Arthritis? What arthritis?

dreamdaisy

I have had an absolute ball over the past forty-eight hours or so. Friday went well, the theatre didn't happen but other stuff did, I did another early-doors disappearance from a restaurant (credit to me though, I stuck it out 'til about 10.10pm!) as I could not face eating anything after the starter, and I strode - YES, STRODE - back to the Furries, crutches glinting on the lamplight but moving so easily.

My darling pred, I welcome your warm embrace.

Then yesterday Mr DD toddled off to the football (I 'lost' his ticket, things were a little icy between us but I found it in the recycling bin!), my mate Wendy turned up and yup, you guessed it, beer and curry ensued.

Again a decent clatter back from t'curry house, done and dusted in nine minutes (I asked Mr DD to time me!) and NOT ONE SIT DOWN was needed. I have only had six co-cos in the last 48 hours, not because things weren't hurting (they were) but just to keep matters dulled a little.

My darling pred, I welcome your warm embrace.

What a contrast to last Saturday.

Right, 5mgs was taken today, and will be for the next two or three, then I will halve again. The mobility issue will re-appear but so what? I know what's coming and it's no big deal. Been there, done that, have numerous Tshirts and even read the flaming book. It matters not. I have had a glorious pred-enhanced 48 hours, I have a grand set of memories, for a short while I felt free from arthritis and it was lovely. To slightly mis-quote Joanie Mitchell, I did know what I had, and it will soon be going, but it ws a blast while it lasted!

stickywicket

Sounds like a result to me, DD. I'm dead chuffed you had a good weekend.

Are we allowed to quote you later in the week? 'The mobility issue will reappear but so what?' bit.

So pleased that your fling with Mr Pred went well and trust relationships with Mr DD are thawing, especially since Ipswich won.

valval

well fancy leaving a ticket where it could go missing lol so glad you had great weekend being able to move is so under rated well done val

dorcas

Heellooo there damsel

I'm so glad to hear that you've had such a good weekend.... even though it might be the Pred that 'created' it. ..... and the thaw in marital relationships !

Good luck when it comes to the reduction....

Iris xx

ps... tis rather suspect that you 'happened upon' the lost ticket :eek:

mermaid

Hello Dream Daisy,

Not posted to you before, but I really enjoy your threads so will pop up and say a very warm hello!

So glad you had a fun time and yes, prednisolone the love/hate drug can really give us our lives back for a bit so bring it on

Reduction is hard, especially after a long time on it. They are testing my adrenals to see if they have packed up because of it and osteoporosis is stage 4 (not helped by RA and coeliac), BUT the number of special times like daughter's wedding, trip to see eldest son in the US, granddaughters' births - have all been made possible and more pain-free and thus enjoyable by our friend Pred!

Hope you dont have too bad a come down from the reduction.

Take good care,
Lizx

dreamdaisy

Hello mermaid, it's lovely to hear from you! I began pred in Feb 2007 when I was off everything else for a while. I have never had a dose larger than 20mgs, and even then only for a maximum of five days every now and again. I became increasingly frustrated with my rheumatology team who, at every appointment said 'We want you off that as soon as possible.' but as soon they were told about a flare cheerfully told me to up it again. This conflict of opinion was, I decided, not helping me, so I have devoted this year to coming off them. And I was very nearly there, but as I am now off the H&M due to the pharyngitis I decided that a little treat was required. I also decided NOT to regard it as a defeat in my on-going reduction war. This time next week I shall be as I was, but for a good reason - my long-term health.

Now, the ticket. It arrived on Wednesday and I left it on the table with the rest of his post. Come 4.30pm Friday he gets all Harrissy as he can't find it, and I hear the demand 'What have YOU done with it?' I told him it was on the table. 'I can't find it.' 'Aha,' I thought, 'Man-looking-for-summat is going on.' You know the sort of looking I mean, ladies, the look-but-don't- move-anything looking which is a male speciality. Damn me if he wasn't right. It wasn't on the table, not on the floor, we drove to Colchester in a rather grim state of silence. Once with our friends he was all easy-going again (remember that Saki quote? One's husband is rather like one's hair: no matter your private divergencies, you should always be seen together in public.) Driving home matters were tense again. Once home the hunt resumed. No sign of this square white envelope anywhere. He stomped off upstairs. I had a brainwave.

There it was, in the blue bin. I had cleared the table of extraneous paperwork on the Thursday evening and inadvertently swept it up with the general detritus of his post. I thank whoever that the bin collection on Friday morning was for the black bin, not the blue - that would have meant £32 thrown away. Ooooops. In future footie tickets will be left on the mantleshelf.

I know the mobility will be an issue (frankly, it already is) but there is no way it will be avoided. So why fight it? Why spread gloom and doom about summat that is inevitable? I had a great time, it was lovely to be able to move so freely (you are so right valval, it is under-rated) but it is as a result of my deliberate choosing to take myself off the one med that makes such a glorious difference that I will tail off mobility-wise. Once back on the H (which gives me five or six easier days out of the fourteen) things won't be too bad.

