Lupus Flare, RA Flares, UTI's, Kidney Infection Severe Pain Stiffness, Swelling and the list goes on...

Lupus Flare, RA Flare, UTI's, Kidney Infections... All of the Severe Pain, Tiredness, Fatigue, Joint stiffness, Swelling and WHY Can't they stuff fIND SOMEWAY TO RID US OF THESE HORRIBLE CHRONIC AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESSES????

Of course I get "good news" over the whole endoscopy/Colo-Guard thing... THEN after suffering for WEEKS HONESTLY with what I knew was a Severe Lupus and RA flare(s).... The pain was so horrible I honestly thought my meds were "placebo's".... 

of course I knew better, but the stiffness, pain, in my hips, lower back, ankles, thumbs, wrists, shoulder, all were just about to drive me nuts. I had appts. already with my PCPC, last week, then I see my Pain Doctor this coming Monday and was supposed to also see my rheumatologist Monday so I only had to make ONE TRIP to Dallas, - 

My Heart Doctor and I have an appt at the end of April to discuss the possibility of the pacemaker, which I had been outside during the past couple of weeks, when we had "half decent" weather trying to catch up on killing a back yard FULL OF KNEE TALL WEEDS, from so MUCH rain and more still to come, and trying to do all of the "spring stuff"... but I was in so much pain, so tired, weak, dizzy at times... I just felt it was the Lupus and tried to move through it, until the flares were better. By now, usually I would have went to Urgent Care, got a shot of corticosteroids, the huge 14 dose of prednisone, to get over the flares, but as I said I already felt so lousy, wanted to get stuff done in between the sofa, TV and trying to stand the pain... and get groceries,
etc... 

so when I noticed about 10 days ago or more now, I was having to pee so much, which hot weather, drinking lots of green tea and water, and the Lasix, does that to me... but I noticed it was "way worse" than the usual.. then I noticed I was burning, and the pain began to feel more like "kidney stones" as I had before, but it had been years ago from the last time.

I had just moved back here, and this was before I had my Medicare, but I spent 4 times in one month, at the ER in a neighboring town, with 4 kidney stones,.. trying to get them to pass with lots of IV fluids, pain meds there, then they would sent me home with a few, and within about 5 or 6 days, the pain was back and I was back at the ER... repeating... finally I passed all of them, but it was a nightmare... after that, I have probably had a couple of small ones I passed... but I don't usually get UTI's and if I do - most of the time,

I really don't have "symptoms"... or thought I didn't, but this time I KNEW this was more than Lupus and RA Flares... sure enough, a severe UTI, so shot of corticosteroids and a huge 14 day round of Prednisone, and Levaquin for the kidney infection... I got the meds on Wednesday last week, and even yesterday, I am still not getting over any of it as fast as I felt I would. SO yesterday, my Rheumy's office called late to tell me they are NOT in the OFFICE MONDAY! So that means TWO trips anyway to Dallas, because I have to see the Pain Doctor Monday, my pump has to be filled....

I have SO MUCH I "want" to get done and some I NEED to get done, but I also know I HAVE to get WELL!!!! I am thankful for the good news on all of the colon and endoscopy stuff... really, but I just wished these stupid other CHRONIC ILLNESSES and PAIN would just give me a few months break, I HATE to ask to "go up" on my daily Prednisone which now is 5 mg daily... BUT it looks like if all of the other meds, Plaquenil, MTX, Enbrel, Prednisone small dose, etc d not start working better after these flares I may face a higher dose of Prednisone for a at least while, then taper back down again,... I still have the appt also with the Endocrinologist at the end of the month ... to see if the Thyroid and/or Parathyroid is still too HIGH and what we do about that. From what I've read and researched, the Parathyroid often is cause from a small tumor (usually benign) and may take a small surgery to get rid of... and of course "thyroid: issues run in my family, and medication often fixes that, unless again you have a "goiter" that has to be removed.... so again lots of "stuff" (when it rains does it ever pour)!

More Information Below on the Parathyroid gland and the Thyroid Glands, What they Do in the body, and all of the issues that can happen due to any diseases of these glands....


http://endocrinediseases.org/parathyroid/parathyroid_background.shtml


http://endocrinediseases.org/thyroid/thyroid_background.shtml

ANOTHER RED WASP STING! Feeling LOUSY, Antibiotics and some of their horrible side effects, "Smart Beat", Life and more

I swear I just walk out my back door, in just around my yard and get freaking STUNG AGAIN BY ONE OF THOSE RED WASPS!!!!! Every time I step out either door, and this morning I walked through my gate and one came from nowhere , in fact I guess flew up from the grass and got me... I never even SEEN IT! This time on my left knee, and of curse it swelled up immediately! It's already the size of a silver dollar almost! This time I can't "see" anything in it, so I am not sure if there is a stinger or not. I've sprayed and knocked down every nest I can find.

 But, I KNOW there has to be one or two HIDDEN from sight, because they are seemingly in just a couple of places in my yard when they tend to be like this. Hell, just before this one stung me, out of the blue, one came directly towards me in the front lawn and I just began to back up slowly... and I don't know where he went but I avoided that one, only to walk around to my back yard and one get me...as I said I never even seen it coming! They are THE MOST AGGRESSIVE IN TX I've ever seen them this year. I mean I've been stung usually by yellow jackets, if you get near a nest, or are around close by, but never have I had this happen. My daughter said they are really bad, especially yellow jackets down around Corpus where they live. He oldest son got stung over the weekend by a yellow jacket... I have still not felt very well, and I am having a very difficult time "getting over" what ever the hell is wrong with me...

