Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 9:44pm EST If you would not mind, can you tell me how you were diagnosed with lupus? What symptoms did you have when diagnosed? How long from your first symptom until diagnosis? What symptoms do you currently have? And how you manage the symptoms? Sorry for these questions. After a major antibiotic resistant infection in 2003, I developed flares where my body systemically attacks my tendons. One of the medications I WAS on for my diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis is Remicade. In hind site one of the known side effects is elevated dsDNA. Well, I began getting weird symptoms on the medication, and the local rheumatologist increased the medication with no blood test. I continued to get worse. About a year after this, I switched rheumatologists and had my dsDNA checked. Elevated, along with some other values consistent for lupus. I have been off Remicade for three years now. My values have came back into the normal range, and so far have stayed there.. I have no more weird symptoms. My tendons still become regularly inflamed. This inflammation was the reason for starting Remicade in the first place. I have neck and back pain from a congenital reason unrelated to the rest of this post for most of my life. {{page>:kpaddock:random_chronic_pain_thoughts}} March 10, 2011 at 5:04pm EST From reading your wall, you are a very positive person. How do you stay so positive in your situation? I struggle with staying positive. ====== Lung Issues Start ====== Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 9:59am EDT I had the flu in February with much dry coughing. It appeared to be getting better than got worse mid-last month. I went to the doctor and was given an anti-biotic. My head cleared up and the cough lessened. The cough is increasing in frequency again. My chest was clear at the rheumatologist yesterday. He gave me an injection of Kenalog thinking maybe their is some inflammation in my head causing the cough. If I cannot get this dry cough that is resistant to cough medicine to go away, I will need to have my lungs checked. My Mom has advanced pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs) which ultimately causes death. One of the early symptoms of a dry cough resistant to cough medicine. ====== Nick goes to Rainbow Bridge ====== {{youtube>I9b7mlzb1jQ}} {{youtube>5oGBM91CY-o}} {{youtube>aETzsiGgZms}} {{youtube>I8pZIhwMzyc}} {{youtube>w5dy0Dq2VN8}} [It is at times like this I miss Karen the most. I had no memory of us having a cat in the house. Karen would have remembered the exact details. :-( Nick had hip dysplasia, so Karen got him a treadmill to keep him exercised (we did not get one when I wanted one years earlier, go figure). At times Nick would ask to get on the treadmill. We thought we'd burn off some of his high energy levels. We discovered we were building up his endurance!] Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 3:42am EDT With the vets help, Nick [our Australian Shepherd we raised from a puppy. He was a very strong dog, required a strong leash, this becomes significant at the end] passed away last night. He had a really bad day yesterday. I cried all night last night and yesterday. The next step was subcutaneous fluids, which with his temperament, age and arthritis, was not a viable option. He had kidney disease. Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 10:41am EDT Thank you for your support. Right now, all I can think of is what he looked like. We kept his weight around 40-45 pounds. Although I do not know his weight on Tuesday, it was less, much less. He lost a lot of weight toward the end. His shiny, smooth, pretty merle coat turned unkempt. It didn't matter whether I bathed or furminated him. He was very subdued at the car and vets office, and not his normal, happy, excited self. We stayed home on Tuesday. We spent all day doing activities with him that he enjoyed when he did not need a rest. On Tuesday, Bob was supposed to be in Cleveland for a seminar, and I had plans. It was more important that he did not spend his last day at home alone. Garth spent most of the evening last night looking for his buddy.. How do I tell another dog that his friend will not be back? My spirit died with him. [How do I tell Garth 'Mommy' will not be back? Ten months later he is still looking for her. :-(] {{page>kpaddock:rainbowbridge}} ====== Can't walk due to Tendonitis ====== Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 9:54pm EDT I developed another tendonitis in my ankle, so I will be dealing with this most of the summer. I get tendonitis in multiple sites. [She spent a //year// crawling around the house on a skate board link thing so she would keep the wight off her tendons so they would heal.] Friday, June 17, 2011 at 9:09am EDT I wish there was a machine they could hook us up to, that showed the amount of pain we have. Then maybe pain would be adequately treated!!!!!! [Why can't we figure out how to do this? There is no objective test that will show that you are hungry.] Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 8:29pm EST My ankles had flared a bit again last week. They seem to be calming down again. I am considering getting a scooter and lift for my van. My physical therapist thinks this is a good idea for my condition. Do you have a scooter? If you did, maybe next year we could go for a *walk* on the bike trail together. Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 6:36pm EST You will mourn you dog for a very long time. He was a member of your family that was suddenly taken from you. Eight years ago this past November Diamond [our first Australian Shepherd] passed away. I still cry if I think of her much. Nick past away this past spring. I have been feeling very depressed lately. Going out and about among people makes me feel better. I need to do that more often, but I do not know where to go or what to do because of my physical limitations. I get to the Y 2-3 times a week, get groceries, go to my doctors appointments, and a few other places on a regular basis. The long hours of being alone at home are what depress me. How do you deal with not being able to get out often? {Jump to year: [[:kpaddock:my_story_1969_2010|1969 to 2010]], [[:kpaddock:my_story_2011|2011]] [[:kpaddock:my_story_2012|2012]] [[:kpaddock:my_story_2013|2013]] [[:kpaddock:my_story_2014|2014]]} ---- ~~DISCUSSION~~ {{tag>dog mourn lupus rheumatologists dsdns}}