New to the Group

[Guest guest]

Your T4 is too high and your T3 is too low. Most of us who feel good have a

tsh below 1, mine is .03 or something like that but for me tsh is totally

irrelevant. You can get a free T3 and free T4 test, or try a different

medicine like thyrolar or Armour.

Gracia

> Ok here is another question for you guys....I am not sure what my

> level was that let the doctor know I had hypo, but I went to another

> doctor when I started having a rapid heartbeat and a " hard "

> heartbeat. The second doctor did blood work and said that my level

> was .0005 and that my medicine was too high and that was what was

> causing the rapid hard heartbeat. I was/am totally confused as he

> said the reading should be between 1-3. I was thinking cool .0005 it

> is not high at all but I am guessing that higher is better?? I also

> have borderline high cholesterol and very high tri levels, which has

> not dropped even though I am on Zocor. My cholesterol levels are now

> low 116 but the tri levels are still high 200+. The second doctor

> said that (well he is really a PA) the thyroid was making the

> cholesterol levels high. My first doctor said that I needed to stay

> on the high dosage of synthyroid. I don't have a period but all the

> doctors want to do is put me on birth control pills, which I don't

> want to do. I am hoping that being on the right medicine and right

> dosage will make my period come back (I just turned 30). I appreciate

> any help. I am going to do some looking online (starting at the link

> I was given) to find out more about my disease. I am also interested

> in any natural cures I can find. I am very scard to take all types of

> medicine. I hate to admit I am very dumb about my disease.

> Belinda

>

>

> > > One of my doctors put me on a high doseage of Armour. He more

> or

> > less let me lower it on my own as needed. I liked him, but my

> > insurance doesn't cover him anymore. So, I've been to various

> > doctors. Next week I've got an appointment with a new doctor.

> This

> > will be my 4th doctor in the last 2 years. I hope I like him.

> I'm

> > really getting tired of going from doctor to doctor. But...my

> > suggestion to you.....if you don't like your doctor, try another

> > one. Hopefully, there's one out there that you'll like.

> > >

> > > Good Luck,

> > > New to the group

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Celeste- how in the world did that work? I have the same problem and

although I'm hoping this will be corrected now that I'm back on

Armour, I'm a little concerned that I'll still be dealing with this

problem later. Even more important, my husband and I plan to start

trying for a baby again next year. The reproductive Endocrinologist

explained a few fertility drugs used to regulate your cycle, but I

know that's not a permanent solution. Maybe I need to take a new

angle on this if it's not corrected w/ the med change and talk to my

dr about this line of attack instead.

Thanks,

Jeni

> > The second doctor

> > said that (well he is really a PA) the thyroid was making the

> > cholesterol levels high. My first doctor said that I needed to stay

> > on the high dosage of synthyroid. I don't have a period but all the

> > doctors want to do is put me on birth control pills, which I don't

> > want to do. I am hoping that being on the right medicine and right

> > dosage will make my period come back (I just turned 30). I

> appreciate

> > any help.

[Guest guest]

Jeni,

I would be very surprised if you start your cycle again just from

being on Armour. Armour is what I was taking for the first year or so

after I was diagnosed hypo. I was taking Armour when I was getting

the progesterone injections. Armour is not a cure-all, nor is it the

correct medication for every hypo patient. What is really important,

though, is to get natural progesterone and not a synthetic. I just

can't stress that point enough. Once you've got your cycle re-

established and you get pregnant (positive outlook) then you will

want to follow up closely with your doctor on your thyroid dosage.

Often a pregnant woman will need a higher dosage starting at some

point during the pregnancy.

Much aloha,

Celeste

Jeni wrote:

> Celeste- how in the world did that work? I have the same problem

and

> although I'm hoping this will be corrected now that I'm back on

> Armour, I'm a little concerned that I'll still be dealing with this

> problem later. Even more important, my husband and I plan to start

> trying for a baby again next year. The reproductive Endocrinologist

> explained a few fertility drugs used to regulate your cycle, but I

> know that's not a permanent solution. Maybe I need to take a new

> angle on this if it's not corrected w/ the med change and talk to my

> dr about this line of attack instead.

