[~Christina]

I’ve been in a bad Asthma flare for 6 weeks now , typically steroid shot and oral steroids clear things up. But not this time at all. New stronger inhalers no help either

Even tho there isn’t any sign of an infection , chest X-ray is clear .. Im doing 10 days of Augmentin 875 mg twice a day.

So I’m skipping my shot of Humira , it can interfere with infections so even through I have no signs of one, just to be safe I’m skipping. Since I have only taken 5 shots so far , it’s a bi weekly... im not noticing much help with my pain yet. Sigh.

I see a GI end of the month for my liver, it’s not happy.

And now beginning of Nov a Pulmonary specialist.

Gentle hugs

Pfrog .. I’m so sorry you have to wait so long can you call other doctors to see if you can get in sooner ?

I may could get in a week or two earlier with another Doctor, @~Christina, but ...

After researching all available under my insurance plan, this one seemed the best fit. He's got really good patient reviews and is local too.

Of course, the jury is still out on whether I'm even going to go or not, but I've got plenty of time to make that decision.

Still weighing the pros and cons of treatment, costs involved, etc.

It's a rather heavy decision because if I'm going to end up disabled anyhow, I don't see the point in being disabled and destitute!

I could use that money to get a souped up mobility scooter and modifications to my car to tote it around with ...



I want mine to be purple with lavender ghost flames and pipes that shoot fire out the back when I pop a wheelie down the aisles!

This past week I actually had a couple of "good" days and thoroughly relished that.

It's not often that my pain levels get that low anymore, so I really embraced it because I don't know when that will happen again!

With that being said, I hope everyone here gets a little break and has a couple (or three or four) "good" days too!

I hate the fact that my halloween is turning out to be really, really tragic

everyone else I've spoken to seems to have big plans for halloween, (most all ready got everything they need)

I don't even have a ****ing costume

and I have a scary skeleton decorating my doorhandle.

woooooo. skeletons are soooo scary. not

*sighs*. I love halloween but this sucks

[lizardlady]

Can I have some cheese to go with my whine?

TS Nestor is out in the gulf. Poor folks in the panhandle haven't recovered from Michael last year and are getting hit again. Only effects in my area are wind and rain. Oh and let's not forget the changes in barometric pressure that have triggered the flare from hades. I had plans for things to do today. Instead I'm going to spend the day on the sofa with a book, beverage of my choice and my hotpad.

Ok, whine is over.

Pfrog doesn't have any cheese, but here's a gif of the actual pfire I built in my wood burning stove today ...



Nasty old Nestor made that possible as it's been cold, windy and rainy here all day too!

Hope that made you feel a little bit better @lizardlady ...

[~Christina]

Liz ! My daughter dealt with that mess ! She said it was horrible.

My SIL lives in Lakeland and has a tornado headed right at her. She sent us a frantic if I die I love you guys kinda text. It missed her by less than a mile.

I do not miss dealing with Florida and these intense storms. But honestly ..... we get storms from the west and straight line winds... they are often 25-80 mph !!! We had a tornado forming over our heads one afternoon , the storms are worse in April every year. We felt the air being sucked right out of our house, I have never been so scared. My husband and I just looked at each other and said OK we are gonna die now.

It touched down less than a mile away and killed many cows and a few horses.

Weather everywhere is so scary to me , I can’t imagine living with blizzards either.

I hope your Fibro goes to hell quickly !!!

[lizardlady]

Pfrog, thanks for the fire. I'm looking forward to it finally cooling off here enough so I can have a fire in the fireplace.

Christiana, glad your SIL is okay. Local news broke into programing to warn people to take cover. I grew up in the midwest. Tornados scare the poo out of me. My husband and I used to live in a place near here the locals called "tornado alley" We had five of the dang things go through while we lived there. One blew up while I was working one of the horses. No time to take cover. I jumped off the horse, went face down in the dirt and told the horse she was on her own. We were okay. Another one ripped the roof off the barn. Thankfully they were all out in the pasture.

Nestor moved on. My pain level is back down to background noise.

[~Christina]

Oh damn that’s scary , yep my horse would have needed to go do his thing too !!

We have a “ cold front” coming through big band of storms blowing through tomorrow and I’m a walking barometer pain is starting to build.... the rest of the week highs will be around 70-72 so that’s going to be awesome ! I hope to get out and do something , but if I can’t at least I’ll go sit on my porch and watch my dogs run after a ball for hours.

