I do not even believe in that stuff, signs that is, but your sound like, what I go through.
The list is about the same, but I have other complications, it is better right now, and I am getting a better handle on the pain. I do take myself off them occassionally, when it is tolerated. About five days, just to get clear from the pain meds. I ask for less if I am in remission, and when it starts to take off, I let my physician know. There are different methoid in pain control, and I found the patch, is helpful and addition to oral. It does work for many of us out here.
The National Pain Foundation is helpful and right now they are lobbying in Washington for better effective pain and theraphy technics for chronic pain population.
I am active somedays more than others, but I get out and make sure, I keep my thought's clear. Pain can control you, I have been there, and there is little resolution when it gets bad. But, keeping in focus if today is better, and tomorrow is worse , lessing it and increasing it has worked for me.
I deveoped an infection twice this past summer of 2005 and was in the hospital on IV anitbotics for 10 day once and 12 the other. I got really well the second time, they gave me Vacromycn and three days of high steroid. I got up out of bed, without any pain. I lasted a month on no meds, and for 3 months on 1/3 less. Then it creeped back in, and my blood work is showing high ANA and usually my sed rate is elevated, that has been sky high 105 up and down too 35 , 56, . ....
I do not sleep well, I find it like a torture chamber, I get stiff and painful in a short time. My neigbor , three of them are in their forties and fifties, as I am 50 and we all have RA, and auto immune disease, two are one morphine pumps. I would have too be much worse, at a 10 all ways too resort to that, but they were. We were all active before, we all walked and did the gym and now we are stiff and our bones are like old peoples. Many in this areas are suffering from this stuff, I think that when the final vote is in ,we are looking a chemicals in the envornement, breaking down the immune response.
There is a study, call the Sister Study , it is primarly studying, breast cancer in sister of sister or brother, but in that study they are also, watching and recording auto immune RA, Lupus, MS etc. I am a in active Captain do to physical limitations and abiltity to commit. But, we shall see.
Well I hope you are feeling better, it does real take hold of you when it is active. I can total relate to that too. The 4 is the month for my plan next surgery and the year, but it looks like it might have to be held up, do to pathology studies. But, I will be getting new knees and shoulder possibly but the doctors are not sure, if they can do much, it is frayed the tendons, nerves and muscle. I sometimes take freezer bag fill them with crushed ice and put them on my joins if the pain is really bad, I leave them on for about an hour at a time.
I think what motivate me too keep going is that I too work in medical field for 20 years, and saw what stopping can do.
I miss work allot, and being on the go, my last job was in a hosptial as medical director assistant/ secretary/ schedule keeper/function planner/ fill in when he was not there or in meetings. He was administrator and physician and it was from one office mine. But I loved a challenge, I worked for Urology too the medical director pedi,too.
I started studying law about 3 years ago, my health is not always stable, so they have worked with me, and then there were times, I just had too stop and put it on medical hold. I ahve two finals to finish, I was two week about from it, and I just could not get up without pain, and tears. So no sense for me in public. I limp and the older folks at church alway ask, I hate that but, they mean well.
Feel better!
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