Hi Everybody,
Sorry I'm gone so much lately. I suppose summer is effecting the posting for all of us. I've had my hands full with other things also.
Did accomplish one thing....I brought all my angels in from storage & put them on a shelf above the computer. Also, picked up a new kitchen table with 6 chairs we had bought 2 years ago & they kept it for us. I'm bringing in my pictures, & going to buy some cheap curtains to hang. If I put up my good ones, they will get too dusty. DH said we would clear out one room at a time to sheet rock & get finished, so this way I can have my things in the house. It helps my feelings a little to have these things around me.
Chrily...I hope everything works out well for you with your schooling. I suppose it will take you away from us a lot....but, we'll try to understand, as long as you do check in!
Happy Canuk, & everyone....thank you for your sympathies. Just keep praying for my MIL, please. She's a strong person...but, she does have her moments. We've been busy trying to get all the income for her that we can.
Hope all are well. Take care. I had a treatment Tuesday, so still don't feel well.
Love you all,
Charlotte
i have had the worst day. I watched my sister's boys while she worked and Samantha spent the night with Kayla so I had a houseful. My blood pressure and stress level is so over the top right now. My sister nailed it right on the head. You either want to be so mad or just go into a room, lock the door, and cry. The constant demand of 5 children, the messes, the bickering...all the things I just can't take. I have no idea how these mom's with lots of kids do it. It is just not something I can handle. It's days like this that make me wonder if my anti-depressants are at a high enough dose.
My SIL's father had a heart attack on Monday and died shortly after so the funeral is on Friday. I didn't really know him too well but I think I'll try to find a babysitter so that I can go just to let them know we care.
Nothing else is happening right now. My sisters' and I are going to start making baby quilts for a side business (just for some play money...e.i. clothes, scrapbooking stuff, bingo nights, etc). We'll see how well we do. None of us really work during the day and Jen & I are the ones going to school online so it seems like something we can do together. We'd be a more productive group than what we are right now.
Gotta go check on dinner. Kelly is doing some evening calls and then he's going to watch the girls so I can have a break and go to Jen's house to cut out some quilt pieces.
Hope all is well with everyone. It is so quiet. I know Joanne isn't around right now...but where o where or where is Charlotte, Anne, Barb...and our new girls Shaye and Dinah. I'd love to hear what everyone is up to. I'm kind of doing the achy tenderness more often. My wrist has been tender for a week now and my feet still hurt. I can't get in to my doctor until Sept 14th. Guess I'll just limp along and take some tylenol....Just not sure if I want to hear what he says.
I'm here ,just been really busy catching up . I swear you work yourself to death getting ready to go away and the same putting everything away when you get home. We spent a week at a great beach. I took loads of clothes that I didn't wear. I will know better next time. I stayed in a bathing suit most of the time. All we did was sit on beach and read ,swim, and eat. We didn't leave the beach house once.Now I am back at my eating plan. I go to Tops tonight and will more likely be a pound over. I tried to stay on my eating plan but it's really hard..Hope everyone is well. Bye for now...Joanne
Joanne, SOunds like you had a nice relaxing time. I'm so jealous. These last couple weeks have been hectic around here and its seems like there is no time to relax. I'm working, or watching kids, or cleaning...and there's been 2 funerals and 1 wedding in the last week and 7 birthdays in the last 2 weeks. YIkes! I'm going to go curl up with a book before I go to bed. My brother is staying with us tonight. He doesn't like to be in his house alone when my mom's not there. She's on vacation with my aunt. So I have my "little" brother for a house guest. That's our joke. He's like 6 ft 5 in. He is younger though.
Chrily- Put the little brother to work helping you. He is probably eating there too? Yes I did have a nice time at the beach. It was just not long enough. If I had my way that is where I would live. Ofcourse ,I would have to have a lot of money to do that. It costs a lot to maintain a beach house,concidering storms etc.Hope things get easier. How are you doing on your eating plan?
Hey Angel.. Things get better all the time. Putting out things that make you happy is a start.
Hello everybody...Joanne
Morning ladies...
