Chronic Illness Moms - How are you doing this week?

[Cynful]

Christina and Jean, I'm sorry it's a bad day. I'm having a good day today so I won't complain. Either my body has gotten used to not having the Mobic or the weather this past week made it so bad (we had rain and a cold front come through), I don't know which.

 

I definitely avoid bending when I can, but I have arthritis in my sacroiliac joints and walking/bending makes it worse. I get really tight too and it makes it worse also. Actually, I do stretches and exercises every single morning that my PT gave me to do and every single morning, it's like I've never stretched before. I don't know what that is, but it's crazy. I'm so tight and my muscles can't seem to get any stronger. I've tried to do weight training type exercises and my muscles never seem to respond or get stronger.

 

Gentle :grouphug:

[TravelingChris]

I did go walking in the botanical garden with my son. It was very beautiful with so many things blooming. I am so grateful that I live so close to what I now see is one of the best botanical gardens in the US> I jiust wish I could do more. Well. next Wednesday I see my new theumatologist and I hope he will be suggesting, at a minimum, that I go on the full dose of the arthritis drug, not the half dose I have been on for almost four years. I can see why I was started on a half dose but since I have been having so many flares, I think he should either up it to fuil dose or change me to a new medication. WHat really bothers me now is that I know it isn't just pain. For almost 20 years, I was told my arthritis was not going to do any real damage to me since all the rheumatologists thought it was secondary to Sjogren's Syndrome or to Lupus, and both of those usually have a form of arthritis that doesn't destroy the joint. Since Feb of last year, I have known that mine is destroying my joints. I have seen the evidence on xrays and also on a bone imaging scan. Since this Feb,. I have known that not only are my knees getting very bad but also two areas in my spine- one in my lower spine dues to a fall from a horse when I was 19 (horse starting slipping on wet leaves and rocks, and in the process of the horse almost falling, I fell off), and the other in my neck and shoulder area which is due to the RA. The upper one is the very worrisome one because it can cause paralysis or impinge on breathing if it gets worse.

 

I always wondered why my arthritis symptoms were my most bothersome problems unlike most people with Sjogren's/ The reason everyone thought it was secondary to Sjogrens' is that I have markers that are usually only in people with primary Sjogrens'. But I also have a marker that is nearly always only in people who have Lupus. ANd then I have the bilateral joint damage and the joint pattern and the disease pattern that is usually only in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

 

All anybody knows is that I have autoimmune problems from the arthritis, to the dryness to the asthma to the B12 deficiency to the thyroid problem. Oh, my thyroid enlargement is till the same size so the primary doctor thinks we should just rescan in a year. I have decided I want to see an endocrinologist since I don't like the enlargement. It bothers me, particularly when eating, and just feels funny. I understand that I probably don't have thyroid cancer but I never thought I did. I do think I probably have autoimmune thyroiditis and would like to see it addressed/