Good Morning

My daughter, Lauren, is sick with a bad head cold and her eyes are red and weepy.  I suspect she has a sinus infection and they are draining out through her eyes.  I had that a few weeks back.  Yesterday I put some left over drops I had from when I had it in her eyes.  But today I will take her to the doctor to get checked out.  My poor baby is so miserable.

It's amazing and I am very excited.  I do believe that I am over this flare.  I have been feeling horrible since I had my left inguinal hernia repair about three years ago.  During that time I might have had a day or two here and there where I felt okay, but always ended up feeling worse after that.  But now this great feeling has been going on for a few weeks now.  The only time I feel crappie is the day after I take my methotrexate.  I take it on Saturday evening and always the next day I am wiped out and my stomach spasms (with all that nifty stuff that goes along with belly spasms.)

Even with my terrible sleep hygiene, I still feel good.  I've tried everything I can to correct this problem, but nothing is working.  I have no problem falling asleep.  It's staying asleep that is the problem.  I even got a Rx from my doc.  He gave me Ambien.  I take it when I get up during the night.  It's usually around 11 or midnight.  But it does nothing for me.  An Advil PM works better.  But not great.

I'm also weaning off of my pain medication.  I wear what is called Fentanyl Duragesic patches.  I was on 125 mcgs now I'm down to 50.  Also, I haven't needed to take my big gun meds in quite a while.  I take 200 mgs of Celebrex in the AM then again in the PM and that seems to work well.

I was afraid that with this move, new doctors wouldn't be so agreeable to prescribing such strong narcotic pain meds.  I was afraid that if that happened I would end up without the meds and go into withdrawal.  I tried to stop the pain meds a little while ago and did it incorrectly and ended up being admitted to the hospital with withdrawal symptoms.  At that time they educated me about how to do it correctly. A pain management specialist came to see me and gave me a detailed explanation of how to wean off such strong narcotic/opiate meds.  So I followed his instructions and am doing great.

Although my right foot has been really very painful.  Gary and I went to see our podiatrist friend and he gave me two cortisone injections and the pain is minimal now.  I just love this doctor.  He has been our podiatrist for many years and we are worried that we won't find anyone as wonderful as he is down in SC.

As far as how I feel is concerned, I don't know if it's my adrenaline that is on overdrive making me feel great or the continued use of prednisione or just the end of a very long flare.  What ever it is, I am happy.

As far as the continued prednisione is concerned, I am not at all happy about having to take anywhere from 15 to 20 mgs daily.  I went to my yearly GYN appointment and my doctor suggested a DEXA (bone density) exam.  For which I am going to this morning.  My hips have been giving me problems.  I should have the results before we leave for SC.

My doctors copied my medical records and I will be bring them with me.  I have already seen a rheumatologist in Easley so that is taken care of.  In that practice is the rheumi, a neurologist, an internist and a pain management doc.  Those are who I see on a regular basis.  As far as those yearly visits to the Gyn, Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, etc.  I will have this rheumi recommend docs he knows.

Well, that's it for now.  Except we only have 9 more days until the big move.  To read all about our move to SC check out my other journal.  Look for it on the sidebar under Other Journals.