Stop the ride I want off !

[~Christina]

Ok this front brought me a horrific headache, sick and laying in bed all day.

Fibro flared all to hell too. My left elbow is swollen and so sore. Never had this happen before thanks PsA for that added bit !

I think this winter is going to be hell

I'm so sorry it floored you like that, @~Christina ...

I'm not looking forward to Winter either ...



Winter IS NOT Our Friend!

Pfrog is working diligently to keep her wits about her while trying to make up her mind which way to go with all this.

The number one barrier I'm facing is a paralyzing fear and distrust of any and all things healthcare related.

I have already had way too many bad outcomes with medical stuff in my life and have found myself harmed more often than helped by it.

The arrogance and condescension I've received from many in the medical community has only served to increase my fear and distrust.

I believe in my heart that all that's gone wrong with my body is a direct result of a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic back in 2009.

I've been in chronic pain and declining health ever since!

Not to mention this aggressive, rapidly progressing arthritis - whatever the hell kind it is!

I've come across many legitimate articles about drug-induced autoimmune disorders which can't help but to confirm my suspicions, but ...

Whenever I've mentioned this to medical personnel, I've been met with a stony silence and/or a dismissiveness that is rather unsettling to me.

I've often wished for my body to be back like it was before I had that effing allergic reaction to that effing antibiotic!

It all boils down to wish in one hand, @#$%! in the other ... And, sadly, I already know the answer to that one!

[lizardlady]

Pfrog, do you have someone who could go to doctor appts with you so there's another pair of ears hearing what the doc says? They could also give you moral support.

[lizardlady]

I hear what y'all are saying about winter. I'm ready for it to cool off any time now (temps were in the 90s today), but boy howdy the prospect of cold fronts makes me cringe. Christina, that cold front that hit you is now moving in here. Here comes the fibro fog,pain, crankiness, etc.

[~Christina]

Pfrog.... I think it’s very possible that the incident with that antibiotic did kick your immune system into overdrive which causes increase inflammation in your whole body. For instance Fibromyalgia can often be triggered by a trauma. Car accident is a big one, also mental illness can trigger it and sometimes no one can figure it out... it just happens.

That said.... do I think you will find someone that can at least listen to you? Yes..... maybe they don’t believe in such things but they don’t need to be dismissive or act like an axxx over it.

I’m very lucky that my rheumatologist is a really good Doctor. Our first appt probably lasted 35-45 mins.. he asked an enormous amount of questions. He always allowed me time to answer. He was not in a rush to fly out the door.

Because I had a high level of inflammation in my whole body determined by blood work and Xrays that showed the damage psoriatic arthritis ( PsA ) was causing he started to talk about meds... there are some oral meds 3, actually. I had tried them all with no help from a rheumatologist while in Florida. Hell one was a legit “ do not go out in the sun! “ yes I was told house to car to store to car to home. It was impossible to live with.. stay out of the sun in Florida ? Yeah hilarious

He began explaining to me about the biologics. He preferred to start with Enbrel he said over all most people can take it with few if any side effects. at all.

Well that worked for just over 1.5 years and just up and quit ! I was furious. Once it stopped working I realized that it did in fact really help with my pain. So now I’m on Humira I haven’t really noticed any help yet, but it’s still early , it takes usually 1-3 months to see how things go.. meanwhile my blood work will keep track of my inflammation levels.

Biologics can help with pain but more important is that it can help stop further damage to joints.

I hate that you have to wait so freaking long to see a rheumatologist. That’s just nuts

I think most everyone struggling can look back and see an event that seemed to start a domino effect of just declining health.

I hope that you get some answers and started on a treatment plan to help improve your daily life. Chronic pain is just so overwhelming

[~Christina]

I still feel like I have been beaten with a bat !

My daughter noticed some overall body pain from the front. She of course is worried she might also have Fibromyalgia.. I am praying hard that she doesn’t.

Even tho this front was brutal our weather now is just perfect ! sunny and 70-74 highs for the next 10 days. So I have hobbled out on the porch with my kindle and just enjoyed out finally Fall weather.

