I am so frustrated and out of solutions I am hoping that a good old rant will make me feel a bit better.
So as you might of picked of from some of my other posts I have been sick a lot. Don't know if the rest of you also get sick as often as I do. It's quite frustrating cause it feels like my whole life stops when I get sick and this is where my problem comes in. This year I have been on 8 rounds of antibiotics! I mean that in itself is probably also making me sick. I started the year of with a really bad throat infection accompanied with an ear infection and sinus infection and since then it seems that I just can't shake it. If I get sick it takes me about 3 weeks to get better and by that time I have contracted another virus or infection. It feels like I have been wishing this year away trying to get "healthy". And then on top of that is the PsA....
I was diagnosed back in 2007 so it's not like I am new to this disease and the ups and downs that go with it but wow this year has been one big down. I feel like I have had to come to grips with it all over again. When I was diagnosed it actually spurred me on to do things just to prove to myself that this will not get me down, and I have always tried to maintain that attitude until this year...With all of these illnesses I have really had to re-evaluate my health. When I get sick my arthritis flairs up so being sick most of this year has meant one big flair up. For some or other reason I was under the impression that I had a really mild case of PsA. It might have been because I was diagnosed quite young (22) and the doctor has always been a bit dismissive about my PsA giving me this impression. Looking back I am not sure why though as he started my treatment quite aggresively. But this year has certainly proven otherwise to me! I had to stop my enbrel for 3 weeks cause I had to go for an operation (yes as if all the getting sick wasn't enough I tore the labrum in my hip and had to get that fixed) and wowzer! By the 3rd week I was in hell! At night my knees would go red and this would spread all down my leg to my ankle, heal and all my toes. This was just the visible inflammation, all of my other joints were hurting like crazy too. The one positive is that at least I know now how well the Enbrel is working! If only I can take it uninterrupted by infections!! Then life will be manageable again!
I hope some of that makes sense as the brain fog is at an all time high due to my latest bout of bronchitis and flu. O yes and the cherry on the cake was a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic I have used many time before! I almost feel like my body is telling me that it has had enough of all of these meds...Seeing my rheumy later today, hoping it will be a positive experience and not another "I don't know/nothing we can do" session!
Well I think that is all I have to say for this rant. Any advice on how to cope through times like these will be much appreciated as well as your war stories!
Bless you! I hope things turn around for you--and soon!!! It makes me think I should count my blessings instead of always complaining on here and seeking encouragement and advice.
I have had years like that and it is no fun. I have not had so many viruses since I stopped working so it is better now but yes I flare terribly when I get sick. I would talk to your doctor and get his/her advise but there are some things you can do to cut down on how many you get and to make sure you are as healthy as you can be. Wash your hands a hundred times a day and use hand sanitizer when you are out in public. I try to keep my hands away from my face unless I have washed them recently. Viruses don't live forever on hard surfaces but if you touch a door handle like going into the mall or a church and then touch your face you can infect yourself with cold or flu virus. Then once you have a virus you are susceptible for bacterial infections. If you can protect yourself you will get less sick. I also us to make my son wash his hands well when he got home from school which also helped. I also eat something with Vit C in it everyday and take a multi vit. Good luck with it as it sounds so miserable.
Thanks Grandma J and Michael. I am trying to eat healthier, or rather to eat less sugar as I do eat a lot of fruit and veg just too many sweet things in between. I went to my rheumy yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised with his supportive attitude - probably cause I burst into tears when he asked me how things are going. He said that my immune system is probably exhausted/confused due to all the infections, antibiotics and the enbrel. So he has told me to stop the enbrel for 2 months as well as the cortisone....EEEEK! This means I'm heading back to the gap! He however believes that all my pain is due to fibromyalgia because my blood tests are always fine. I am not so sure about this as I have a couple of tendons that have started to calcify - one in my shoulder and one in my finger that actually caused some bone to break off. But I can't keep on second guessing him as I am just to tired. While there he also noticed a red "rash" I get when I am emotional on my neck and chest, I thought this was just a side effect of the cortisone but he has diagnosed me with an autonomic disorder because my heart is also giving some issues and normally accompanies this. I do have a very mild case of a mitral valve prolapse but all of these infections has really aggravated the situation. I was a bit shocked when He mentioned this autonomic disorder as I was not expecting yet ANOTHER disease/disorder/illness. I am also going for an echo tomorrow to check that my heart hasn't worsened and he has put me on a high dose of beta blockers as well which he says should help with my heart/autonomic disorder. It feels like the hits just keeps coming! I am in such a daze at the moment. Don't even know how to feel anymore cause feeling sorry for myself just gets me nowhere but man this really sucks!
Yes, it sucks! That's the best word to describe it. Have you had a second opinion? I would be scared, too, if they wanted to take my Enbrel away.
Nicolene said:
Thanks Grandma J and Michael. I am trying to eat healthier, or rather to eat less sugar as I do eat a lot of fruit and veg just too many sweet things in between. I went to my rheumy yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised with his supportive attitude - probably cause I burst into tears when he asked me how things are going. He said that my immune system is probably exhausted/confused due to all the infections, antibiotics and the enbrel. So he has told me to stop the enbrel for 2 months as well as the cortisone....EEEEK! This means I'm heading back to the gap! He however believes that all my pain is due to fibromyalgia because my blood tests are always fine. I am not so sure about this as I have a couple of tendons that have started to calcify - one in my shoulder and one in my finger that actually caused some bone to break off. But I can't keep on second guessing him as I am just to tired. While there he also noticed a red "rash" I get when I am emotional on my neck and chest, I thought this was just a side effect of the cortisone but he has diagnosed me with an autonomic disorder because my heart is also giving some issues and normally accompanies this. I do have a very mild case of a mitral valve prolapse but all of these infections has really aggravated the situation. I was a bit shocked when He mentioned this autonomic disorder as I was not expecting yet ANOTHER disease/disorder/illness. I am also going for an echo tomorrow to check that my heart hasn't worsened and he has put me on a high dose of beta blockers as well which he says should help with my heart/autonomic disorder. It feels like the hits just keeps coming! I am in such a daze at the moment. Don't even know how to feel anymore cause feeling sorry for myself just gets me nowhere but man this really sucks!