>

> Celeste wrote:

> > Way back (about 20 years ago or so) when I was first diagnosed as

> > hypothyroid I was not having periods either. Depending on how

long a

> > person has been having low thyroid function without treatment,

there

> > can be a whole host of other hormonal imbalances going on. You

might

> > need to get some progesterone and/or estrogen on a regular basis

to

> > get your periods going again. The doctor I was seeing gave me

monthly

> > injections either of natural progesterone and estrogen or of just

> > progesterone. Once I got my cycle re-established I discontinued

the

> > injections and have not had a problem with amenorrhea since then.

I

> > don't recommend birth control pills, Depo Provera, or any other

form

> > of synthetic progesterone (progestin), though, because that can

just

> > make an existing imbalance worse. Ask your doctor to give you

some

> > form of natural progesterone either as an injection or as a cream

> > that can be absorbed through the skin.

> >

[Guest guest]

It is also on the Soaps too now...The woman on the soap I watch is having a liver transplant..Funny how on TV they get what they need right away and we have to wait in the real world!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Roni,

Yes, I am getting SS disability due to this disease. I really applied on a whim

not expecting to get it. The SS rep was even very discouraging. Surprisingly,

I got it on the first try. The SS rep remarked that my rhuemy must really know

how to fill out a form. I repeated that to him and he said that he doesnt do

forms, he copies and sends the pts. entire record. I think this was an

exception rather than the usual, but I would encourage you to apply and keep

appealing until you get face to face with a human. Good Luck!

Eva in AR

tsroni@... wrote:Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Roni. I've had PA for

approximately 2 1/2 years. Psoriasis since I'm a teen. Methotrexate was

doing the trick for a while but over the last several months I'm not doing so

well. Does anyone know of anyone who has gotten Social Security Disability

due to this condition?? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and

hope everyone is doing well.

[Guest guest]

Hi Lois! Yep, I've just been going through something similar on just

Synthroid I've had the mental slowness, fatigue, cold hands and feet,

and pretty severe depression. (Of course, my labs are " fine " ). I

just finally got my doc to prescribe Cytomel, took it yesterday and

today. Why did your new doc change your medications if you were

doing well?

I do have one general question for everyone...has anyone been

overmedicated before? My TSH went down to .006 at one point and I

had spells of vertigo. I've been having them again for several days,

before I started the Cytomel, my TSH is .7. I'm concerned that the

addition of the cytomel will push me back to being hyper.

, USA

> Hi Everyone,

>

> My name is Lois and I have been diagnosed hypothyroid almost 20

years

> ago. My first Doc prescribed Cytomel alone, I lost a considerable

> amount of weight and kept it off. (I craved scallops? go figure)

then

> on his retirement my new Doc has prescribed Synthyroid and I've

> gained all my weight back and resorted to Bariatric Surgery to lose

> this excess that is slowly killing me (even though they tell me my

> thyroid levels are good) my energy levels are less than great and

my

> skin is still dry and now they tell me the cold fingers and toes

are

> Raynaud's Syndrome. I swear it is still stemming my my thyroid in

> spite of the so called good levels?! Any imput? Anybody experience

> similar experiences?

[Guest guest]

,

I didn't question the new Doc's way of doing things because after

all, he did the blood work?! I figured he had to be right in his

assessment. Do you feel better on the Cytomel? Are you given both T3

and T4 now? I believe there must be some truth in the rumor that your

body can become acustomed to a particular med and not respond as well

despite normal blood values.

