Mind and Body enter the waiting room at a rheumy's office and sit down.
one man is already seated, reading a magazine. Body slumps in a chair,
arms crossed, with a frown.
Mind turns to Body, says...
"You are really grumpy today."
Body: & nbsp; "Yeah, well that last rheumy, and he called pred a bad guy!"
How do we know this one will be any better? I really don't
want to see another rheumy, what's the point? This is the
last as far as I am concerned.
Mind: & nbsp; "Come on Bod, maybe this will be the one to help us."
The man already seated looks up and says...
Man: &n bsp; "Hi, name's Norm."
Body: & nbsp; "Hi, my name's Body.
Mind: & nbsp; "My name is Mind. So what are you here for, RA AS SLE SS
MS...
Norm: & nbsp; "PMR"
Mind/Body: "So are we."
Norm: & nbsp; "Having trouble finding a rheumy?"
Body: & nbsp; "Are we ever! This one any good?"
Norm: & nbsp; "Yes, in my experience. I'm here for a sixth month check,
to see if I'm still doing well."
Nurse enters the room and beckons to Norm. He follows her out of the
room.
Mind: & nbsp; "Guess we are next."
Body: & nbsp; "You are, I'm not."
Body: & nbsp; "What does it matter what the rheumy says, when you
don't listen to me? It has always been what you thought,
what you wanted to do, when you wanted to do it and how
you wanted to do it. It is my turn now, and I am taking it!"
Nurse comes in and beckons. Mind gets up, follows her, looks back at
Body who leans back, with slight smile.
Critic's Comment: "All's well that ends well?"
Playwrite's comment: Mind and Body are still arguing, but are more
together now, working as a team (most of the time!). After being told by
my rheumy that I did not have PMR because my sed rate and CPR were
not elevated, (In spite of the the symptoms and the dramatic response to
20 mg of Pred) I decided not to go to another rheumy and instead design
my own recovery method. Thanks to all of you, for your information,
your caring concern, your sense of humor, your commitment to helping
each other, your sense of hope in spite of set backs, the plan is working!
I slooooowly reduced Pred to 2 1/2 and started to listen to Bod"s
grumbling and insistence on the 50% plan (20 minutes of doing, and
twenty minutes of resting.) With Christmas approaching I have not been
too good about the 50% and had to go back up to 3mg of pred and will
hold there until after Jan 1. I do feel that I am better, with Bod telling me
every hour to stop pushing and be patient! (Mind is rolling his eyes, but I
am carefully ignoring him!) I believe, for me, the best therapy has been
writing the play, it gave me a perspective on the whole situation.
A very happy holiday to all of you, and hope and blessings for the New
year. Thank you everyone, I shall ever be grateful to you!
Libeth, See if you can get one of the NSAID's prescribed to help you over the hump. I tried some old Voltaren and it worked great with the low pred.
Libeth - another bravo. Norm LOL, perfect name. And I am so with you on the going it on your own bit, I am just not having luck with medical doctors. Take care and have a great holiday season. CathyAll's well that ends well? But has it ended? If you are still in pain, or at least in pain without pred, then you still have something going on. I can't recall your original post with your symptoms in it, but don't you have all the PMR-type pain?