I hope your flare subsides quickly. You have had it really rough for far to long

That idea about having a friend come along hadn't even crossed my mind, @lizardlady, thanks for suggesting that!

Here's hoping that nasty old cold front won't keep you in its grasp for too long!

And, thank you both for sharing your experiences and offering encouragement and support to one Pfreaked Out Pfrog!

Every night as I lay in bed ruminating over what all lays before me, I have this sudden urge to just jump up and run - where to I have no clue!

Silly me ... Can't run away from this!

Here's hoping the one I've selected is a good fit, @~Christina ...

I won't know unless I go, so I am determined to make myself go!

[lizardlady]

Oh pfrog, I understand about wanting to run away. Feel that way myself sometimes.

[~Christina]

Thank you Mr Front for yet another round of joyous pain and making my head feel as if it will explode

Welcome to Fall in middle Tennessee Folks ! Yes I enjoy the cooler weather but Wow just Wow

Sometimes A Little Humor Helps!

[lizardlady]

Pfrog, I love the gunnies you post

Boo!

Is regret a part of the grieving process?

Because the more I read about drug-induced autoimmune conditions (known about since the 1940s!), not only do I cry and curse a bit more, I also have a deep, abiding regret - because had I been better informed before I took certain psychiatric medications (for over 10 years), and that one antibiotic I had a severe allergic reaction to in 2009, I'd've most likely opted to NOT take any of those medications at all!

Dammit!

[lizardlady]

Pfrog, I believe it can be.

[~Christina]

Originally Posted by Pfrog

Is regret a part of the grieving process?


Because the more I read about drug-induced autoimmune conditions (known about since the 1940s!), not only do I cry and curse a bit more, I also have a deep, abiding regret - because had I been better informed before I took certain psychiatric medications (for over 10 years), and that one antibiotic I had a severe allergic reaction to in 2009, I'd've most likely opted to NOT take any of those medications at all!


Dammit!

Yes it’s defiantly part of it. I think I have probably taken many meds that could have caused me long term damage, but I didn’t have the internet at my fingers tips to research every pill before I took it .... like I do now.

Even the most studied medications on the planet will have some kind of side effects to some people even if it’s a low low chance , someone has to get them since it showed in human trials.

My mom ?? Perfectly good health no mental issues at all. She over did things one day moving heavy things around her house one day. I said an Advil would help being an anti inflammatory she had never taken one, I gave her 2 , she only took one when we had dinner , about 30 mins later she’s fiddling with the ac control , kept punching it with her fingers and getting angry, I went over and asked her what she was doing she said the phone won’t work , I was like what?!!! I went and handed her the phone , she had no idea what it was... Boom I’m hustling her in the car convinced she was having an atypical stroke as her face and smile was fine , no one side weakness. Get to the ER they immediately do a CT scan and ruled out stroke. She checked out fine physically but answered questions very strange. I had told the Dr about her taking just 1 Advil for the first time. About 4/5 hours later she started making sense.

The Doctor came around again to check her and he did feel that she was one of the people that had a very rare side effect. So she never took another one. Altho that didn’t seem have any long term effects it was an oddball reaction.

Most every drug now has a mile long list of possible side effects up to and including death. Im always on the lookout about psych meds as that can cause tremors or TD that could be life long problems

I’m unable to take an Sulfa antibiotics or meds as I will be violently vomiting in less than 30 mins. I ask my doctor specifically about any new psych Med, he’s good about giving a good amount of info and possible side effects. I still come home and research it before I pick it up at the pharmacy.

As for my decision to take a biologic for my psoriasis and PsA ? I had tried all the oral meds. None help It was still causing more and more damage to occur to my joints. So I had a long serious talk with my rheumatologist and he recommended Enbrel , I had already looked it up but did more research and felt for me the risk was worth taking as I need to walk and use my hands. I didn’t have a single side effect 1.5 years later it just quit working no rhyme or reason so I went on to Humira again long discussion and I went home and researched, I just took shot # 6 and I’ve had no side effects.

Any chemical we injest has the possibility to cause a side effect temporarily or long term. It’s just part of making an informed decision.

They just yanked Zantac off the market, it’s been available since 1984 and just recently there has been found a connection to stomach cancer. I have been taking it for decades.

Nothing comes with out some kind of possible side effect/ risk. All we can do is research and make informed decisions.