Lois

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > My name is Lois and I have been diagnosed hypothyroid almost 20

> years

> > ago. My first Doc prescribed Cytomel alone, I lost a considerable

> > amount of weight and kept it off. (I craved scallops? go figure)

> then

> > on his retirement my new Doc has prescribed Synthyroid and I've

> > gained all my weight back and resorted to Bariatric Surgery to

lose

> > this excess that is slowly killing me (even though they tell me

my

> > thyroid levels are good) my energy levels are less than great and

> my

> > skin is still dry and now they tell me the cold fingers and toes

> are

> > Raynaud's Syndrome. I swear it is still stemming my my thyroid in

> > spite of the so called good levels?! Any imput? Anybody

experience

> > similar experiences?

[Guest guest]

Lois, I just started the cytomel yesterday so it's really too soon to

tell. Also, started antidepressants yesterday, so I don't know which

one is working. I know the Zoloft had a huge effect right away,

before I even knew the doc was adding cytomel. I'm going to can the

Zoloft starting tomorrow though, so I can tell the effect of the

cytomel. I'll let you know!

> > > Hi Everyone,

> > >

> > > My name is Lois and I have been diagnosed hypothyroid almost 20

> > years

> > > ago. My first Doc prescribed Cytomel alone, I lost a

considerable

> > > amount of weight and kept it off. (I craved scallops? go

figure)

> > then

> > > on his retirement my new Doc has prescribed Synthyroid and I've

> > > gained all my weight back and resorted to Bariatric Surgery to

> lose

> > > this excess that is slowly killing me (even though they tell me

> my

> > > thyroid levels are good) my energy levels are less than great

and

> > my

> > > skin is still dry and now they tell me the cold fingers and

toes

> > are

> > > Raynaud's Syndrome. I swear it is still stemming my my thyroid

in

> > > spite of the so called good levels?! Any imput? Anybody

> experience

> > > similar experiences?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated Thu, 3 Oct 2002 11:32:04 PM Eastern Standard Time,

sinfini2002@... writes:

> my energy levels are less than great and my

> skin is still dry and now they tell me the cold fingers and toes are

> Raynaud's Syndrome. I swear it is still stemming my my thyroid in

> spite of the so called good levels?! Any imput? Anybody

> experience

Dear Lois,

Clearly Synthroid is NOT the medicine for you! It sounds to me like your body

might not be properly converting T4 to T3. This could explain why you did so

well on the T3 alone but have reverted when given only T4. Dr. Denis

devised a treatment protocol for poor T4 converters. It has helped me

immensely! Since going on this treatment plan, I'm about 95% better than I was

a year ago. I've warmed up from 97.2 to 98.5-98.6. Lost about 25 pounds. Can

exercise without feeling forever sore. Hair, skin no longer dry. Improved

memory, concentration, sleeping, etc. Here's a page you can read more about it

to see if it might help you. They have doctor's referral on the site.

www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com

JMO,

in LA

[Guest guest]

Has he been evaluated for transplant?

Being yellow may or may not be serious are they treating his virus? It's

hard to say what his prognosis is from the little you've sent? Has he

had liver biopsies lately... I can send you many informational sites if

you tell us what you like to know? Are there other overt signs of liver

disease .... varices, ascites, encephalopathy?

Welcome to the group.... although we aren't made up of many Hep. C we

all mainly have liver disease...

BTW ... what is your name? It's easier to respond to a first name...

God bless you and your brother..

Jerry

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerry my name is Becky .My brother is in very bad condition he has 14lbs of fluid in his stomach his platelet count was 44,000 now up to 70,000 his feet are Very swollen, very distended stomach of course.he hasn't hardly eaten anything in over a week only some fluids.He has gall-stones,he was in the hospitol for 5 days with a whole lot of tests they were going to do a biopsy then they just never mentioned it again and released him to go home with meds -diuretic,codiene,pepcid librium. He's very weak in a lot of pain.I think they just gave up on him.I know the hepitits c really made this a lot worse.His urine is a brown color.He does have cirrohsis.he's only 48 what i'm wondering is how long he can hang on like this. any info appreciated. Becky

