Rheumy visit

[Guest guest]

Donna, My friend, I wish you all good things at the doc's office tomorrow.

Love, MM

[Guest guest]

Donna,

prayers are definitely coming your way.

W

Rheumy visit

I hope everyone is having a good night tonight. I see my rheumy in the morning at 9 for my lab reports and to see what he wants to do next with this ol' body of mine.

Please pray about my doc visit tomorrow. This is only my second visit to the rheumy and lots of labwork to discuss as you all know. I am a little frightened about what I'll hear, but I know you all have been there too.

Love, Donna"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

[Guest guest]

I hope everyone is having a good night tonight. I see my rheumy in the morning at 9 for my lab reports and to see what he wants to do next with this ol' body of mine.

Please pray about my doc visit tomorrow. This is only my second visit to the rheumy and lots of labwork to discuss as you all know. I am a little frightened about what I'll hear, but I know you all have been there too.

Love, Donna

[Guest guest]

Donna. YOu know I am wishing you all the best at your appointment.

How did you like this doc on the initial first meeting?

You are not dx at this time, is that correct?

I am not sure what to tell you to expect as each MD is so different in their approach.

I do wish if you see an opportunity or a window, to inquire about something for your insomnia. I sure know how that feels, believe you me.

It will make a world of difference if you can get something to help you. Believe me on this too.

I hope your labs are well. And I know how you feel about worrying about what you are going to hear.On one hand you want something concrete to make some sense of things and get treatments going, but then you do not want to hear it on the other hand.

But, we are all here , so remember that, k:?

I miss you already, but when I get these hours and this job down more, I will be here more often.

Just bear with me for a bit.

let me know how things go at your appt though.

I will be gone tommorrow afternoon, it is to the ol GI poopchute doc tommorrow in Denver, my first appt since I moved here.

I hope they keep their fingers to themselves tommorrow, I do not need them unleashing the gas again and pushing the release valve like last time.

LOL

Love ya, Normi

Rheumy visit

I hope everyone is having a good night tonight. I see my rheumy in the morning at 9 for my lab reports and to see what he wants to do next with this ol' body of mine.

Please pray about my doc visit tomorrow. This is only my second visit to the rheumy and lots of labwork to discuss as you all know. I am a little frightened about what I'll hear, but I know you all have been there too.

Love, Donna"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

[Guest guest]

HI Donna. Good for you, seems a few of you are getting some good docs, and results too. ALways good to hear, as we never hear enough about us finding a doctor we like and takes care of our needs.

As for the ambien? I was prescribed that in the past. It is ok, but I prefer the restoril. I do not remember it giving me any type of hangover the next day, and I gave it to quite a few times and he thought it was great and felt really well rested the next day and could work no problem.

I believe they say, just make sure you can dedicate at least 7 hours to sleep, so you can avoid a hangover affect.

In other words, if you take it early enough and know you have a set amount of time to sleep, just account for that. I would not take it at midnight if I had to get up at like 5:00am or something.

But if you know you have to et up at like 7:00 am, just take it around between 9 and 10 or earlier, depending on how long you like to stay in bed.

I would tell you to take it in a hot minute, just my opinion. And I am glad your doc did give you something for the insomnia too.

So just adjust to what time you need to get up, and take that pill woman!

You may get rid of that dragging ass feeling if you sleep a few good nights and start yourself into trying to get some type of sleep routine going on.

Good that your labs look well, always nice to see and hear, right? :-)

And I do think he is right, maybe a gentle exercise routine if you can handle it would be good.

I think it does help with energy level a bit, I think it can help decrease pain a bit depending on the type and areas, and it may help with some of the insomnia.

I get really lazy about it too since last surgery. For me, it did help with strengthening my back and reducing some pain, help with my sleep, tension and stress levels, etc.... I went to PT a long time and if I do those exercises now, they really do help my pain out, thus also helping with sleeping as well.

