Re: Hi Everyone to Terri

[Guest guest]

That's good to hear that your children try to help you out, Terri. I

think it's really good for kids to start learning a little compassion

at an early age. It helps them to feel more useful, too. Not to

mention, maybe they'll actually be able to take care of themselves by

the time they leave home! My son just turned 15, and I wonder

sometimes if he'll be calling me from college someday wanting me to

come put the sheets back on his bed or bring him a root beer or

something. We're working on it, but he has all the signs of a couch

potato in the making.

> > > I've been reading the posts for several weeks now. I'm starting

> to

> > > feel like a " peeping Tom " from learning so much about some of

you

> > > while not sharing anything about me, so I thought it was time to

> > > introduce myself.

> > >

> > > My name is , I'm 49, live in Texas with my husband and two

> > > kids. My journey with this wonderful disease began very

suddenly

> > in

> > > April 2003 when I woke up with a swollen, throbbing right hand.

> I

> > > honestly thought I had somehow broken a bone without knowing it.

> > The

> > > hand seemed to heal after two or three days, to be followed by a

> > four-

> > > day bout of excruciating pain in my right shoulder, followed by

> > > another three days of swelling in my left wrist, and so on and

so

> > > on. I know this sounds stupid - even to me - but I honestly

> > thought

> > > I was somehow hurting myself without realizing it. Finally

> figured

> > > out something wasn't quite right (duh). I was originally

> diagnosed

> > > with palindromic rheumatism, even though I did test seropositive

> > RA.

> > > (I don't know if you're familiar with PR, but it's another

> > > inflammatory arthritis that visits a joint for two or three

days,

> > > causes immense pain, and then randomly moves on to another

> joint.

> > > You get it in flares, like RA, but it supposedly rarely causes

> > joint

> > > erosion. Still hurts like hell, though.) Finally in April of

> this

> > > year, it started falling into a more " rheumatoid type " pattern.

> more

> > > consistent pain, especially in my knees, feet, and hands,

> > > morning " stiffness " (and isn't that an understatement?), yada,

> > yada,

> > > yada. Fortunately, my internist had sent me to a great

> > > rheumatologist at the end of last year, so I was already taking

> > > Celebrex and had started Plaquinel for the PR. Now I'm also

> taking

> > > fairly small doses of Prednisone (5mg) and Methotrexate (7.5).

I

> > > consider myself VERY fortunate because so far I'm responding

well

> > to

> > > a fairly small dose of meds -- Minimum side effects and a pretty

> > big

> > > reduction in pain. (Yes, I know this can change very quickly,

> but

> > > I'm trying to look on the bright side and be thankful for where

I

> > am

> > > today!) I'm really just having a few aches and pains right now,

> > and

> > > I'm much, much better in the mornings. Actually, one of my

> biggest

> > > challenges right now is the loss of energy, especially since I

> > > started the methotrexate. Given the option, I could probably

> take

> > > about four naps a day.

> > >

> > > I think I'll stop here.Otherwise, I'll tell you everything I

know

> > and

> > > never have anything to post again. Like I said, I just wanted

to

> > > introduce myself while I'm in a fairly " good place " so that

maybe

> > > when the bad times come, I'll have a few more friends (and you

> can

> > > never have enough, can you?) You seem like a really great bunch

> of

> > > people and I look forward to being a part of this group.

> > >

> > > Take care,

> > >

>

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