-- Re: [ ] new to the group

Has he been evaluated for transplant?Being yellow may or may not be serious are they treating his virus? It'shard to say what his prognosis is from the little you've sent? Has hehad liver biopsies lately... I can send you many informational sites ifyou tell us what you like to know? Are there other overt signs of liverdisease .... varices, ascites, encephalopathy? Welcome to the group.... although we aren't made up of many Hep. C weall mainly have liver disease... BTW ... what is your name? It's easier to respond to a first name...God bless you and your brother..Jerry

[Guest guest]

Becky.... I don't know..... Why aren't the causes of his cirrhosis being

treated?

Whatever caused his condition has to be treated in order to delay or

stop the cirrhosis.... none of the meds you mentioned are used for

controlling Hep C.

The diuretics are an attempt to lessen his ascites and edema, Codiene

even as a pain killer would seem to be dangerous in a cirrhotic

patient.pepcid is to relieve reflux discomfort and librium works to

depress the central nervous system.

To be honest you're not telling everything....is your brother alcoholic?

They seem to have written him off otherwise he would at least been given

a biopsy and determined how great of damage has been done. At 77,000 he

should be ok enough to be drained (paracentesis) Hep C is treated with

inteferon usually in combo with another drug. If he's at end stage they

should tell you and transplant should be discussed.

If he is alcoholic ... the very 1st thing he must do is NEVER take

another drink...one more could litterally kill him as he drank it. Quite

honestly , from what you have told me, if no effort is being made to

treat his causes his prognosis is poor. Get proactive .., ask questions

make them tell you exactly what's going on, not to do so is cruel...find

out what can be done, seek other opinions....btw...where do you live?

I'll be praying hard for you and him

Stay positive, and stay in the now.

don't accept or expect anything that may happen in the future....my very

best.

love jerry

[Guest guest]

liver support group

I have hepc and have been undergoing treatment since 1003.

I started with interfon.since then it's been (intron,intron

with rebtrol,pegintron with rebtrol).I'm curenyly in remision

however I have body aches headaces and no energy.They are

unable to explain this.Also they don't know what beno type

I have does any have any ideas?

JOHN

thank you

[Guest guest]

Other diseases such as AIH, RA, and other autoimmunes are common wth

Hep C ...

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerry thanks for responding.My brother is an alcoholic, He went to the Dr. today and they said his plateletts are up and when he's better they are going to take his gall bladder out because he has gall stones.I'm basically doing my own research on his condition because his wife isn't relaying what ever info she's been told. She doesn't want them to tell my brother either.What i do know is that he does have cirrhosis,hep c,he has 14pounds of fluid in his stomach, the urine is dark almost brown,he's extremely jaundiced,his feet are extremely swollen, He's in a lot of pain which is the worst at night.His motor skills are a little slower and it takes him longer to respond to questions, his memory isn't very good either.The Dr. didn't even mention anything about trying to drain any of the fluid from his stomach today. He won't eat unless you really bug him about it and then its very little maybe a few bites of fruit. He's taking fluids pretty well, any responce is appreciated Jerry. Thanks Becky in ville,Indiana

-- Re: [ ] new to the group

Becky.... I don't know..... Why aren't the causes of his cirrhosis beingtreated?Whatever caused his condition has to be treated in order to delay orstop the cirrhosis.... none of the meds you mentioned are used forcontrolling Hep C.The diuretics are an attempt to lessen his ascites and edema, Codieneeven as a pain killer would seem to be dangerous in a cirrhoticpatient.pepcid is to relieve reflux discomfort and librium works todepress the central nervous system.To be honest you're not telling everything....is your brother alcoholic?They seem to have written him off otherwise he would at least been givena biopsy and determined how great of damage has been done. At 77,000 heshould be ok enough to be drained (paracentesis) Hep C is treated withinteferon usually in combo with another drug. If he's at end stage theyshould tell you and transplant should be discussed.If he is alcoholic ... the very 1st thing he must do is NEVER takeanother drink...one more could litterally kill him as he drank it. Quitehonestly , from what you have told me, if no effort is being made totreat his causes his prognosis is poor. Get proactive .., ask questionsmake them tell you exactly what's going on, not to do so is cruel...findout what can be done, seek other opinions....btw...where do you live?I'll be praying hard for you and him Stay positive, and stay in the now. don't accept or expect anything that may happen in the future....my verybest.love jerry

