Interesting too about the depression aspect. When you think

about it, how could it be otherwise when all you can think about is how bad

you feel, and how are you going to get through the day. Because I had been

sleeping poorly for such a long time, I was prescribed ativan last summer to

help me sleep. It works and I can sleep again. Things can look really dark

when you are sleep deprived. Back in mid summer I lost my 19 year old cat to

old age, my beloved boss of 7 years retired and all the uncertainties and

anxieties of adapting to a new boss became my lot in life. I found myself

uncharacteristically floundering, crying all the time, feeling lousy and in

pain and wondering what was to become of me. Thank God those days are behind

me, things at work are different but good, I smile fondly at my old boss

when I see him, and Abby, a stray feline, has found us and taken up grateful

residence. And now I know what is wrong with me and that I'm not crazy.

That was particularly hard, my primary care physican dismissing my

complaints,

attributing my pain and stiffness to excess weight, and when she did order

tests, nothing came back suggestive of any illness or disease. So I took

Vioxx, and bottles and bottles of tylenox arthritis, and msm and

glucosomine/chondritin, calcium magnesium, vitamins and just lately lortab

(which I loathed) and soaked in a hot tub everyday. When I finally

convinced her to refer me to a specialist, I was starting to doubt myself

too. So I guess, if I seem slightly euphoric, it really is only due to the

fact that knowing what the problem is and addressing it is far better than

where I was before.

It resonated when you stated that it is tiring to get though a day with a

compromised immune system and pain is an everyday companion. It's easy to

lose sight of that so I shouldn't wonder why I'm so tired. For all my life

I've had an overabundance of energy, I would go and go until I dropped at

night. It just seems *wrong* somehow to get so tired so easily and before

my day is done, so to speak.

,

Your story about Zyban was quite alarming. I've never been a smoker so at

least don't have that battle to fight. How could one ever tell if the Zyban

exacerbated your condition or it was coincidental? I'd be suspicious too.

Congratulations on your victory over nicotine. Prednisone has been a miracle

drug for you. It's a shame a drug that can make you feel so good can be so

bad for you.

Here's hoping better health for us all, and better treatments. I don't want

to spend the next 10 years feeling miserable and suffering the miseries

of deteriorating health. I was hoping to be able to work til a normal

retirment age and have some quality of life after retirement. Presuming, of

course, we (humanity) don't manage to blow ourselves up in the meantime.

The advancements in gene therapy are interesting. Here's hoping.

Suzanne