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Hello - I have ben reading your messages to each other for a couple weeks now

after my sister Jeanine had her back surgery and met Deb. My name is Janet - i

live in central Texas and am 29 years old. I have had pain for almost a year

now and was finally able to see a rheum. the end of July. So far everything he

has tested for has come back normal or negative - which has been good for some

of those tests! In August he did find antibodies for Sjogren's and began

treating that with Plaquenil - so it has been almost 2 months on that (wih no

apparent results?). I have also been on and off 4 different NSAIDS - Relafin is

the only one that doesn't make me feel sick - though I have a funny feeling that

it isn't doing much for me either since we had to start prednisone 3 weeks ago!

Funny how that works! I am in the middle of a rather nasty flare right now -

though he is still trying to find out what is causing the pain. I have no real

swelling - except in my hands ankles since the pred. started. Jeanine and I joke

about the fact that i can finally tell my doctor when I call him that " I have

swelling! " . Though it isn't the kind he is asking about with the joints! He

believes that it is serum negative ra or just in an early stage.

I am having great difficulty walking and doing day to day things right now - my

hands ankles and elbows are not much help either, but my toes don't hurt yet!

My doc increased the pred (again) for the weekend and put me on rest orders to

try and get on top of this. He also was nice enough to tel lme to use Darvasett

for pain - all that did was make me feel drunk this morning and provided no

real relief. It was supposed to help me sleep! haha

I have a 5 and 7 year old - so they are old enough to help out for the most

part. I see my doc in a week - my husband takes off to drive me to downtown

Austin (about 100 miles away - thanks to insurance) because driving across town

is difficult most days. But I feel like I have a real god doctor and it is worth

it. Pretty lucky for the first shot at finding a good one. Friends and family

were upset that I whad to wait so long to see him - but I knew that God has a

plan and He did in sending me there.

You all know how special you are and how awesome it is to find a group of people

who truly understand the frustrations and the pain. The last few days at work (

in an elementary school ) I was unable to hide my pain with walking being so

difficult - and several people asked if I was ok. I joked that I had a little

arthritis problem and the response was : oh - did you injure your leg? I

WISH!! So then the quickest explanation is that it is autoimmune which

means pain all over because your immune systme decided to go after your joints.

That pretty much gets em to leave you alone! The other response that I love is

yeah - my back hurts too. Most of them have no clue! And understanding and

support is such a major part of dealing with this. Thank you.

I am being good and following doctor's orders (just so you know Jeanine!) - it

is almost 11 am and I still have my pj's on - off to a hot shower in a little

bit I pray for those of you who have been struggling - and i ask that you pray

for me. I went through an " acceptance and grief " phase a few weeks ago and came

out for the better. but it is still frustrating if I let it be. As I hear all

the time - I am not old enough to have arthritis! Well - when it is in the

genes.......my biggest challenges now are in dealing with the pain - however I

have accepted that it is a process we have to go through in finding the right

treatment - but moreso in knowing that for the time being I need to let other

people swim and play and run with my kids. I have always been very active and

knew that I would play with my kids in the park and run and all those things

that Moms are supposed to do. And when this is under control (as I must cling to

that hope) I can do those things in moderation - it is hard to accept that it

has to be this way right now. But they are great kids!

God bless you all - and you are such a blessing!

Janet