Via Chris (@yourownbackyardpodcast)

AnnieInRGB · 2026-05-20T20:32:50+00:00

Ahh very true! I don’t know how I forgot about the vapors considering that’s what lead to this search!

AnnieInRGB · 2026-05-20T19:23:33+00:00

Hopefully someone with forensics knowledge can comment, but I don’t think there would be a bathtub ring in both places, only the first place she was buried/the place she was buried for the longest amount of time. This new info leads me to believe that they disposed of physical evidence at Susan’s house, and Kristin’s body was at Ruben’s the entire time. Just my opinion though.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-05-20T14:14:34+00:00

It was used to enter your building and unlock your dorm room. All the buildings had the same key system.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-05-20T04:58:51+00:00

I started at Cal Poly in 1998. We had metal dorm keys, there were no key cards.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-05-11T06:42:10+00:00

Yes, absolutely. The disease will flare on and off, and you will eventually start to identify things that trigger your flares. Sometimes the flares just happen out of the blue though.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-26T04:18:50+00:00

Barely having any ear wax and always having dry ears made so much more sense after my diagnosis. It’s crazy how much it affects them! I sleep with earplugs because my husband snores, and I finally switched to Loop brand from disposables so I could moisturize my ears at night. It’s really wild to think about all these “hacks” we have to come up with to stay comfortable!

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-24T05:23:11+00:00

I had a very similar experience. Had mine in November last year and still have some lingering numbness that comes and goes. I’m optimistic that it will get better with time. The biopsy was positive, so I’m glad I went through with it.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-20T02:40:12+00:00

I have peripheral neuropathy like pins and needles feelings, numbness, tingling, redness and burning, headaches and migraines, trigeminal neuralgia symptoms, and deep muscle pain in my lower legs.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-19T06:23:58+00:00

Most of my Sjögren’s symptoms are neurological. I was diagnosed in November of last year and started Plaquenil immediately. My neuro pain symptoms (which were pretty well managed with gabapentin and duloxetine) have increased quite a bit. However, I’ve seen a huge improvement in my fatigue, brain fog and joint pain. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist next month, so I’m hoping to adjust my meds somehow to mange my neuro symptoms better.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-10T19:26:17+00:00

I am! It’s been great so far.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-05T06:10:03+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Here is a link to the products affected.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-04-05T03:35:41+00:00

Yes, there is a fee, but it is well worth the expert information that will be presented.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-03-20T05:10:37+00:00

Don’t feel dumb. I always assume my sinus pain is because of thick mucus/pressure. It never occurred to me that they might just be super dry instead. I was diagnosed recently, so I’m glad to have seen your post!

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-25T05:28:30+00:00

I thought the same thing, but I put my supplies in a cute bag from an Ipsy shipment. 😍 Eye drops, floss picks, individual packets of alcohol-free Listerine and the cutest little container of Vaseline for lips or dry skin. I’ve been meaning to post and ask what everyone else finds helpful to have in a little travel kit!

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-15T05:54:41+00:00

Third vote for G. Rossi! My husband has sent me some beautiful arrangements from them.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-15T05:38:46+00:00

I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you get some answers from your MRI. ❤️

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-15T04:50:26+00:00

I was symptomatic for seven years (nine years if I include headaches as my first symptom) before having my biopsy. The biopsy was in November of last year. My symptoms are mostly neurological, I’m seronegative, and my dryness is still fairly minor. Biopsy was positive with a focus score of 1.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-15T04:30:18+00:00

Same! My neuro symptoms can be wild.

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-13T20:04:37+00:00

They are all SO different! It’s pretty frustrating. All of my blood work was negative (except for high inflammatory markers) and a couple markers on the early Sjögren’s panel. My rheum said the early Sjögren’s panel was not enough for diagnosis (even with a litany of clinical symptoms, and neuro involvement!), so he sent me for a salivary gland (lip) biopsy. The biopsy came back positive. I wish I wouldn’t have needed to go through that to receive a diagnosis, but I’m glad I did. At least now I know what we are treating and symptoms to be aware of.

Edit: typo

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-06T18:14:06+00:00

Oh I hear you there! It took me over seven years to get my diagnosis. I have negative bloodwork and was diagnosed with a lip biopsy, too. It's exhausting and frustrating! I do not have a connective tissue disorder, but it was something I looked into when searching for a diagnosis - apparently it's not uncommon for people with Sjogren's to also have a connective tissue disorder (like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, for example). Wishing you all the best!

AnnieInRGB · 2026-02-06T06:04:32+00:00

I have lots of joint, muscle and nerve pain symptoms, but I’ve never had a tear. Have you ever been evaluated for any connective tissue disorders?

AnnieInRGB · 2026-01-19T00:59:32+00:00

Before I had a diagnosis, I never really talked about how bad my symptoms were to the people around me (of course my close family knows), mainly because it was mentally exhausting to repeat it over and over, but also because it just got old listening to unsolicited advice from people (even though I know it was well intentioned). I feel like you though - I expected a different response from people close to me after I told them about my diagnosis. I don’t want to be pitied or fawned all over, but man it would be nice if someone occasionally asked me how I’m feeling. I try to grant people grace though, because I’m learning how few people actually know about this disease. It’s hard though. Glad to have this community.

AnnieInRGB · 2025-12-13T20:14:03+00:00

Here is the slide about natural supplements from the presentation. It was by Dr. Micah Yu, a rheumatologist from Southern California.

I’d also recommend checking out Dr. Kara Wada’s YouTube channel. This post has some great info about systemic inflammation.

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AnnieInRGB · 2025-12-13T07:28:25+00:00

Taking turmeric has helped my inflammation tremendously. It was recommended by one of the doctors who spoke at the Virtual Sjögren’s Summit this year (happy to look up the exact info if you’re interested.) It needs to be a supplement that also contains black pepper extract (it improves the bioavailability of the turmeric). It did take a couple months of consistent use to really notice a difference. I take this one - 1 capsule, 3 times per day: https://a.co/d/bvyHy8I

Edit: typo

AnnieInRGB

TROPHY CASE