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

Medicare Advantage Plans, Kidney Stones, Pain, and "pain" from life and all we know... trying to find that positive light admist all the negative's....

Thank you so much Tracie L Carlson and Lourdes Villegas-Anaya !!!! 　 I so appreciate the kind words, and giving me the courage to try and move past all of the nightmare's life can pitch at us, in any given moment. None of us are "immune" to life's way of trying to take us down further each time things happen. Especially when SO MANY happen all at ONCE! I also know that I am NOT the only person on this Earth with a world of problems, and a universe of pain and suffering. I have tried to find a way back to the "light" in my life... although not an easy task. In fact, you are both correct, a great deal of putting up the tree so early, was so that myself and Bub's can find some warmth and spirit since this nation and world seem to be so totally cold hearted and full of so much indignation, terror, and things we usually imagine to only happen far away from us. Yet, that is not true. Whether we are suffering from illnesses and pain, or heart break from those we thought never would cause it, or the loss of someone so special, like Tazz, and my Dad who passed away 10 years ago, and I as I say the "loss" of "oneself" which when health deteriorates so badly, and chronically, it is so very easy to "lose" who you thought you were... we all change and grow, just a fact of age, wisdom (for some), and the way our lives are meant to be... but when you feel as if you have lost your very core of spirit, you inner most power, your ability to see the world with different eyes, trying to not become bitter, and full of loathing, all too often of your own body, and mind.. the fight is not a simple one, nor is being alone to deal with it ever easy either. Even now for me, being in a room filled with people I feel totally alone, and misunderstood. Of course with Tazzy being a Christmas present and was born about the time she passed away 14 years ago, has made the loss of my one fur-kid even more painful. Thank goodness Bub's seems to be feeling better, and after getting his rabies vaccine and getting those terribly long nails trimmed, and without having to muzzle him, :):) I think his feet maybe a bit sore... now he cries for me to help him on the sofa. But, I also realized that he is almost 6 years old! My papers from the Vet said he was 5 years and 9 months old... which I knew he was pretty close to being between 5 and 6 but time has flown by so fast. I look at the pics of him, when I got him home, he was so little, he had a place on my desk he laid... and Tazz the same way, she was so tiny, I could hold her in one hand when we first brought her home... guess that is why that seems like yesterday, and how hard it has been for me to except her passing away.... but I found her and Bub's ornaments, I had bought them over the past 4 or 5 years in the chest yesterday, and they hang on the tree along with Tazzy underneath it... she can too "see" the warmth and love she still has from her home..... And the Christmas Letter... yes I am sure I will find something positive to say, but in that, I will also have to tell the family and friends about all that has happened in the past year. That is why I write the letter, to catch up to family, we do not get to see or talk with very often. So, those letters remain a lifeline from our home to theirs, and from their home to ours. I still have so much to get done... I have to make a decision about my insurance and Mom's - and that is not an easy choice... I came to find out an interesting fact about Medicare Advantage Plans - OUR doctors are NOT the ones who "take" or do not take these types of plans at all. In fact, they have no say so in it.... ONLY the "insurance" companies make that choice... They "choose" whom they will be an in-network provider, and the physicians cannot say no, but they can't have the plans either, unless the insurance companies themselves "choose" them... Now I understand why my hospital is not on the policy we have now, nor some other providers. Come to find out they all work that way... I know I was totally dismayed that NO HOSPITAL within 40 miles of us took the insurance we currently have... that seemed so ridiculous! Well, NOT the hospital's fault... the insurance makes that decision!!!! Now this is mainly for Medicare Advantage Plans specifically, and I do not think it effects like Medi-Gap policies and so forth... thus just because online the companies may tell us that "this doctor" will be covered, by Jan 1st, they can change their minds and NOT cover a doctor we need to see... Talk about a mixed up mess!!! Our dear government at work... I can guarantee you, THE CONGRESS has a huge say over these plans specifically, and they make it as hard as possible, since many of us on them, are below the age of 65, because we are on disability, not "retirement" age yet... Anyway, talk about one messed up situation.... I was all set to go back to Humana for 2016, then I noticed our PCP was not listed as a network provider... thus I asked Thursday while I was there, and come to find out no, but it is because the "insurance" is not "allowing" them to be a in-network provider, not that they do not want to!!! It made me so furious... Humana COVERS our hospitals and so forth BUT not my PCP! And I have no guarantee after Jan 1st, they will "cover" the others they say they will online... it is a huge mess... and for me to try and get a "Medi-gap" policy would be well over 500.00 a MONTH or more... so it is no "win-win" for anyone... except the insurance companies themselves... and "United HealthCare" Secure Horizons SPONSORED BY AARP!!! is the worst! I have had nothing but problems with them all year long, plus as I said they do not cover our local hospital, my Rheumatologist, our Urgent Care Center, which seems totally stupid, and so forth.... anyway, so that is just one more thorn in my side to deal with.... along with all of the rest... again thanks so much, each of you... I did not make it to church again this morning, but I tried to go see Mom yesterday, and by the time I was in the car, I got sick to my stomach, and had to come back in the house, and let her know there was no way I felt like going over... same way today... my stomach is still "not right" but I am in so much pain, again I have to wonder if I don't have a kidney stone... the past two mornings, around 3AM, I awake to horrible and severe lower back, lower abdominal, pain... and down the fronts of my legs... which is usually how I know it is kidney stones... the leg pain, but down my front thighs.,,