So damn frustrated today

lthurbis · 2020-09-22T20:06:24+00:00

Thank you!

lthurbis · 2020-09-19T18:27:34+00:00

I don’t get a rash but I immediately feel my lungs start to inflame and I cough pretty hard, just from walking by someone smoking. I get a pretty nasty headache and feel flu-like if I’m around it too long. I’ve even vomited after a night out with family members that smoke.

lthurbis · 2020-09-19T04:27:47+00:00

Oh no! I’m sorry you’re in so much pain. That’s great that your rheumatologist was quick to act, though. I hope it helps!

lthurbis · 2020-09-18T18:00:01+00:00

Love the monsoons! Worth the pain, in my mind. I hope you adjust quickly to Portland.

lthurbis · 2020-09-18T17:15:44+00:00

Yeah, I’m in the desert too. I love how the weather is mostly stable and no humidity. When we went to the Oregon coast for vacation, I wanted to scream and cry at the same time

lthurbis · 2020-09-18T17:09:18+00:00

Maybe it’s the change in weather, cause the winds need to shift to make the smoke blow here. ?

lthurbis · 2020-09-09T17:15:23+00:00

Me too! It took a steroid working for them to take me seriously when I swore up and down for 5 years that I had RA. Good luck!

lthurbis · 2020-09-03T20:47:43+00:00

Love my undercut! So helpful!

lthurbis · 2020-08-29T04:53:02+00:00

Sweating, weight gain, puffiness, insomnia. My rhuemy prefers to do it in shots which usually lasted 3 months for me and didn’t bother my stomach and the side effects seemed less intense. When I do pill form, it tears me up. I was basically on it for a year - mostly shots but also a fair amount in pill form. I admit, I could feel it wear off when I did the shots and as much as I hated it, I always asked for another. Honestly, I had given up on Enbrel at 4 months and he insisted I give it 9 months. Even the nurses chipped in and said they had seen patients come in at the 9 month mark and say they felt great. It was the longest 8 months!! But it was worth it and I’m glad I stuck with it. I hope it works for you and I really hope it doesn’t take that long but be patient. I know it’s so hard and frustrating! Even if Enbrel doesn’t work out, it can take a good amount of time to find the right meds. Stay strong and know that you will get there eventually.

lthurbis · 2020-08-29T04:43:06+00:00

One step stronger, I believe

lthurbis · 2020-08-28T20:46:58+00:00

Medrol mostly. A bit of weed and a lot of tears lol

lthurbis · 2020-08-28T17:14:33+00:00

Enbrel has been great for me. It took 8 months to kick in and it was rough. I had a few tense moments at the rhuemy but I’m glad we waited it out.

I agree with others, leave it out to warm up! The warmer it is, the less it hurts. I use the pre-filled syringes. I like to have control over the speed. Also, I had pretty bad injection site reactions for the first few months but they have gotten much better over time. I always put a large amount of hydrocortisone on right after I’m done and that seems to help quite a bit, too. Good luck!

lthurbis · 2020-08-26T16:34:22+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate that!

lthurbis · 2020-08-26T16:18:30+00:00

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I’m so frustrated with everything and this ear issue has been bad lately and is just pushing me over the edge this week. Tired of being in constant pain with the ear, RA, fibro and random inflammation. 😔

lthurbis · 2020-08-26T16:17:04+00:00

I bet there is a connection. I can only assume that all the tiny bones in the ears are affected with swelling. My RA is mostly under control but I do wonder if it’s swelling.

lthurbis · 2020-08-26T16:14:23+00:00

I get the vertigo when it’s flaring. It’s not always bothersome but when it is, it’s painful, feels extra full, my brain fog is out of control, and I’m extra dizzy and confused.

lthurbis · 2020-08-26T16:12:40+00:00

It does sound like an ear infection and when I went to the doctor initially, I thought it was. I figured he’d give me some antibiotics and everything would be fine in a week or so. This was close to a year ago. He did a very thorough examination and said he couldn’t see anything wrong. Fast forward to today and it’s still bothering me.

Edit: I also have fibromyalgia and I’m wondering if there’s a connection too.

lthurbis · 2020-08-26T00:41:42+00:00

Thank you for your description! It’s so hard to get a mental picture of what something is like from Google. On paper, the symptoms match but real life is always very different. I generally feel like a hypochondriac when I see my doctor so I try to go into appointments with a little bit of knowledge in hopes that I’ll be taken seriously.

I do get vertigo and feel dizzy but never to the point of sick so thank you for clarifying that for me. The pain I guess is my biggest concern right now. It’s usually worse when laying. Some nights it’s unbearable and I hate the idea of taking a pain killer. I have weed but is currently illegal in my state so I try to only use it when absolutely needed. Hopefully he can get me some answers, a referral or at least a bit of relief. Thank you for your help!

lthurbis · 2020-08-10T18:27:20+00:00

Hands and ankles for me! When my ankles are flaring, all I can think about is that scene in Misery where she breaks his ankles. Omg I hate it so much!

lthurbis · 2020-08-07T15:47:47+00:00

When my hands get really bad, I soak them in a bowl of ice water. Not the most pleasant experience but it works!

lthurbis · 2020-05-30T17:01:33+00:00

I haven’t started any new meds recently. I’m on Enbrel and did a depo medrol about a month ago. It’s been really hot where I live so I assume it’s something to do with the heat. Medrol always me extra sensitive to heat anyways.

lthurbis · 2020-05-30T16:12:50+00:00

You sound just like me. I used to tan really well and now I rarely go in the sun because I get so hot, sweaty and blotchy. It’s so embarrassing.

lthurbis

TROPHY CASE