Do you ever have good weeks? | Arthritis Information

I was diagnoised in Dec with PMR. Now that the holidays and a HUGE amount of stress is lessened I have had to take no meds for the last week! I can still feel the reminders that the PMR is still there but it is not unbearable. After reading back thru many posts I noticed that many of you said your PMR worsened with stress. I have been working really hard at reducing stress around me and I am hoping that this is not a fluke week that I am having. What do you all think? If it will stay like this I feel like it isn't so bad.

My long post yesterday to you didn't get posted some how! I just wanted to say that I concur that stress certainly makes things a lot worse. Me, for example, I have a stressful fulltime job as a project manager (some weeks working over allowed hours - 48 or more), husband who has injured his back and hasn't been able to do much for 5 months, three hormonal teens and mother in a nursing home with heart problems and early memory loss (she's 81). On top of all this our company is relocating us this summer 200 miles from here, but my husband will have to stay in Malvern as he can't move until the end of 2008. The move is coming at a critical time for the girls' education, so much so that the eldest will have to finish her schooling in Malvern, while I take the two younger ones with me to start a new school in Kent/Sussex (don't know exactly where we will be living yet!). Talk about flares - even my RA is having a go at the moment and that is usually under control. I don't feel stressed, which is uncanny, just my body is reacting. I try to chill as much as possible and not let anything get the better of me. My faith has a lot to do with my coping - I just lay anything at the feet of the Lord and He sustains me.

We are bound to have ups and downs in this disease but we can fight it with all sorts of ammunition - drugs, diets, lifestyle and mindset. I am of the attitude "I have PMR, it doesn't have ME!" So, be positive and you will certainly feel the benefit of it.

I hope I haven't been rambling gobbledygook, so apologies if I have.

Have a good evening.

Love Judi XX

Judi, What an inspiration you are. Talk about things to get stressed over! I'm so glad you know where to find comfort and strength to sustain you.

Hi Daisy, I'm so glad you're doing well. In my case, overwork and certain stresses are my downfall. It takes a few days to get back to normal which isn't that great, but I'm not complaining. It's wonderful that your pain is managed. Most of us have to put up with this for years.

I feel so sorry for some folks on this forum. I've read about some that can't walk because the PMR decides to settle in the bottoms of their feet...on top of the pain everywhere else. Some can't get out of bed. A lot are younger people (which isn't supposed to happen) still trying to make a living and raise their kids, like Judi. And the men...God bless them aren't ever supposed to cry! Since I am self employed, at least I can take off sometimes when I just can't make it. Good to hear from you, sweetheart.

Betsy,
Have you heard anything else from your Dr.? Hope all is well.
Georgiana
Hi G. No, I wore a heart monitor for 24 hrs, got rid of it yesterday. My heart has decided to go crazy throughout all this too. I had blood work this week, and sonogram, but have not heard anything from anyone. My appt with the hematolist is not until the 29th to have the bone marrow biopsy. Sometimes I think they believe it's their job is to do the tests, and it really doesn't matter if they give us the results or treat us right away. I'm doing ok, though. Today was better than yesterday. Thanks for asking sweetheart. Betsy,

The long waiting is really awful, isn't it? Almost 10 years ago, when I had a herniated disc, I saw a neurologist, and told him I thought it was the disc. He kept telling me it wasn't a disc problem, but would never say what he "suspected". That was before I learned to stick up for myself and confront the doctors. Like and idiot, I went on-line and typed in all the symptoms I was having, and the closest thing I could come up with, other than herniated disc, was multiple sclerosis. I worried myself sick for 2 weeks over that, ended up having anxiety attacks (is that what your heart problem was - mine was racing like crazy when I'd go to bed - scared the heck out of me and I was afraid to go to sleep). I finally decided if it was MS, there wasn't much I could do about it at the time, so eventually calmed down. They finally did an MRI, which showed the herniated disc. I have a brother-in-law who is a doctor. I e-mailed him my concerns and told him how I was feeling. It was good to have his input from the doctor's viewpoint. I think most of them really do try to do the best; sometimes they may be misguided as how best to approach the patient. It was good for him to hear MY viewpoint, too, and know how crazy and nervous all the waiting was making me. If you don't hear about the tests within a reasonable (? 1 week ?) amount of time, don't hesitate to call and ask them.

