Kris

[Guest guest]

Kris,

thanks. I am feeling better this afternoon. The celiac plexus block I had

Monday gave me bad diarrhea and lower belly cramps. That has finally settled

down so I feel better. I have been really tired today but hopefully tomorrow

will be better. I have lupus, so the sun is not good for me. for many years, I

totally ignored the info that said I should stay out of the sun. I have always

been a stickler for using good sunscreen since I am a fair skinned redhead and

also my grandmother and an uncle had melanoma. I only got the typical lupus sun

rash on a few occasions and it was never really bad like some people with lupus

get. I just assumed that since I didn't get the sun rash, it was okay for me to

be in the sun as long as didn't let myself get sunburnt. My rheumatologist told

me that the sun was causing damage to my body regardless of whether I got a rash

or not. This was after the panc attacks returned and also after I was diagnosed

with autoimmune liver disease. I decided that since I was so sick, I should

probably listen to my doctor and avoid the sun as much as I could. A hard thing

for someone who loves the water, swims, waterskis, owns a ski boat, and scuba

dives. Everything fun my family really loves to do involves water! It's been

easier to do what my doctor says because I haven't really had the energy to want

to do any of those things in a long time. My daughter, Nikki, graduated from

college the beginning of May. She goes to the University of Montevallo, which

is 130 miles south of me (30 miles south of Birmingham, AL). Anyway, the

graduation was May 8th and it was unseasonably hot that day, even for Alabama.

The graduation was outside and we started in an area that had some shade, but

kept having to move as the sun covered more and more of the lawn. I didn't get

at all sunburnt but the next day, my entire body hurt so bad I wanted to scream

in pain. I had to get my husband to bring me ice for both elbows. I couldn't

bend either elbow without screaming until they'd been on ice for 30 minutes. My

elbows are not normally the joints that ever hurt. The only thing I can think

of that caused my body to hurt so bad was simply being out in the sun for

several hours. I had laughed at my mom when she offered me a hat when we got

there. I told her I was too vain and I wasn't going to wear a hat (or the long

sleeved shirts and pants with sunscreen as my doctor advised). I told my mom I

was too vain and didn't want to look like a mummy out on a hot day! Boy, I ate

those words! It took only one day of terrible pain for me to decide that the

next time I have to be in the sun I will do what my doctor said and to heck

with what other people think!

By the way, yes, Fayetteville is about 25 miles north of Huntsville, just inside

the state line. My husband is a truck driver and his route is in Fayetteville,

Winchester, Tullahoma, TN and surrounding areas. Thankfully, he is a 'local'

driver so he is home every night and doesn't work weekends unless he wants to

pick up an extra run. He's had to eat crow a lot of years after the

Alabama-Tennessee football game when Alabama loses! My stepdaughter goes to

school at the University of North Alabama, which is in Florence. Her fiance

lives in Lawrenceburg, TN, so she's in TN a lot and hopes to live in TN after

they finish college and get married.

Take care of yourself when you are out on hot, sunny days!

W

-------------------------------------------------

This message has been scanned for viruses and

dangerous content by PCLNET, and is

believed to be clean.

Visit www.pclnet.net and get a 3Mbps cable modem!

-------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Kris--Why is it that a majority of the doctors want to make us

believe that " IT'S ALL IN OUR HEADS!!! " That's exactly what the

first MD said to me as well about 6 yrs. ago! HELLO -- We know

something is wrong with our bodies as WE FEEL IT!!! You just want

to kick them when they tell you this! I have a great gastro doc.

and am going back next month for an update!

[Guest guest]

Kris,

I know you have said before, but do you mind telling me who your doctor is and

where he is located?

thanks,

W

your near neighbor in north Alabama, about 15 miles south of the Tennessee

border off of I-65.