I am just watching a lady, who I know is nearly ninety, walking her dog up the road. Not a stick in sight, just long, easy strides. Her elderly hound struggles to keep up, she has to keep stopping to wait for him!

jillyb1

Glad you and Mr DD had such an enjoyable weekend , DD , we forgive Ipswich for slaughtering the albion , ( son in law won't ) and glad you made the most of your pred aided few days . Sounds a sensible move to up your meds for a couple of days ; it's not just us affected by this illness , but family and friends we spend time with are too . I bet you all had more of a fun weekend due to you being able to join in and enjoy it fully . Jillyb

dreamdaisy

Naughty tractors beating the seagulls on your birthday! You are right, it was a necessary boost so I could fully participate and it was well worth doing. I regret not doing so the previous Saturday but as that was only one night it never occurred to me to do so. :roll: It's a habit I must not aquire!

tjt6768

it's wonderful to know you've had such a good weekend hun. And we all know you're not daft enough to make a habit of taking the pred like that. Good for you is what I say, and you know that I would have been at the other end of the phone should you have inadvertently been locked out from any properties
At least we know from time to time it IS possible to enjoy ourselves like normal human beans

nanasue

Hello DD,
I'm pleased to hear that you were able to enjoy your weekend, it's nice to get away from the trials of arthur for a while. I used to get that with steroid injections but they don't seem to work anymore. Iknow what you mean about men "looking" for things, my OH has a degree in it and I'm finding that these days he takes longer to get ready than me because he forgets his glasses, to change his shoes, car keys etc. I've got to say it drives me nuts as I always give him plenty of notice that it's time to go. Men! huh, can't live with 'em,can't live without 'em.

Sue x

dachshund

DD i'm glad you had a good weekend.
go carefull when you go on your journeys has crutches have a mind of their own they cannot even stand up on their own.
have a good week take care not too much dancing around the kitchen.
joan xx

julie47

Hello dd

I am so pleased that you had a great weekend, I was thinking of you.
So good for you to have a little relief from arthur for a day or so.

oh, and I am glad you found the ticket....phew...but, if mr dd had put it away as soon as he had opened the envelope , this mishap wouldn't have happened as I have said before to my OH when he was frantically looking for the caravan insurance renewal (car/caravan stuff his responsibility)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend
Juliepf x

tjt6768

I'll have you girls know, I'm great at looking for things...
I'm just really rubbish at finding them :roll:
It's in our genes, or usually in our jeans.. Too many pockets Janet says. Then attempts to find something in a bag the size of a mini bus, contents of which are a closely guarded secret.. I'm sure that there is a yet to be discovered tribe of dwellers in there. I sometimes here mutterings... Strange mutterings.. Once, i swear the bag sprouted legs and hoofed it across the floor. :shock:
Some wimmin have ladders in their tights, Janet has three full sets of ladders in her bag, along with some scaffolding. I can only assume they are for emergency bad hair days. She is taller than me. :roll:
One day Alan Titchmarsh popped out from the bag. I have no idea how long he'd been in there. He just told me my lemon plant needed more water and that I had to tell Janet that the recording studio was empty now.. I guess he'd been making a record in there.
It's a mysterious bit of kit, one that I will forever fear. It is somewhere I shall never venture. I shudder to think of the horrors it may hold. There are things in there even the Titmarsh.feared

suzygirl

Hi DD, so pleased to hear that you and Mr DD had a great weekend. It is so nice to have a treat and you will treasure the memories I am sure. They will carry you through the next few days.

skezier

Hi DD,

Glad you had a good weekend and maybe the enjoyment aspect also helped with the mobility?

Hey well done on 'finding' the ticket....... Can kinda image what would have happened had you not....

I was also thinking about you and the mobility/pain thing.... I have said this before my friend but I think a total tablet review might be of use to you.... it seems what your on isn't working and there are a huge amount to other things you could try.

Might help with the reduction as well....

Leaving a hope that the reduction isn't too hard and a hope. Cris xx

traluvie

Hi DD,

Was thinking about you and wondering how your weekend was going..I'm glad you had a nice time, it really lifts our spirits when we have a nice time and as you say some nice memories too..
Take it easy over the next few days, don't be over exerting yourself..x

barbara12

Oh DD that sounded like the sought of weekend I love..good luck with the reduction...and hope you have many more good weekends...glad you found the ticket...OMG there would have been world war three.. :eek:

dreamdaisy

That's a valid point, skezier, I guess when we are having a good time it does ease everything as we are not giving it that much attention, but I reckon the general lack of mobility is beyond the meds now. I have tried a fair few over the years and not achieved that much on them. The H does a good job in reducing my inflammatory markers which makes every one happy, but obviously it doesn't touch the OA stuff at all. I feel far better in myself when off the meth, even with the blasted bug rumbling on, so I cannot say I view the resumption of that with much enthusiasm. I don't think there's much else to be done, apart from shifting three stone and becoming fifty-five. That should help ease some of the trouble.

