my health update

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/23/2004 8:19:25 AM Pacific Standard Time,

missy.sue@... writes:

> may take 6 weeks to 3 months for the hole in my abdomen to close

> completely,

> as well as the " hardness " surrounding the muscles to relax a little bit. He

> also said that it is completely normal to be wasted tired by mid

> morning... " Healing is some tiring business "

Ah, Melisa, how I DO relate to this!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you get your energy

back soon!

Hugs and blessings,

Ann

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/23/2004 8:19:25 AM Pacific Standard Time,

missy.sue@... writes:

> may take 6 weeks to 3 months for the hole in my abdomen to close

> completely,

> as well as the " hardness " surrounding the muscles to relax a little bit. He

> also said that it is completely normal to be wasted tired by mid

> morning... " Healing is some tiring business "

Ah, Melisa, how I DO relate to this!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you get your energy

back soon!

Hugs and blessings,

Ann

[Guest guest]

> So...sleep, rest, relax and heal....doctor's orders. He told me

to try and

> do normal things in a couple weeks (laundry, etc.)

======================

Did he write down the " Doctors Orders " and present them to your

husband and Kids? lol

I'm happy to hear your doing well. Hopefully your 3x3 gauze days

will be a distant memory very soon.

Has your swelling gone down enough to notice a change in pant sizes?

Hugs

Jo

[Guest guest]

> So...sleep, rest, relax and heal....doctor's orders. He told me

to try and

> do normal things in a couple weeks (laundry, etc.)

======================

Did he write down the " Doctors Orders " and present them to your

husband and Kids? lol

I'm happy to hear your doing well. Hopefully your 3x3 gauze days

will be a distant memory very soon.

Has your swelling gone down enough to notice a change in pant sizes?

Hugs

Jo

[Guest guest]

<<Priscilla said, " We sure are old timers, aren't we?>>

In more ways than one! ;-)

Yes, I'm still on Methotrexate, but at lower dose than before adding Humira.

I'm taking 9 mg weekly and that dose doesn't seem to bother my kidneys/liver

as much as the 20 mg. The humira isn't as effective as it was in the beginning.

The doctor said she might increase it to once a week instead of every two

weeks. I would still say that my pain levels are still better than they were

before I started these two drugs. Instead of the 75-80% relief I was getting in

the beginning with the Humira, it is about 50% better now. I have some new areas

that are bothering me....the peroneal nerve that goes from SI/lumbar area

running down thigh to knee and into foot. I'm having numbness/pain/burning. I'll

see about this when we get back to Asheville the end of the month. I don't

know whether this is from a knee problem I've had or whether it is connected to

SI/lumbar AS problem. When you get old...you have to plan one surgery around

another!

About the glaucoma/uveitis. I had to have second surgery because of

complications from glaucoma implant surgery. The vitreous was pulling on the

retina. My

IOP was a 4 (too low). I had a pars plana vitrectomy which has cleared up the

mess that was in the vitreous from all of my past iritis flareups. The doctor

said he had never seen such a mess! Like confetti. He put in a gas bubble and

was able to bring the pressure up. After surgery IOP was 14. It is now at 8.

I hope it does not go below that. I did much better after the vitrectomy. I

still have distortion, but my vision is much better. From 20/400 to 20/70! I've

been able to cut back on pred forte to only two drops daily. Praise God. It

has been a long, long year for us, but things are looking up. My hubby is

gaining strength from his cancer....through physical therapy. He is 82 , going

on

29. :-) We are expecting number 14 grandchild on April 22nd).

Best wishes, Connie (granny)

I'm adding a link to pars plana vitrectomy as I know you have long term

problems with iritis, too. Not wishing you any problems. :-(

http://www.theretinasource.com/surgical/procedures/vitrectomy.htm

[Guest guest]

i posted two months ago about my diagnosis of " alopecia aerata " by a

dermatologist. i just had my follow-up appointment with him last week

(he was on vacation for over a month & a half). he said my hair loss

was too widespread to do cortisone injections, but instead recommended

i take Prednisone to see how it goes. gosh, i'm really hoping the

bald patches/areas on my scalp will grow back. :-) i have 2 *cosmetic*

symptoms left--fingernails to be smooth/strong again and of course,

for my hair to grow back.

in the meantime, i hardly get a chance to read & post on this Forum.

i'm working a part-time job, which has turned out to be almost

full-time hours. LOL. earlier this month, i worked 11 days straight

and even helped a good friend of mine pack up her stuff (during that

same timeframe) so she can move to another city. i was physically

exhausted, and some mornings, i was afraid i would get sick because of

how much i was working and all the physical exertions of helping

someone pack. well, i'm doing fine!!!

i think it's indeed a testament that the following 3 protocols is what

helped detoxify my body:

1) steam sauna + medical-grade Ozone generator (NOT an air

purifier/cleaner)

2) ear insufflations with a medical-grade ozone generator

3) liver flushes

this month marks my 1 year anniversary of having recovered to the

point where my life has some semblance of normalcy. as i've already

mentioned, i've been working the past few months, i run errands, i

cook, i go out & stay out with friends and family, i sleep soundly, i

do not have fatigue. last September through December, i was taking 6

classes each week (each lasted 4-5 hours). getting to my morning

classes were tough though, LOL. this brings up another point, i think

i've gone from being a morning person (pre-mold exposure) to being a

late-morning person. ;-)