[Guest guest]

Becky... Is he seeing a liver specialist...

His treatment or lack of it doesn't seem right....has he stopped

drinking... if he hasn't he's going to die...thats a fact

This is an area I know I lot about from personal experience.

He's got to make up his mind whether he wants to live or die. If he

wants to live he must find out what he has to do to make it so. !st of

all if they feel they can remove his gallbladder safely ( which sounds

very odd that they could risk surgery in his condition ) then they

should very easily drain him or even put in a shunt. A liver biopsy

should be done... If he is retaining fluids then diuretics should be

given and salt intake should be decreased. He sounds as if he has signs

of enephalopathy...he should ct down on proties and a drug called

lactolose can be prescibed.

Again I'm not a doctor but I can't understand why they are not treating

him

for his Hep C. The treatment for all cirrhosis is to 1st treat the

causes and also relieve the symtoms. I hate to say this but maybe they

fel he is not an eligible transplant recipient and are just going to let

him die. Get another doctors opinion. Don't let him just think all is

going to get beter by itself. He maybe should have some antibiotics as

infections can easily occur in the abdomen with ascites.

I've got tons of info on cirrhosis and alcoholisn. I'm going to send 1

site right now and then pick thru and send you some others.

Get his ass in gear...

love .. jerry

[Guest guest]

hi Jerry he is taking fluids but he's not eating hardly anything at all just tiny bites of fruit i'm going to talk to his Dr. myself do you think they will tell me info about his condition i am his sister but i know about pt. confidentiality too. he has stopped drinking alcohol will the enephalopathy improve or progress? you are a real help thank-you

-- Re: [ ] new to the group

Becky... Is he seeing a liver specialist...His treatment or lack of it doesn't seem right....has he stoppeddrinking... if he hasn't he's going to die...thats a factThis is an area I know I lot about from personal experience.He's got to make up his mind whether he wants to live or die. If hewants to live he must find out what he has to do to make it so. !st ofall if they feel they can remove his gallbladder safely ( which soundsvery odd that they could risk surgery in his condition ) then theyshould very easily drain him or even put in a shunt. A liver biopsyshould be done... If he is retaining fluids then diuretics should begiven and salt intake should be decreased. He sounds as if he has signsof enephalopathy...he should ct down on proties and a drug calledlactolose can be prescibed.Again I'm not a doctor but I can't understand why they are not treatinghim for his Hep C. The treatment for all cirrhosis is to 1st treat thecauses and also relieve the symtoms. I hate to say this but maybe theyfel he is not an eligible transplant recipient and are just going to lethim die. Get another doctors opinion. Don't let him just think all isgoing to get beter by itself. He maybe should have some antibiotics asinfections can easily occur in the abdomen with ascites.I've got tons of info on cirrhosis and alcoholisn. I'm going to send 1site right now and then pick thru and send you some others.Get his ass in gear...love .. jerry

[Guest guest]

joan....welcome to the group ... i see a great hepatologist at musc in charleston,south carolina....karen

[Guest guest]

Hi I go to the Mayo in Jacksopnville. I see Dr. Dickson. Great guy.

Chris

[Guest guest]

Jerry,

Thanks for the reply. I was diagnosed with PSC a year ago but didn't start feeling that bad until recently. It's easy to have a good attitude about the disease when you are feeling good, but it's really scary when you don't feel well. I try not to say anything to my family and friends--just put on a smile and keep going. There is nothing they can do anyway, so I don't want to worry them too.