You know what, traluvie and Barbara? It was brilliant. I loved every moment, it was an oasis in our arthritic desert of pain and trouble. Utterly lovely. I now need to find a way to find it again without the pred. Time to lose some weight and get a chariot, perhaps. I'll get Mr DD fitter at the same time as he trundles me around! That has to be win-win! DD

stickywicket

dreamdaisy wrote:

I don't think there's much else to be done, apart from shifting three stone and becoming fifty-five. That should help ease some of the trouble.

Crikey, DD, I'd no idea you weighed in a 58 stone!!! You do well to walk at all.

kellerman

Hi DD,
So pleased you had a good week-end and good weather too.
You definately did the right thing now just take this week slow and steady. You'll get there again.

Well my OH loses!! things on a regular basis yet when I look in the places he's supposed to have searched it's very rare that I don't find them.
Not sure if he even looks in the first place.He reckons his memory is going.
Might well be the case.

May

tiggernut

dreamdaisy wrote:

I have had an absolute ball over the past forty-eight hours or so. Friday went well, the theatre didn't happen but other stuff did, I did another early-doors disappearance from a restaurant (credit to me though, I stuck it out 'til about 10.10pm!) as I could not face eating anything after the starter, and I strode - YES, STRODE - back to the Furries, crutches glinting on the lamplight but moving so easily.

My darling pred, I welcome your warm embrace.

Then yesterday Mr DD toddled off to the football (I 'lost' his ticket, things were a little icy between us but I found it in the recycling bin!), my mate Wendy turned up and yup, you guessed it, beer and curry ensued.

Again a decent clatter back from t'curry house, done and dusted in nine minutes (I asked Mr DD to time me!) and NOT ONE SIT DOWN was needed. I have only had six co-cos in the last 48 hours, not because things weren't hurting (they were) but just to keep matters dulled a little.

My darling pred, I welcome your warm embrace.

What a contrast to last Saturday.

Right, 5mgs was taken today, and will be for the next two or three, then I will halve again. The mobility issue will re-appear but so what? I know what's coming and it's no big deal. Been there, done that, have numerous Tshirts and even read the flaming book. It matters not. I have had a glorious pred-enhanced 48 hours, I have a grand set of memories, for a short while I felt free from arthritis and it was lovely. To slightly mis-quote Joanie Mitchell, I did know what I had, and it will soon be going, but it ws a blast while it lasted!

Brilliant! fantastic to hear I am so pleased for you.
Anita.

lalla

Glad you had a good weekend ,was thinking about you. Mr DD and Pred out on a threesome Take care Linda

dreamdaisy

I could have phrased that better, couldn't I? Thanks for pointing that out sticky, note to self, must do better.

Sure enough the mobility struggle is returning, and rather swiftly. Oddly enough I am pleased about that, I don't want a slow tailing off, I want it over and done with so I know where I am. Yup, impatient DD is about. I will take 2.5mg tomorrow, I finish the penicillin on Thursday so no H&M this week. I can't say I'm sad about that.

What has saddened me is that a better quality of life was within reach - and achieved - courtesy of pills that only bring future troubles. It's been suggested I do this again, when there is summat coming up that needs a more active participation from me then I give myself a little boost. I know me better than that. If I do, before I know it I will be back on 10mgs a day and enjoying life, with another little boost on a Friday to help the week-end. Which would mean nearly a year of slow and painful reduction being effectively thrown away. Arthritis is throwing away enough of my life, I don't need to help it further.

It was great, I am pleased I did it, I loved every minute but I sincerely hope I can do nearly as much without resorting to the pred. That's the plan, anyway. And we all like plans, don't we? DD

mig

Hi dd,i just love reading your posts,well not the ones when youre not up to par,when we went to paris i took my pred with me but remembering what you had said managed not to take any,though i nearly gave in .
My hubby once lost a lottery ticket he had just brought coarse it was my fault and i didnt even go with him!so off he goes again to get another one which won us£110,just hope if someone found the ticket they needed the money.Off to get my shoes on wednesday,hope i get on with them alright they cost such a lot of money.mig

dreamdaisy

Oh gawd mig, does that mean I cannot post when I have summat to get off my chest? Whaddiya do now? :shock: I do my damnéd best to be as positive as I can but there are times even I cannot manage it!

I hope Paris was fun and that you enjoyed it. DD

mig

didnt mean it like it came across,i just dont like anyone to suffer cos its not fun when we do is it,i value your advise,sorry dd we all need to get stuff off our chests and i didnt mean to upset you. :sad:
paris was amazing but very tiring,i was merciing all over the place even managed to ask for un bagette with ham andfromage ,the only french cheese i could remember was brie so thats what i had. Mig