Guest guest Posted November 29, 1998 Report Share Posted November 29, 1998 Jeanne, I applaud your courage, admire your strength, and envy your faith. I believe your outlook demonstrates what makes the difference between a life worth living and a life of misery. We all have the potential and circumstances to either embrace or reject our time here. Cheers to you, your sister, and Mr. Biggles! ne, 58, Lawrenceville, NJ On Sun, 29 Nov 1998 18:00:44 -0500 " Jeanne Robbins " jrobbins@...> writes: > > >This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > >------=_NextPart_000_0018_01BE1BC2.2FBBE140 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset= " iso-8859-1 " >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > >Along with RLS I have endured pain for almost two years that I >couldn't = >identify. My knees have given me fits but only when climbing stairs, >= >getting in and out of chairs etc. My inner self has maintained it is >= >not arthritis. I had x-rays done at the VA and was told I needed = >arthroscopy and eventually would need a knee replacement. I got up >from = >my chair and peered at my x-ray. The cartilage was a bit thin on one >= >side but nothing else seemed out of whack (of course I'm not a = >professional at reading x-rays). Anyhow I looked at the bright young >= >resident and replied that I'd think it over. That was over a year >ago. = >Meanwhile the pains cropped up in other places, like right now the >right = >side of my neck on the back is sore as a boil, plus my everpresent >knee = >problem and pains in other parts which have made it difficult some = >mornings to get out of bed. > >My sister who is 7 years younger than me has been having a worse time. > = >She's sought medical help to no avail. Both of us were getting = >discouraged not knowing what in the world was/is wrong with us. We >are = >64 and 71 and realize our bodies are slowly disintegrating but this is >= >too much too soon. > >Then I locked on to the Mayo Health link and there it was. We have = >Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Women are twice as likely as men to have it >and = >ironically, the majority of people with PMR have enjoyed good health >up = >until it develops. Well, my health ain't been so good but it ain't >all = >that bad. > >Now I take Ibuprofen when I feel particularly uncomfortable. My >sister = >may have to go for a low dosage of prednisone till the PMR improves. >= >It's not supposed to last more than two years so we're hoping that's >so. = > > >It's much easier to bear a malady when you can attach a name to it. >At = >least then you know what you're fighting. Let's face it.....life is a >= >series of battles, mild and severe skirmishes and some moments of >bliss. = > In its worst moments I wouldn't trade it for the alternative. The = >alternative does not promise peace and contentment. As the old song = >goes " I know where I'm going " but I'm in no particular rush to get = >there. > >As a Christian I know the hideous price that was paid for my life and >= >nothing in my worst moments comes anywhere near that. So I drink my = >Tension Tamer tea, soak in hot scented bubble baths, listen to music = >crooning from my sound pillow, take my medicines, spin my wool, silk >and = >dog hair, weave anything that tickles my fancy, groom and cuddle Mr. = >Biggles and thank my God for each passing day including those days >(and = >nights) when I'm half crazed with RLS and other tortures. > >Gotta descend to the depths and ferret out my Advent Wreath for the = >beginning of the Season of Advent. > >Love to you all and thanks for slogging through this reverie~ > >CHEERS! > >Jeanne and Mr. Biggles in Poultney, VT > >------=_NextPart_000_0018_01BE1BC2.2FBBE140 >Content-Type: text/html; > charset= " iso-8859-1 " >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > > > > > http-equiv=3DContent-Type> > > > >Along with RLS I have endured pain >= >for almost=20 >two years that I couldn't identify. My knees have given me fits >= >but only=20 >when climbing stairs, getting in and out of chairs etc. My inner >= >self has=20 >maintained it is not arthritis. I had x-rays done at the VA and >= >was told I=20 >needed arthroscopy and eventually would need a knee replacement. >I = >got up=20 >from my chair and peered at my x-ray. The cartilage was a bit >thin = >on one=20 >side but nothing else seemed out of whack (of course I'm not a = >professional at=20 >reading x-rays). Anyhow I looked at the bright young resident >and = >replied=20 >that I'd think it over. That was over a year ago. >Meanwhile = >the=20 >pains cropped up in other places, like right now the right side of my >= >neck on=20 >the back is sore as a boil, plus my everpresent knee problem and pains >= >in other=20 >parts which have made it difficult some mornings to get out of = >bed. > >My sister who is 7 years younger = >than me has=20 >been having a worse time. She's sought medical help to no = >avail. =20 >Both of us were getting discouraged not knowing what in the world >was/is = >wrong=20 >with us. We are 64 and 71 and realize our bodies are slowly = >disintegrating=20 >but this is too much too soon. > >Then I locked on to the Mayo >Health = >link and=20 >there it was. We have Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Women are = >twice as=20 >likely as men to have it and ironically, the majority of people with >PMR = >have=20 >enjoyed good health up until it develops. Well, my health ain't >= >been so=20 >good but it ain't all that bad. > >Now I take Ibuprofen when I feel = >particularly=20 >uncomfortable. My sister may have to go for a low dosage of = >prednisone=20 >till the PMR improves. It's not supposed to last more than two = >years so=20 >we're hoping that's so. > >It's much easier to bear a malady >= >when you can=20 >attach a name to it. At least then you know what you're = >fighting. =20 >Let's face it.....life is a series of battles, mild and severe = >skirmishes and=20 >some moments of bliss. In its worst moments I wouldn't trade it >= >for the=20 >alternative. The alternative does not promise peace and = >contentment. =20 >As the old song goes " I know where I'm going " but I'm in no >= >particular=20 >rush to get there. > >As a Christian I know the hideous >= >price that was=20 >paid for my life and nothing in my worst moments comes anywhere near = >that. =20 >So I drink my Tension Tamer tea, soak in hot scented bubble baths, = >listen to=20 >music crooning from my sound pillow, take my medicines, spin my wool, >= >silk and=20 >dog hair, weave anything that tickles my fancy, groom and cuddle Mr. = >Biggles and=20 >thank my God for each passing day including those days (and nights) >when = >I'm=20 >half crazed with RLS and other tortures. > >Gotta descend to the depths and = >ferret out my=20 >Advent Wreath for the beginning of the Season of Advent. > >Love to you all and thanks for = >slogging through=20 >this reverie~ > >CHEERS! > >Jeanne and Mr. Biggles in >Poultney,=20 >VT > >------=_NextPart_000_0018_01BE1BC2.2FBBE140-- > > ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.