Well I had a very rough night last night. IT didn't even have anything to do with RA, believe it or not. I pulled a muscle or something in my chest and it hurts. Sleeping was next to impossible. I couldn't find a comfortable position to save my life. It hurts into my back too...esp. when I bend over or stretch. Deep breaths are out of the question. I've done this before, but I really really don't know HOW!
MY darling little daughter has decided to stay away from home for another 10 days. She went to stay at a relatives house and work in their family restaurant...so sh'e in heaven. She's having such a great time. She'll be back on the 16th. Then its going to be a race to get her ready for school. 6th grade already. She would have been in 7th but I held her back a year. I'm getting old.....
Today Nicole turned 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My baby girl isn't little anymore. No more babies for me though. These 3 are wearing me out already. Besides, I'd have to go off methotrexate for a few months before trying and I'm not ready to live with all the pain. No way.
HOpe you all are having a great day! I'm going to slowly try to get some stuff done. I'm not going to overdo it though. Move slowwwww...... and it won't hurt so bad. Gotta get going. Kayla has a birthday party for a schoolmate to go to also today.
Good Evening Everyone
I hope that I am correct when assuming that RA and OA are forms of arthritis.
I am 29 years old and 4 years ago after the unexpected death of my brother and my mother shortly there after, I maxxed out at around 402 pounds. Well , today I weigh around 240 pounds. Big weight loss, yes, but I beleive that now that I have lost so many pounds that my body is starting to feel the effects. I woke up Saturday morning my right knee was extremely stiff, I went to work anyway. I work at a hospital, and I am on my feet for atleast 12 hours. By the time my shift ended, I ended up in the ER because my leg had given out on me. The doctor stated that I had torn a muscle. Well, I woke up this morning, and both of my knees are exactly the same. I am in excrutiating pain. I cannot walk at all. My dear husband has to help me use the bathroom, and had to give me a sponge bath because I cannot get in or out of the tub. I am so extremely scared. I feel so helpless. Does this sound at all familiar with any of you ladies? If so, what kind of physician do you see? I plan on calling my family doctor in the morning to see what he has to say. But, until then I know it will be a sleepless night.
Last edited by LuvdBy3Angels; 08-07-2005 at 09:17 PM.
Luvd, First I'd like to say congratulations on losing all that weight. It really does help your joints out. Here's what happened to me. One night I felt a strange pain in my wrist that migrated up to my shoulder and then a few days later, it happened in my other arm. It's a parallel pain. The pain would flare up and come and go in all the different joints of my body. I am 34, and have RA for the last 6 yrs or so. I never got the official diagnosis until 3 yrs ago. My advice to you would be to go to a rheumatologist or a sports medicine doc. My first doc. was with a sports med. doctor, who couldn't figure it out...but then again, he never ran any blood work. Then I had a weird night when my hand swelled up like a rubber glove and it hurt so bad and burned, I sat up all night crying cradling my arm because I didn't know what to do. I went to a Internal Medicine doc and he referred me to a great rheumatologist. I've been seeing him ever since. Don't wait though...there is nothing more miserable than that intense constant pain. I really feel for you there. I've had alot of times where I cried and cried cause it hurt so bad and got stranded on the toilet until I had enough courage to rock my body, and finally push myself up and then stand there waiting for my legs to hold me up long enough to make that shuffle back to bed. That was when I got taken off some medicine that was causing liver damage. I had to be off everything until my liver counts went down to normal. 2 months of misery. Thank God for my current medicine (methotrexate). Don't delay...and try not to stress to bad (I know, easier said than done, but try). Stress sets of that little cycle of pain. Stress makes the pain worse, which stresses one out, and causes more pain...etc.
Anytime you want to talk, you can catch me on here...or Private message me too. I'll try to answer any questions you have. There's alot of nice ladies on here...who also know alot about RA and OA.
Chris:
Thank you so much for your reply. It wasn't a completely restless night, although I did only get about 3 hours sleep, it was more than the night prior. Well, I woke up this morning and the swelling in my knees is going down a little bit (more in one than the other) the pain is still there though, but not as bad as the past couple days. The strange thing is now my right hand is starting to do the same thing. It started yesterday with my right middle finger, this morning it is all of my fingers on my right hand. They are very swollen and painful.