Well, I am happy your appointment went so well, and I am also happy you have a doc that you can have a good trusting repoire with. It makes all the difference in being ill and having a doc who understands, you are comfy with, and are on the same page.

Love ya, Normi

-----Oiginal Message-----To: LUPIES <LUPIES >Date: Monday, November 18, 2002 11:32 AMSubject: Rheumy visit

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your prayers. I felt good going to the doc this morning knowing I have friends like all of you for support. Nobody understands like the wonderful people in this group.

My visit went well for a second visit. I really like my rheumy. He had done ex-rays of my back last time and said I have osteoarthritis so I don't have to have an MRI of my spine yet. He is treating it with Ultracet and seems to desire to make me comfortable and as pain free as possible. Because of all my stomach problems and not being able to take any NSAIDS, he doesn't want to prescribe anything that I have to take daily for the arthritis. He would rather me take pain meds as needed even if I take them several times a day. That should help with the other joint pain as well, He just increased my dosage and gave me plenty of refills for now.

The labs showed my ANA still to be positive with a different pattern than the other 2 screenings I had, but the pattern didn't seem to worry him. Of course, there is no definitive dx yet and that's ok with me as long as he is treating my symptoms. I am negative for the RA factor which is good. He said my labs looked good and he will see me in 3 months unless I need to see him before then.

Even though my liver is enlarged according to GI doc doing Abdominal CT scans and sonograms, my liver enzymes are within normal range. For my headaches, I am to continue the Axert and he did give me a script for Ambien for my insomnia.

He encouraged me to enroll in a gym and begin working on all muscle groups with a trainer. He would like me to work up to 5 days a week or he will prescribe physical therapy. He was very gentle about this and said it was not my weight, but he thought it would help the joint and muscle pain to have regular exercise.

So, what do you think? He is very gentle and kind and seemed to be excited to give me good news today.

Thanks again for all your prayers. And can anyone tell me if they have taken Ambien for sleep. He assures me it will not make me feel tired all the next day, but I am worried about that. I can't be any more draggy than I already am.

Love to all, Donna

"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

[Guest guest]

HI Donna

I have taken Ambien before and you do sleep well and do not feel the least bit tired or groggy the next day. Good luck with it

Dorothy

-- Rheumy visit

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your prayers. I felt good going to the doc this morning knowing I have friends like all of you for support. Nobody understands like the wonderful people in this group.

My visit went well for a second visit. I really like my rheumy. He had done ex-rays of my back last time and said I have osteoarthritis so I don't have to have an MRI of my spine yet. He is treating it with Ultracet and seems to desire to make me comfortable and as pain free as possible. Because of all my stomach problems and not being able to take any NSAIDS, he doesn't want to prescribe anything that I have to take daily for the arthritis. He would rather me take pain meds as needed even if I take them several times a day. That should help with the other joint pain as well, He just increased my dosage and gave me plenty of refills for now.

The labs showed my ANA still to be positive with a different pattern than the other 2 screenings I had, but the pattern didn't seem to worry him. Of course, there is no definitive dx yet and that's ok with me as long as he is treating my symptoms. I am negative for the RA factor which is good. He said my labs looked good and he will see me in 3 months unless I need to see him before then.

Even though my liver is enlarged according to GI doc doing Abdominal CT scans and sonograms, my liver enzymes are within normal range. For my headaches, I am to continue the Axert and he did give me a script for Ambien for my insomnia.

He encouraged me to enroll in a gym and begin working on all muscle groups with a trainer. He would like me to work up to 5 days a week or he will prescribe physical therapy. He was very gentle about this and said it was not my weight, but he thought it would help the joint and muscle pain to have regular exercise.

So, what do you think? He is very gentle and kind and seemed to be excited to give me good news today.

Thanks again for all your prayers. And can anyone tell me if they have taken Ambien for sleep. He assures me it will not make me feel tired all the next day, but I am worried about that. I can't be any more draggy than I already am.

Love to all, Donna

"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies