Toni

[Guest guest]

I was wondering about MTX injections, too, . It's hard to

understand why rheumatologists give up on MTX so easily without giving

it a reasonable chance.

[ ] Toni

> Dear Toni,

> Hello! This is in VA. I agree that you

> should get a new rheumy. Did you try metho injections?

> They usually decrease the side effects. For me,

> Remicade works really well.

>

> Take care,

>

>

>

> =====

>

> Rose DeNicola

[Guest guest]

Toni,

I am on Enbrel, and it is wonderful! It's almost as though I don't have

RA. I don't remember how long it took to do its magic. My fingers are

almost back to normal size. I haven't had any more damage anywhere. I

must be in remission! How amazing! I hope that it has the same effect

on you.

Sue

On Sunday, November 2, 2003, at 04:47 PM, aclavern33@... wrote:

>

> Thank you for the warm welcome. I too hope the Embrel helps. I have

> noticed

> less stiffness but no decrease in pain or swelling yet. I am still

> hopeful

> and waiting for positive results.

>

> I look forward to hearing from others and how they are coping with

> there RA.

>

> Toni in Texas

>

[Guest guest]

Toni,

Best of luck to you in your surgery. I'm sure you'll do well, and will be on

the mend, and getting thin soon.

Noreen

[ ] Toni

Toni,

I know that you are nervous right now, but everything will be

alright. You have got so many people praying for you, and you have a

good doctor, and your family is by your side. You just try to think

postitive, and you will get through it. Please know that I'm here,

love Tawny

[Guest guest]

Sounds like he is nice Toni... I'm happy for you... What state you live in??? (just planning for the wedding...lol).. Remember to take your tonic and even a plant enzyme and intestinal cleanse capsule when going out (if you know you'll be eating ""cooked"' food. May help the stomach.... even ginger root...

suzi

ps ... you like them younger... how old are you again?? and you can have a orange juice with a bit of rum... (medicinal....... are you smiling yet?)Toni <tone102@...> wrote:

Hi Suzi,

That date went well inspite of the rash and the eye twitching which by the way never did stop lol I saw him again last Friday which he came here (with my son here) and we just hung out and watched tv. I so cannot sit and watch tv anymore Last Saturday was his 40th birthday (I like them younger lol) and he invited me to spend it with him. NOW Saturday I awoke with an awful stomach bug and almost came running here for help. I was sick all day. But I could not let someone down on their birthday so I stood tough and kept an empty stomach. Finally the huge limo came...(my first time in one except for my mom's funeral) and we went driving around through the city. I was like a little kid seeing things for the first time. Either that or everyone thought I was a foreigner since it was raining and I had the window open and was hanging out...lol

He invited me out this evening for a drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I am still debating though.

Thankyou for asking Suzi. I will invite you to the wedding...lol hahahaha just kidding!! on the wedding anyway..not the invite

Mobile Take with you! Check email on your mobile phone.

[Guest guest]

Hey Suzi,

I am in New Jersey. Actually, I did not eat or drink anything on Saturday as I was sick in every aspect of Saturday. He brought some nice liquors too on the limo but I played it safe. Good thing as he really did celebrate his birthday...lol One never realizes how annoying another can be drunk, when they themselves are straight. I understood though and all is well.

I will keep that orange juice and rum in mind too. Thankyou for the suggestion. I am 45 years young. I refuse to age! The guy that I was involved with not too long ago for several years is 34. I am taking things slow with this one and going the friends first route to see what happens. I always say that too much too soon leaves for nothing else later on. Besides my father's words not only ring in my head all the time, they chang lol

Thanks again for asking Suzi

Just picture me being sick last Saturday with a nasty stomach bug and being nervous...lol God was truly with me on that one.

Have a wonderful day!

Toni

[Guest guest]

Patty,

as far as my health goes I have never been better except for the STD"S my husband gave me from the stripper he is now living with.

withen days of getting my implants out I started feeling better. Now I am more active and healthy than ever. life should be great but it all sort of fell to hell for me. But at least I am strong enough to fight the battle ahead of me. I didn't loose my house to the storm and I am not going to loose it to that sob either.

thanks for the support and I do hope to meet some other survivers around me.

toniToni Frampton

for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

[Guest guest]

Toni

You are one strong lady and you will get your life back! It sounds

like you are better off without your husband. I am sorry he passed

on STD't to you. You have alot to deal with but it sounds like you

are up to the challenge.

Hugs, kathy

> Patty,

> as far as my health goes I have never been better except for the

STD " S my husband gave me from the stripper he is now living with.

>

> withen days of getting my implants out I started feeling better.

Now I am more active and healthy than ever. life should be great but

it all sort of fell to hell for me. But at least I am strong enough

to fight the battle ahead of me. I didn't loose my house to the

storm and I am not going to loose it to that sob either.

>

> thanks for the support and I do hope to meet some other survivers

around me.

>

> toni

>

>

> Toni Frampton

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> for Good

> Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

[Guest guest]

I had lapband surgery too!!!! How funny. I had mine done back in 2003.

Unfortunately, I

have still yo-yo'd up and down the scale. Have you been able to isolate what it

was you

began to eat/drink/do differently at the end of that nine month remission

period? I guess

that's a stupid question or you'd have solved the riddle yourself. I'm just

wondering what

kind of dietary and/or exerices changes I could make to improve things. I have

heard that

giving up dairy helps, but then, that would be good for EVERYONE, not just R.A.

sufferers.

It's just hard to do if you like dairy. What meds do you not take due to your

surgery? I

never got much advice on that.

>

> ,

> I tried a bunch of different stuff. I used evening primrose oil,

> fish oil and a few other suppliments. They really didn't do much for

> me. I went into 9 month remission and was on NO meds after having

> weight loss surgery (lapband) I truly think the drastic change in

> diet and exercise made a world of difference. At the end of the none

> months I started to have problems again and its just gotten worst and

> worst.

>

> I have gone through three rheummies. The first one was great and

> moved away and the second one was total quack it did not listen to me

> at all. All I was was a peice of meat and lab tests. I started on

> Arava, pred and a bunch of other stuff with my first rheummy. When

> he moved away I had no care for a year. Then came rheummy two, he

> changed all my meds around and stopped the arava. He then started me

> on MTX and that is when all the trouble started. It made me sick as

> dog from day one!!!! Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and

> headaches...then I got a cough that would not go away and he ignorred

> me for a month. I finally went to my PCP who stopped the drug

> immediately. I had a protential fatal side effect called drug

> induced pneumonitis. I could not talk, eat or sleep. All I did was

> cough, gag, throw up and gasp for breath. Fourtunately my lungs did

> recover and with no permenent damage.

>

> Then my stupid rheummy wanted me back on MTX but on injections...so

> desperate for relief and trusting my doc I started taking it...again

> came nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, mouth sores,

> eye sores, throat sores, genetalia sores, I was absolutely misrable

> I spent my time on the bathroom floor. It was getting so bad that I

> didn't get to the bathroom all the time and going out anywhere proved

> to be a very embarrasing experience. But my doc said my labs looked

> great keep taking the " poison " . He even upped my folic acid to 5mg a

> day and leukovorin once a week to try and stop the side effects and

> nothiong working. My red and white counts went to crap! Finally I

> told him ENOUGH!!!! No more posion. At the same time I also was

> started with enbrel. During this 9 month period of time it was hard

> to tell if anything did any good I was took sick otherwise to tell.

>

> I decided to have weight loss surgery (lapband) I had to stop all

> meds two weeks before surgery. I was so happy to be free of shots,

> pills and all the side effects. I had surgery and it was great

> afterward..no pain, swelling or other problems. This went on for 9

> months.

>

> I went back to see quack rheummy and he wanted me back on MTX when my

> symptoms started to return and my lab work was not good. I made lots

> of excuses...there was a shortage and my pharmacy never had any when

> I went. He then started talking Humira...too expensive...health plan

> won't cover it. I keep stalling him and making excuses as he had told

> me he was moving away.

>

> Now I have a good rheummy that is very conservative and moves at MY

> pace. We stopped all meds and started all over. Since weightloss

> surgery many meds are off limits or have to be used with caustion due

> to my small pouch and its sensitive to meds that can cause ulcers or

> irritation. So I don't take oral steriods...only shots when

> absolutely needed. No NSAIDS...since they removed Bextra off the

> market there are really aren't any I am suppose to take. But I had

> to have something so I take lodine XL only when needed and then I

> have to take it with Nexium when I can get samples or Prilosec.

>

> He started me on antibiotic therapy. Doxycycline. It went OK for a

> few weeks then it started making me sick to my stomach...I had to

> stop it. I can't afford ulcers in my small pouch. So he started

> Plaquinil. I have been on that a few months now. I have not noticed

> any real difference..things have just gotten worst. Then again since

> I have been free of meds for so long I rarely remember to take it as

> prescribed.

>

> So now he wants to add Humira...but I will stall him until the

> summer. I have a few projects and trips and I don't want to be

> burdened with carrying this stuff around and hoping I can keep it

> cold. PLus I hear it burns so that is a real turn off. Next problem

> is my insurance is not going to pay for it. So that pretty much says

> it...no Humira or any biologic for me cause I can't afford it.

>

> I am also going to check out harolds suggestion as well. I just wish

> they would invent some sort of pill...Very small preferable...cause

> that is another problem I have since having surgery. I can not get

> large pills down...they get stuck and make me real sick.

>

> Toni