I am going to call my doctor this morning, and see if he can refer me to Rheumatologist. I think that I will take your advice and get this ball rolling. I want my normal life back as soon as possible. Again, thank you for your advice, it really has helped me figure out what to do next.
Debbie- That is what I call my daughter. Her name is Debra. I have had OA since I was very young. I am a young 71 now. Go to your Dr. and get the help you need. You are too young to have to put up with this. I think I had OA when I was still in my teens but was not diagnosed till many years later. Good that you have lost so much weight. Now get busy and lose the rest. You will have less pain. Exercise is one of the best things for OA/RA. Keep the joints moving or they will stiffen and not move.I walk. Some days I think I can't go 20 minutes. But I do and as I walk further the pain lessons.I don't take any meds but over the counter. I ruined my stomach years ago with arthritis meds. Your Dr. should be the judge of what you take. If it hurts you tell him so.Stress makes your muscles tighten up. That is part of the pain. When I am the most stressed ,that is when I hurt the most. I belong to TOPS. It is a weight loss support group. You can use your own eating plan and get the support you need..
Hello everybody. Back later. Mondays are for the birds. Joanne
Debbie, HOpe I didn't sound too pushy. See, my mom waited and waited for a long time until it was almost unbearable before she finally went to the doctor. I tried and pleaded with her for the longest time to go but she didn't. WHEn I finally got her to go, she already had alot of joint damage. In her feet, the RA actually caused holes in her bones. I don't want to see that happen to you. Please keep us informed about your condition.
I am waiting for cooler weather. The humidity is terrible down here in Fl. My OA hurts and everyday I find a new pain.. I tried to do some work outside today and could only last about 30 min.Maybe I am getting younger?
Tomorrow is my daughters 49th birthday. I just can't believe it. She is so full of life that it is hard to vision her at mid age. It is just how you feel and have good health. She seems to have good health and she takes good care of herself,Thank God.
Hello Angel..How are you?
Stay well everybody..Joanne
I do hope you get to feeling better. I know that must be very painful! Happy Birthday to Nicole!!
Luvd
Sorry you've had so many problems. Congratulations on the weight loss!
I have RA, OA, Lupus, & Fibro........The RA started first. Just the middle finger of the left hand started hurting, then swelling, then thobbing day & night. I made an appointed with my GP & he took an x-ray & made an appt with a Rheumatologist. I thought he was crazy...but, by the time appt time came, both hands were in a bad shape. With 6 months, I had it all through my body. Sometimes, it will stop at a point. My daughter has it only in her hands...which is bad enough. Don't waste any time. If I hadn't gotten to a Rhreumatologist as soon as I did, I'd be in a wheelchair! Take care & I hope you stay with us.
Hi Joanne...your vacation sounds great. Wish I could do that. I've been really stressed lately. I do have my angels to look at now, though. Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Gotta go check out my website. For some reason, my guestbook is gone! I'm highly upset, for I've worked hard on my website. I had 165 signatures. I'm praying I can find it.
Hope all feel well tonight.
Just a fast check in for me. My ex MIL passed away tonight. Apparently it was a heart attack. She's been in a nursing home about 70 miles from here. She had emphysema too. Surprising in a way, but expected.
Hi everyone! I was so excited to find this forum in here! My name is Jennifer and I am 32. I was diagnosed with RA when I was about 24 years old. I am going through a remission period right now I think since I have been pain free for a few months but when it hits it really makes it hard for me to function. I have been married for 4 years and with my husband for 11. We have two boys, Cameron is four and Chase is 19 months. I have been blessed in the fact that I do not need medicine and loose all symptoms of RA when I am pregnant. I am not sure what else to share... So if anyone has questions feel free to ask me I am very open!
It hurts into my back too...esp. when I bend over or stretch. Deep breaths are out of the question. I've done this before, but I really really don't know HOW! 
Happy Birthday to your daughter!
