need new knees

August 21, 2008

Hi there Dolores, <chuckle> ... i get what you're saying. what sort

of work do you do anyway ? you probably said but i forgot.

i went to the rheumo yesterday to get my right knee looked at. he was

pretty friendly and open-minded, as far as rheumos go <rolling eyes>

he says i got no more cartiledge in my knee (as per x-ray) hence the

pain and inability to bend it. need joint replacement asap. he says

all my other joints (hips, shoulders, elbows, hands) are going bung

fast and will need them replaced too. also, he wants me on

methotrexate. i'm feeling a bit confused as you know, because i've

left my treatment sooooooooo late and now i'm at a crossroads. even

tho i've committed to AP, i'm ready to do anything to get rid of this

disease. i don't want any more joint damage while on AP. i'm not sure

if AP halts joint damage or what - i read that some people have still

suffered joint damage while on AP and needed to go on DMARDs anyway.

who knows....thanks for asking anyway. look after yourself!

all the best,

Leonie

>

> From: mumpup2000 <leoniecent@...>

> Subject: rheumatic hyperpigmentation?

> rheumatic

> Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 8:10 PM

>

> Hi all,

> what's the deal with hyperpig ? My rheumo said mino is not well

> tolerated in australia due to our extra strong sun, ultra violet

> thingamajigy. Is hyperpig dangerous in any way, and what happens

when

> you get it ? do you have to go off mino?

> thanks again...

> Leonie

>

August 21, 2008

At least you know now what is going on with your knee. I'm kinda in the

same boat - my doc wants me back on methotrexate to slow damage. For

one thing, I guess it won't interfere with AP or whatever other

strategies we have going on.

Amy

mumpup2000 wrote:

>

> Hi there Dolores, <chuckle> ... i get what you're saying. what sort

> of work do you do anyway ? you probably said but i forgot.

>

> i went to the rheumo yesterday to get my right knee looked at. he was

> pretty friendly and open-minded, as far as rheumos go <rolling eyes>

> he says i got no more cartiledge in my knee (as per x-ray) hence the

> pain and inability to bend it. need joint replacement asap. he says

> all my other joints (hips, shoulders, elbows, hands) are going bung

> fast and will need them replaced too. also, he wants me on

> methotrexate. i'm feeling a bit confused as you know, because i've

> left my treatment sooooooooo late and now i'm at a crossroads. even

> tho i've committed to AP, i'm ready to do anything to get rid of this

> disease. i don't want any more joint damage while on AP. i'm not sure

> if AP halts joint damage or what - i read that some people have still

> suffered joint damage while on AP and needed to go on DMARDs anyway.

> who knows....thanks for asking anyway. look after yourself!

> all the best,

> Leonie

>

> >

> > From: mumpup2000 <leoniecent@...>

> > Subject: rheumatic hyperpigmentation?

> > rheumatic <mailto:rheumatic%40>

> > Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 8:10 PM

> >

> > Hi all,

> > what's the deal with hyperpig ? My rheumo said mino is not well

> > tolerated in australia due to our extra strong sun, ultra violet

> > thingamajigy. Is hyperpig dangerous in any way, and what happens

> when

> > you get it ? do you have to go off mino?

> > thanks again...

> > Leonie

> >

August 21, 2008

Well, I am a retired nurse after 40 + years of taking care of people, I wind up

being the sick one. That was one pill that was hard to swallow. In my mind,

(nurses don't get sick, we are the healers), so, much for lunacy. I went into

denial, then bedridden, then so sick I didn't care---that is until I heard about

A/P and made my comeback. Yesterday, I celebrated my 72 birthday and in April I

took on this job and pulled myself out of retirement. Mike and I are site

managers for a storage facility. We live on site and manage 760 units. We rent

them out, run the office, and keep the place in good shape. I decorated the

office and put in a coffee and ice water machine. Most of my work is handling

the bookeeping, which for me was hard, at first. I'm one who can't add even

with an adding machine. But I've learned a few techniques that helped me get

over my fear of numbers. So, now I'm good at it and comfortable. As long as

all the

books tally at the end of the day, I'm happy. My office has large tinted

windows all around and people are in and out all day long. I can see out, but

they can't see in. I am protected from the sun all day long, yet do not feel

isolated as I am exposed and communicate with loads of people all day long.

Mike opens at 9 a.m. He is the early bird, so he takes the morning shift. I

like to sleep till noon, so I take the second shift and by 5:30 p we are done

and close the store. We are the only ones running the business and it is

wonderful when you can share a job with your own husband and still be at home.

My big commute is a flight of stairs down to the office. It's a big stretch

from my original career, but I'm just glad that anyone would hire a 70+ year old

for any job. How lucky is that? And they knew I have scleroderma. And they

even knew about Mike's two strokes and his amputation. We know this can't last

forever, so we saving

to buy a piece of property in the pines and plan to build an energy efficient

round house in the vicinity of the Florida Panhandle. Have friends and family

in the trade business who will help. Also in the plans are ideas on starting two

new businesses from the house. One for Mike to manage and one for me. After

all, we would need something to do once we are established in our own home. One

good thing is that I am getting great experience in management while here and

now can keep a set of books. Yeah!------Take care all of you and thanks for

asking what kind of work I am doing now. Who says, ( " You can't teach an old

dog new tricks?) Stay strong! Dolores & Mike