 I seem to wake up every morning with a sick feeling stomach, and I am just so weak, it just wears me out to even walk through the market for a few things. I still have a bad headache off and on, and my lower back tends to hurt one side, then the other.... I just generated feel "lousy".... for the lack of a better term... now my knee is killing me, and I have to be very concerned about infection... if I get infection "in that artificial joint" they would have to possibly remove it all, and then put a new one in.... dammit... plus I found out I was wrong, the antibiotic they gave me for the kidney infection is one that gives me a horrible time with antibiotic induced diarrhea, and I sure as HELL don't WANT NOR NEED THAT!!!! Talk about one horrid thing to happen to you... anyone that has had this before knows exactly what I am talking about... it is terrible... worse than many other things you can be ill with....

I did finally get a bit of painting done for a while yesterday and managed to make it through the market for just a few things, but then I was totally wiped out yesterday afternoon/evening. It took every ounce of strength I had left (about 1/2 spoon for your spoonies) to get myself in the shower and take a shower. I am supposed to go out to my PCP's office this morning and do fasting blood work for the "Smart Beat" thing they are doing... where everyone that has had or has close family that has had heart problems, High BP, cholesterol high,diabetes, they do an extensive work up even giving you tests on your lungs, and echocardiogram, and EKG, Doppler on your carotids, and the main one down in you abdomen, and several other tests, if you have not had any of them at all, or have not had them fairly recently with your Cardiologist... then they take that, with fasting blood work, and do an analysis about how "well" you are in the categories of your lungs, heart, arteries, glucose levels, and so forth and it is totally of no cost to the patient. They did not do a couple of the tests on me simply because my Cardiologist had already done them within the last 6 months or so. So, that is my story and drama for this morning and I am sticking to it.... and I am sure some of you think,

 "Here's a Quarter call someone who cares".... LOL!!!! ;) Rhia


Oh yes, and I did finally get my car washed yesterday, plus I finally made it to the cemetery yesterday. This was my 1st time there since Mom's funeral. I just needed to get to the "resolve" that when I did go, it would not just be Dad, I was talking with, but Mom there as well now. I have to say it was a "strange feeling".... but I got silk flowers put in her vase, and it almost appears as if I "matched" them to Dad's but I didn't on purpose... anyway, the monument is just covered in sand.

 I only had my little hand broom, so I have to go back out and take my larger broom so I can sweep off the monument (head stone) and get all of the sand off of it. Due to them putting sand on it once the casket was in, and the wind has been blowing like heck here daily it is just more covered than I've ever seen it. And it is way too pretty to allow it to look like that...

 Last photo of Mom before she got really ill. This was taken last Thanksgiving November 2015

Always Something With ME Now a KIDNEY INFECTION AND PROBABLY STILL A SEVERE LUPUS FLARE!

I am DOG SICK from "something"... I was fine, then last night about 10PM I began to have one of those "cold sweat" spells... and I even had to change my clothes I was so soaking wet... but I laid down, got still and woke up about 4AM, and I knew I had to be fixing to have fever... every joint and muscle in my body was so severely in pain, I was almost screaming it hurt so bad. I checked my temp and that the time it was okay, but withing a half hour, I knew it was going up...so it went to 99.5, then to 100.5 and then 101.5 and I had already had 4 Tylenol, plus my other meds. 

This Pain" usually feels almost as if I am going to stiff so stiff, and almost like a "seizure", but I've never had one... but I know when I have that type of pain, I will have fairly high fever... I had NO CLUE why... I was fine, painted yesterday and was fine until last night...so I am dammit on the sofa, drinking green tea, and covered up with my blanket... it sucks. I have some antibiotics left from the wasp sting, so I decided to take those to see if I may have some type of infection... 

I have a "small bit" of a cough, and had a tiny bit of cough meds in the fridge, so I took that early and I am not coughing anymore.... this just is pissing me off! I have SO MUCH to do.,. and my floor buffer came in yesterday, so I need to learn how to use it, and I don't even feel like reading anything.... anyway, last time this happened I was sick for a day, and then the next day was fine.... go figure... so if I am still not well tomorrow, or my temp won't stay down, I will do over to Urgent Care to make sure I don't have pneumonia, or something going on.... the SEVERE body pain is what is the worst...

Well even though I DID NOT want to! : I went to Urgent Care this morning. It seems I have a bad kidney infection. rather than pneumonia or something upper lung issues etc... which I think I may have a combination of still a really, really, kicking my butt Lupus Flare... so that explains a great deal.... 

SO here we are AGAIN on ANTIBIOTICS! I HATE to take them, BUT I have no choice if I want to get well and get on with my life.... this sucks

Then to make things ever feel worse  :

 
I needed a shower before I went ANYWHERE! BUT, (and it was all I could do to take a shower) YET AM SO OUT OF IT, after I WALKED IN AND BEGAN TO I realized I FORGOT MY DENTURES!!!!! I NEVER walk OUT OF THIS house to GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT THOSE! I WAS SOOOOOOOOOO EMBARRASSED!!!!I've never pulled that kind of stunt before... I am still embarrassed......