You're definitely dealing with a lot, T, vent away!!!
I understand about all the doctors ... I go to a rheumatologist, endocrinologist, and gastroenterologist as well as my primary (I'm 37).
My kids are 13 (w/ Apergers), almost 12, almost 10, 6 and 4, and I babysit a 2 year old, a 4 year old and a 10 month old. The two year old definitely keeps me busy, and now that the 10 month old is almost walking, my life is going to get even more interesting. It's great that you can nap with your 2 year old. I try to rest when M is napping, but these days my other kids need things, or the four year olds are getting into trouble, or the 10 month old isn't napping when the 2 year old naps. I never know how it's going to work out!
My primary gave me my last prescription of Vicodin, then referred me to a pain specialist. The ortho surgeon also gave me Vicodin for when I tripped. So I hope that I will be covered until they accept me at a pain doctor. But they have given such a low dosage of the medicine, the ortho told me to take 2 pills at 5mg, but all that is going to do is run out quicker. I am not supposed to take nasaids of any kind because I have the lap band, however i have been taking large doses of ibuprofen. You have alot going on...wow. I can only nap with my two year old on the weekends. During the week, I am so so tired at around 2pm, it is like i am just useless.
WHOA KID Does your Doc know about the Ibuprofen??????? That is one of the NASTIEST of all NSAIDS gor gut problems With that band you have a stomach the size of a walunt. You have no room to mess around. And vicodin is TYLENOL another NSAID
Hi - I am a newbie here also. You shouldn't be afraid of the methotrexate - it has been used for years in the treatment of RA and most people tolerate it well. The main side effects I have experienced are fatigue and cold sores. I have been on 15mg of the metho for over 3 months and the side effects have eased quite a bit. The idea behind these drugs is that they will ease symptoms and stop disease progression. Depression can be a side effect of methotrexate but you could also be feeling down just because of everything else that is going on health wise. Good luck!
TStrick said:
Thank you all so much! I have had a week from hell, I tripped on a metal grate at work and had to go to my ortho doctor, and I have tear/sprain in a muscle/tendon (I can't remember what he said) along the inter tracing of my knee. He has said to take it easy for a month and to come back. I laughed when he said take it easy....my life does not have a moment to take it easy. But if it is not healed in a month, then MRI and possibly surgery to fix it. Just great, along with everything else. I talked to him about the meds and he supported Humira and said that the medical community has come far. That this will stop the progression of the PsA. I took the 7 metho's today, when my husband comes home I will do the shot. Just to have someone monitor that I don't have side effects. I appreciate everyone's comments and I believe that I will live on this page for support. My job is trying to state that I have not been myself and trying to write me up on a corrective due to my behavior. I have now filed all of the info regarding this illness and the medicines that I have been on and how it can affect your mood. Let's see how far they get with that....LOL. Thanks again for every one of you and your comments, it gives me solace knowing that what I am feeling physically and mentally is not just in my head. :)
Your body and your life are trying to slow you down, I know you say you cannot make that change, but looks like they are going to do it for you anyway. Perhaps it is time to ask for some help. This comment is meant with all good intentions and sincerity.
SK
Mary said:
Hi - I am a newbie here also. You shouldn't be afraid of the methotrexate - it has been used for years in the treatment of RA and most people tolerate it well. The main side effects I have experienced are fatigue and cold sores. I have been on 15mg of the metho for over 3 months and the side effects have eased quite a bit. The idea behind these drugs is that they will ease symptoms and stop disease progression. Depression can be a side effect of methotrexate but you could also be feeling down just because of everything else that is going on health wise. Good luck!
TStrick said:
Thank you all so much! I have had a week from hell, I tripped on a metal grate at work and had to go to my ortho doctor, and I have tear/sprain in a muscle/tendon (I can't remember what he said) along the inter tracing of my knee. He has said to take it easy for a month and to come back. I laughed when he said take it easy....my life does not have a moment to take it easy. But if it is not healed in a month, then MRI and possibly surgery to fix it. Just great, along with everything else. I talked to him about the meds and he supported Humira and said that the medical community has come far. That this will stop the progression of the PsA. I took the 7 metho's today, when my husband comes home I will do the shot. Just to have someone monitor that I don't have side effects. I appreciate everyone's comments and I believe that I will live on this page for support. My job is trying to state that I have not been myself and trying to write me up on a corrective due to my behavior. I have now filed all of the info regarding this illness and the medicines that I have been on and how it can affect your mood. Let's see how far they get with that....LOL. Thanks again for every one of you and your comments, it gives me solace knowing that what I am feeling physically and mentally is not just in my head. :)
Great! When will I find a doctor that understands that I can't move my fingers with out massive pain? That my elbows and wrists don't work. I need to take a medicine that will allow me to work and not effect my stomach............Stressed beyond..........2nd week of 7 2.5 metho and 2nd week of 1st humira shot. Nothing has improved. My fingers are still swollen and joints are killing me, I am gaining weight but haven't changed my eating habits...............Kids, house, job, husband, life seems like it has been placed on hold because of this.