I think about you every day, and keep praying!! Hang in there.

Reni

Thanks Reni, I'm always on the computer trying to get a head start on the doctors, mainly so I can better understand what they are talking about. The heart thing, from what I can tell, is another sign of the anemia, but I hadn't thought about anxiety. That could surely be significant, too.

Mine is going way too fast and skips a beat about every 5 minutes. it's just the heart trying to get enough oxygen to you, since there are not enough red cells. It started along with everything else, so I suppose they are related. The GP said when he got the blood resuts, "I'm not going to lie to you, I suspect leukemia." He's never been wrong before, but it surely wouldn't hurt my feelings if he were this time!

I don't get paniced til it's time, and I haven't seen the hematologist yet. It's just that I'm so tired and feel so bad. That's what I'm having such a hard time with. I can only work about 3 hours, then I'm exhausted and my heart is pounding in my ear so loud I could scream. I don't quit though, because I don't want to. I just keep going til the day is over.

Actually, I get more realiable info from reading posts on this forum than all the medical gobbledegook. When I was first dxed with PMR I thought the median age was 70, no one under 50 ever got it. It went away in a year, 2 the most, and everyone lived happily everafter. NOT! There are so many younger people that post, and many have had it for years and years...and it relapses! I've been treated for a year next month, and it's not going anywhere...I can see that.

Thanks for your prayers and concerns. That's what sustains me, you folks and other friends and family. I always trust that whatever happens will be in my best interest. God is merciful and powerful. Have a great weekend, Reni and other sweet cyber freinds, and thanks so much for caring.

Hi Betsy I haven't written you as still waiting to find out what is going on, so many sick, hard to keep track of all of US special people.

Back to GP Tues. fired my rhumy, but enough about me,,,just wanted to say keep your chin up and anxiety doesn't help any, it's the waiting game that gets one down...remembering you in my prayers and God in His mercy is with you.....rose

Thanks Rose, I surely hope something good will happen for you with the GP. Aren't you the one that was doing well and the rhumy just stopped your prednisone because of normal sed rate? If prednisone works, you have PMR. Sed rate doesn't matter with some. Looks like all doctors would just know that and how many mgs to start us on and how not to drop it too quickly. I'm praying for you too, sweetie.

I've just dropped to 6 mg and it usually takes about a week or 10 days to settle down again. It's been a bad week. Really rainy and humid. That hurts. My doctor says (and this makes sense when you think about it) when, at the end we start to cut 1 mg a month, we are actually cutting down by a larger percentage than dropping 2 1/2 mg at a time like in the beginning. When we go from 5mg to 4, we are cutting 25%, then 4mg to 3, we lose 25%, etc Very Interesting. I had never thought about that. Love

yes Betsy I'm the one still getting the run around about Fibr?PMR?OA is the latest with no reports back re GP's blood tests, bone density etc....will be calling her to-morrow.....sounds like we are not the only ones with big questions and no answers from the pros.....Neck pain so bad, went for physio for 2 sessions, he was only putting on moist heat, but he wrote to my dr. requesting x-rays..so will see what this week brings....will keep in touch & nbsp; take care my prayers are for all you.....................rose

Rose, Isn't this ridiculous? So many people can't even get dxed, and we just have to suffer the pain til someone decides to do something a little different, like listen. Duh! I'm gonna stop and pray right now that the doctor today will receive devine wisdom and you will get some help! I know the others on the forum will do that too. Let us know. Love yu

Betsy,

I have a friend in Florida that had all the same problems as you and they put her thru the mill including the bone marrow test. Well that was normal. But all of her blood tests were abnormal.

They finally decided it was just PMR. After they scared you know what out of her.

After two years all is coming back to normal. And she is feeling much better.

Just wanted you to know...

Susan

Oh my gosh, Susan! That's wonderful. That's the best news I've heard in a long time. I don't know why that couldn't be entirely possibly. I just wonder if the prednisone can't do all that to your blood. It can do everything else. Thank you so much. That truly does give me some hope. Did your freind have irregular heart rythem along with the anemia. I have read that the heart is trying much harder to get the oxygen you need. That's the explanation for that.

It's been over a week since my last tests. If I don't hear tomorrow, I'll call them and start raising hell again, I guess.

Thank you. You really made me feel good and gave me something to hope for.

Once again, you learn more on this forum than you do reading the medical stuff.