Thanks again,

Joan

Re: [ ] New to the group

Joan......welcome to the group!!There are people here with PSC as well as PBC and other liver diseasesand combonations there-of. This group sprang off of The PBC'ers and isowned by one of its early members. You've come to right place .I'msending a repeat message on how to join the PBC'ers, you might also beinterested. It's a great group. But be sure to stick around heetoo....got some wonderful peole here. Heck they even put up withme...usually.Jerry : )

[Guest guest]

Shane,

I too tried the Vioxx and got little results. There is a new NSAID out there

called Bextra. It is once a day and comes in 10 and 20 mgs. It has been the

only NSAID that has ever worked well for me and seem to have little GI side

effects. Hand in there. Try to remember how much those little ones need

you. I have a 7 year old and one that will be 4 in March. They are the

reason I get out of bed in the mornings.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/5/2002 4:27:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,

shane_k_helm@... writes:

> I seen him 3 times and I get no information out of

> him other than " stick to vioxx?! " . He says, " the next step drug up

> from that would be harmful " .

I would guess your rheumy is referring to the fact that the next step up is a

DMARD like methotrexate. Yes, it can be harmful. So can NSAIDS, like vioxx.

Aspirin can be harmful, all drugs can. But they are necessary. Research

your options like methotrexate, enbrel, remicade, etc. and decide if it's

worth the risks. I'm willing to bet that 99% of the people in this group

will tell you it's worth it. You have to be able to live, and I know from

experience that NSAIDS alone don't cut it for some of us. If your rheumy

won't discuss further treatment with you and answer all your questions, find

a new one.

Good luck,

[Guest guest]

Shane, I too became depressed after the constant pain I have suffered (and still

do) from PA. I have suffered for quite some time now. I'm 40 and my children

are 12 and 3. When my oldest was younger, it took all my energy to play

baseball with him. I went from doctor to doctor to get away from the pain. We

all have to try different medicines until we find the right mix for us. Vioxx

didn't help me at all - either did methotrexate. I ended up on Enbrel about 2

years ago and it's been a miracle for me. This list is a great support system

and also a wealth of information for my wife and I. Please try and hang in

there!

Herb in NJ

[ ] New To The Group

Hello everyone

My name is Shane and I am 22 years old. I have been living with PA

for 2 years. In those last 2 years I have done everything to keep my

life the way it was before i was diagnosed. Today I have realized

that I am failing. Hence me joining this group. I have 2 children, a

3 year old and a 3 month old. I am having a hard time coping. I am

feeling really depressed. My doc put me on 2 25mg of Vioxx a day and

everything still hurts. All I think about is that it has just begun.

It will only get worst.

Is there anyone here that has felt like this, and if so what can you

do to look forward without feeling depressed?

Cheers

[Meghan's Note: Hello Shane. We're glad you found this group and hope you stay

around. It is a good place to gather info and share stories and support. PA is

an unpredictable disease. So the good news is that it might go into remission.

The bad news is that it might just go back and forth. If you've had the

arthritis for 2 years and are continuing to have pain and swelling, you may want

to talk to your doctor about additional treatments such as methotrexate and

Enbrel. Best wishes!]