Thanks SK, Lamb, TKR Lady and Mary.......I am trying to figure out how this forum works....I didn't know there were more comments...lol. SK, I still feel like crap. I just want to sit at my desk and cry. Pity party for me today :( I just want to not hurt. TKR, My old primary used to prescribe me Darvocet. It worked wonderful when I had a flair up, but he left the practice and they took it off the market. Again just my luck. Good news is once I am approved for FMLA, I get two weeks of paid sick leave called Extended Illness Bank. I have never missed work, came back 2 months early from my TKR on both knees, but I pln to use this time to relax and figure out what the next course of action will be. Thankfully I am salary so I can go to Doctor's appts and the such, but I am taking some time. I have two weeks of vacation scheduled for July. Sorry, I am all over the place on this post. That seems to be how my mind is working lately. Hope you all have a good day.
Hey girl, no problems, you got it all covered! Don't let them intimidate you at work, really!! Try not to get too abusive with them, but just remember that they will only walk over you if you let them!!!
Take the medicine, in case you haven't been reading the posts, the Enbrel is working for me, the Remicade is working for Elizabeth, and Bumble is getting stunning results!! There is only so much of you that can be 'replaced', you are so fortunate to be able to get infusions, many cannot for insurance/financial reasons. You are so young and pretty, this disease can make you gnarled and hunched and ugly with pain in short order!
These biologics are the hope of the future, you owe it to your self and your children to take advantage of the opportunity to be WELL!!!
Thanks SK! I always try to remember that I am fortunate to have great health insurance and a good paying job. I know it is really hard if the insurance company won't cover your medicine. My husband is an insulin diabetic and his monthly meds cost over 100.00 with insurance. Thank goodness I only pay 5.00 every three months for the humira shots. I just hope it will start working soon. I am so glad that Enbrel is working for you and everyone else...I am trying to be patient, however that is one area that I am lacking in :)
It's hard to be patient when you don't feel well, when you are in constant pain, I do understand about needing the insurance, it is hard to take hearing how people who are not well are treated at work, most have gone through it, and can really relate. I hope the med starts working soon too, the wait is terrible. Please know that I support your efforts to keep everything going, it is alot to manage. You have already suffered tremendously just with what you went through with your knees! Hopefully it is all up from here!
Just re-read your post and HUGS!!! to you, TStrick! You have a lot on your plate but it makes sense to me to treat it while you can before there is more irreversible damage.
Also, so sorry about your fall on the STUPID grate. Owww and how awful to damage your new knee! I hope you can heal the torn/sprained muscle/ligament. But PLEASE try to take it easy on it and do pt if you can. I sprained my left ankle many years ago very badly and never stopped my physical job nor did I go to pt for it. BAD mistake. Took many years for it to feel better. Don't do that to yourself; take the time to let it heal properly.
If you have the medical documents regarding your illness, your company will have a hard time going in the direction they want to go to, I would think. You have a disabling illness; not your fault. They need to accommodate you.
I'm brand new to the group. I've been living with PsA since age 30 and I'm now 51 and just recently diagnosed.
About a year ago I left my full-time job and started doing contract work because I just couldn't keep up due to fatigue. I always had to use my PTO for my "crummy days"...that left me with no PTO for vacation. I was exhausted!
As a contractor I have far greater flexibility and autonomy. This releaves a lot of stress. The company through which I contract offers health insurance so that is a blessing.
I'm posting to give you encouragement. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Make your health a priority.
The only med I've tried is Sulfasalazine and Motrin. I didn't do well on Sulfsalazine and Motrin doesn't seem do much if anything. I can't take the biologics because I have another immune problem (IGA deficient)
My symptoms have progressed quickly over the past 6 months...feet, toes, hands, wrist, fingers, shoulders, elbows, knees, neck and lower back. YIKES! Above all the FATIGUE is what gets me the worst. I'm considering a return visit to my rheumatologist soon.
The fatigue is absolutely horrible. I feel like I am walking around in a daze. Managing a foreclosure group and 3 kids while being so sleepy is so hard. I think at lunch today I will take a nap in my car. :)
Do you take 'good vitamins'? It does help a little, not a cure though.
The exhaustion is all part of this, unfortunately, you are really amazing, do you realize that? With all you keep up with, and all you put up with, you need to give yourself some credit! You are amazing!! Stay strong, girl!
Thanks SK...Today was a really bad pain day. I had to run a few errands in the morning, and then went to work. Both of my arms from shoulders to fingers hurt and were so swollen I couldn't move them. I stared at my computer, couldn't sign documents, couldn't type and was in a daze. I did something I rarely do, I left work went home and slept for four hours. I am still in pain, but not as bad. I am slowly realizing that this is a very serious condition, I cried all the way home. I felt like a failure for leaving work, but I couldn't do nothing else. WTH is up with this and why isn't the medicine working? I know it takes time, but it seems that I am getting worse than better. Maybe it's in my head...who knows.....................
No, No, No, you are not a failure, not in your head, every single one of the people on this site, and all the sites for support are/were high functioning, goal oriented, dedicated people who were knocked flat by a serious rare disease! It is just about the worst thing that could happen to anyone! Really! This is serious, look around, there are more and more young people every day, some even younger than you, in intractable pain, in a fog, cloud, funk...
The medicine never seems to kick in fast enough, never. You just cannot give up! Sometimes it takes a little while for the med to work, sometimes it takes longer. I don't want to tell you that you have to wait, but you do, might happen some day when you least expect it to.
I'm sure that did not do much to ease your pain, but you can talk to me anytime. I'm pulling for you, girl!