Neasy | Arthritis Information

How are you feeling sweetie? I read a page or two back that you were having some awful mood swings and just feeling really down. Have things gotten any better? Love and hugs Neasy - I've also been thinking about you and hoping you're doing better. Have you been able to determine if the fatigue and mood swings is from the Plaquinil or just part of this darn disease. Hang in there, and hope you feel better soon!Bumping up for Neasy!!!

Hi Guys....Have I told you lately how great you are?!

I just got home from an 11 hour shift. I'm exhausted, I hurt and we were short handed so I really over did it. I really don't know how much longer I can keep this up...it takes so much out of me. It will be interesting to see how I wake up as my shoulders are aching and my right ankle is hurting and starting to swell.

I'm still very much in a funk and my moods are swinging like crazy. I go from being just here, to being depressed and crying to being angry yadda yadda yadda. I don't know if it has something to do with the Plaquenil or if it's just me being sick of being sick and the stress of decisions I know I have to make about my life, working and ssdi (I know I have to deal with these things but I don't want to and I'm afraid). Maybe it's a little bit of all of it. The Plaquenil is definately giving me headaches, hurting my stomach (feels like it's burning a hole right through it) and making me a bit dizzy. I cannot take the morning dose and work so I've only been taking the evening dose after dinner.

Today one of the doctors I work with asked me how I was doing and when I said "I'm fine thanks, how are you?" she said I looked sad. One co-worker (sorta friend) told me that I seemed really irritable and one co-worker told me that I didn't look like I felt well and that my eyes were dull. My eyes are dull? What does that mean? If it means that I look like the walking dead then GREAT because that's how I feel. No, I didn't say that but I sure felt it.

Sorry all, not much change here. I'm going to go take a shower and try to read a few post that I've missed. Thank you for your support, understanding and true hearts...it all means more than you could ever possibly know.

Peace & Love...Neasy

((((hugs))))Oh sweetie, sorry to hear its still all so crappy. It can seem so overwhelming at times, can't it? I am in the same boat about having to consider disability. I know we tend to hide our disease, especially from co-workers and family but sometimes, we gotta let them know. Its ok to say, you know what, I really feel like HELL right now!

Ditto Micheleb and back at ya! You're post made me cry and just reading it....I know you really do get it.

Yesterday at work one of the girls wanted to see what a Sam's Club card looked like so I pulled mine out and when she saw the picture she said "That's not you". I said "Of course it's me" and then I pulled out my drivers license and the girl about fell of her chair. She said "You look so different, pretty". Part of me got angry, the other part wanted to cry because I knew exactly what that that statment meant.

Peace & Love...Neasy

Ouch.

Neasy, please take your full dose of plaquenil...you can take it all once a day,
on a FULL STOMACH. Hopefully that will help. I've been in the same spot and
once my RA was under control I was able to spend some energy on personal
appearance and that helped my self esteem and depression. Also, is there
some way you can cut back on your work hours? It hurts financially, but
taking care of yourself is the priority. This is a really hard time but in the
vast majority of cases things get better as the RA gets more controlled.

There are some really simple inexpensive things you can do with your appearance and boost your self esteem. A mask once a week is great for your face. Leaves it all soft and glowing. They are not too expensive and very refreshing. Drink lots of water (I know Neasy we had this discussion earlier but you have some great suggestions for that) because it does your skin a world of good. Trim your hair. You don't need to get an all out new style etc. Sometimes a simple trim livens up your hair which in turn livens you up.

Gah! Stop ganging up on me ya bullies!

Seriously...thanks guys, you know you're great and I love ya!

Umm, as for taking the full dose of Plaquenil uhhh....I dunno Gimpy. It's hard enough for me to take one of the lil buggers and I've actually even contemplated not taking it at all. It really really really hurts my stomach. I can deal with the other side effects but this stomach thing is bad. I was even taking doggy carafate at work yesterday because I was so afraid I was going to vomit. I cut back at work well over a year or so ago leaving me with 3 1/2 days a week. I very well may need to make the decision to cut another day but if do that I lose my health insurance. In that case, it may just be in my best interest to quit altogether and apply for ssdi. That's just one big scary step and it sends me into a panic even thinking about it. I really don't understand after all these years why we can't get this RA under control. Sometimes I wonder if this is the best my situation will get. I certainly hope not.

As for the water....I know!

Peace & Love...Neasy

Here's a good homemade ice tea recipe that tastes like Snapple:

Bring 8 to 10 cups water to a boil and add 1/2 cup sugar. When sugar has dissolved, turn off heat, add 4 teabags (I like orange pekoe), put lid on pot and let steep for one hour. Add lemon juice to taste (lots!) and chill.

And here's a GREAT lemonade recipe but it's a bit more fussy:

Bring one cup of water and one cup sugar to a boil until sugar dissolves. Let cool.

Soak 10 lemons in hot water and pound or roll to soften and release juice. Using a fork or a reamer, squeeze juice into a large bowl or cup measure. It should make about 1 cup fresh lemon juice. The seeds usually sink to the bottom so pour the juice into a large container, trying not to include the seeds, add sugar water and enough cold water to make about 3 litres (that's 12 cups to you Imperial types).

MMmmm...delicious!

I hear ya, more energy would help. I did end up cutting my hair lots. It was down to my waist, its barely to my shoulders now. I sleep lots but my eyes are dark, sunken and swollen and right now red and irritated from a nasty bout of uveitis, so I have not been wearing any eye makeup at all, which is just not flattering for me.

I do however have a great mask, its made by neutrogena, its not real expensive and you just slap the goo on and let it sit for 15 minutes and rinse it off and it does give me a little boost!

Neasy, can you try another dmard instead of the placquenil? I took it for over a year and it hurt my tummy too. Now, I just take humira and prednisone for the ra. I too, wonder if mine will ever get better. BTW, Neasy, I'm not trying to trivialise your dillema by posting lemonade recipes---I just thought I could present some mouth watering liquids.
I agree if the plaquenil causes such serious problems for you it might be time to consider a different treatment.

Ohhh Gimpy thanks for the tea & lemonade recipe...yummy. Perfect timing for summer too. Of course it's always better when someone else makes it....want company?