[Guest guest]

Hi Shane,

I have DEFINITELY had the same feelings you are having... especially during a

flare up. I am 28, and I was diagnosed at 24, but I KNOW I had this in my early

20's. The right medications, and for me weight training can make ALL of the

difference. My motto is " Keep moving no matter how bad it hurts " . It's NOT

easy to do, but I have to keep it up. I truly believe the fear of the future is

one of the worst things about this disease (during bad times it's so hard to

accept that I have a lifetime of dealing with this), but I PROMISE you when you

start feeling a little better your mind decreases putting those fears in your

head. You learn to be strong and know what you can get through. It DOES get

better, but it DOES take work on your part mentally and physically and your

Dr.'s part. I think stretching every morning, and doing some form of LIGHT

aerobic activity... even if it's walking around your house until you break a

light sweat... every morning is very important. There are days where I limp,

but starting my morning out that way helps. Also, for me, when I am feeling

exceptionally strong I make sure I use that time to strengthen my body... I know

if I use the time I do feel good wisely that my body will be stronger when I

feel horrible. There is a great book out there by Dr. Miriam . It is

called " Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis " . You should check it out, and try

some of the strength exercises. If you want to talk my e-mail is

TMHHAYS@.... I know exactly how you are feeling.

In a message dated 12/5/2002 12:27:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, leckie@...

writes:

> My name is Shane and I am 22 years old. I have been living with PA

> for 2 years. In those last 2 years I have done everything to keep my

> life the way it was before i was diagnosed. Today I have realized

> that I am failing. Hence me joining this group. I have 2 children, a

> 3 year old and a 3 month old. I am having a hard time coping. I am

> feeling really depressed. My doc put me on 2 25mg of Vioxx a day and

> everything still hurts. All I think about is that it has just begun.

> It will only get worst.

>

> Is there anyone here that has felt like this, and if so

> what can you

> do to look forward without feeling depressed?

>

> Cheers

[Guest guest]

Thanks everyone ...

I live in Calgary and seeing my family doctor. He told me to see a

Rheumatologist. I seen him 3 times and I get no information out of

him other than " stick to vioxx?! " . He says, " the next step drug up

from that would be harmful " . He told me nothing about exercising, and

pain management. Should I ask my family doctor to refer me to a

different rheumatologist or is this normal???

I appreciate all the replies. I will try to think more positively.

Cheers

> Hi Shane,

>

> I have DEFINITELY had the same feelings you are having...

especially during a flare up. I am 28, and I was diagnosed at 24,

but I KNOW I had this in my early 20's. The right medications, and

for me weight training can make ALL of the difference. My motto

is " Keep moving no matter how bad it hurts " . It's NOT easy to do,

but I have to keep it up. I truly believe the fear of the future is

one of the worst things about this disease (during bad times it's so

hard to accept that I have a lifetime of dealing with this), but I

PROMISE you when you start feeling a little better your mind

decreases putting those fears in your head. You learn to be strong

and know what you can get through. It DOES get better, but it DOES

take work on your part mentally and physically and your Dr.'s part.

I think stretching every morning, and doing some form of LIGHT

aerobic activity... even if it's walking around your house until you

break a light sweat... every morning is very important. There are

days where I limp, but starting my morning out that way helps. Also,

for me, when I am feeling exceptionally strong I make sure I use that

time to strengthen my body... I know if I use the time I do feel good

wisely that my body will be stronger when I feel horrible. There is

a great book out there by Dr. Miriam . It is called " Strong

Women and Men Beat Arthritis " . You should check it out, and try some

of the strength exercises. If you want to talk my e-mail is

TMHHAYS@a... I know exactly how you are feeling.

>

>

>

> In a message dated 12/5/2002 12:27:50 PM Eastern Standard Time,

leckie@b... writes:

>

> > My name is Shane and I am 22 years old. I have been living with

PA

> > for 2 years. In those last 2 years I have done everything to

keep my

> > life the way it was before i was diagnosed. Today I have

realized

> > that I am failing. Hence me joining this group. I have 2

children, a

> > 3 year old and a 3 month old. I am having a hard time coping. I

am

> > feeling really depressed. My doc put me on 2 25mg of Vioxx a day

and

> > everything still hurts. All I think about is that it has just

begun.

> > It will only get worst.

> >

> > Is there anyone here that has felt like this, and if so

> > what can you

> > do to look forward without feeling depressed?

> >

> > Cheers