Two weeks ago my rheumy decided to cut my placquenil dose in half and started me on oral methotrexate. No horrible side effects but I still feel like poo! He and the cardiologist want me to see a GI now, thinking that the chest pain may be related to the esophagus. Oh boy, another doctor appointment!!!! Otherwise, everything is groovy cool fantastic except for the weather!!! Peace!!!

Mary Ann, I hope your new rheumy turns out to be wonderful and that you don't have any major problems waiting that long for an appt.

Dazzled, I hope the metho helps you and that you get your chest pain relieved.

I am doing pretty good except for hammertoes. My 2 pinky toes are curling under, they are painful and most shoes make them red and inflamed. Anyone else with hammertoes?

Bergsteiger,

Yep, I've got hammertoes too. What a pain! Shoes never fit right and my toes get rid and sore too. Ugh.

Take care.

Ug. Foot problems really can limit you. I am developing symptoms of a neuroma. But, I hear is is an easy fix. They just destroy the nerve by injecting alcohol into the sheath. Your toes are numb but no more pain! Not like surgery for hammertoes.
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, I felt great. Woke up at 3AM with a drippy cold. Must have picked it up from my daughter. She started with it yesterday and feels OK today. I hope I feel that good tomorrow, but I doubt it.
Hope you all can avoid those summer colds.
Mary Ann

This last week has calmed down a lot for me.
We have triple digits here as well. I go out early or late, nothing between 1-5 if I can help it at all.
I tried a new cake, a Monkey cake. It was the hardest cake to decorate, geez, but it did turn out cute cute cute.
I've been seeing a counselor. I really like him and hope to do well with his sage advise :)
I am excited to start this sleep correction thing but they said it would be within 3 weeks. Wish it were now as I fell again, think I injured some major muscle, tendon, ligament or whatever. Not hard to keep off it as it lights up when I step wrong.
Hope everyone has a great week.

@Mary Ann , i have a good feeling, if back then he knew something that he couldn't put his finger on, and since that's there definition of MCTD now I have a good feeling for you.
@Dazzled Metho didn't do much for me, But not much has helped anyway so what do I know.
Never heard of hammer toes, I hope my MCTD didn't hear you 2 talking about it.
@ Sleepy I hope you feel better soon

I personally got my lung biopsy results, they found BOOP, Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a rare lung condition in which the small airways (bronchioles), the tiny air-exchange sacs (alveoli) and the walls of small bronchi become inflamed and plugged with connective tissue. The flares are acute and can happen in a day or 2. But our friend High dose prednisone will knock it down. Still waiting on one result. They want me to stay on 20 mg pred till we get the last result, then start Cytoxan Infusions and after this flares is down, go to Cellcept again (I HATE CELLCEPT) and chemo, but there not giving me happy options
Be sweet
Robert

Lordy, Robert! Quit looking in the dictionary for strange stuff to get! BOOP? The only BOOP I ever heard of was Betty!
But I really hope the prednisone does the job. You deserve a break!
God be with you, my friend!
Mary Ann

over on the Huff n puff site, there are some with BOOP.....if you need more info try there. I have found a lot of good lung info there.

Health wise i am well.....no complaints except the heat, but I am staying inside in the AC with the dogs.

On a sad note our dog had 3 pups last monday and we lost the runt last night

Keep fighting some days will be good others not so good. Caught my first cold in about 5 years, thought I was going to die. Made it though and feeling fine today. Smile and the World smiles with You!!!

Hanging in there, sorry I have not posted much. Going to go through a few threads and catch up. Doing okay here; the flares seem to be getting a little worse in terms of muscle aches, but the interepisode recovery is still pretty good. Have thought about plaquenil a bit more; still not quite ready yet.

Actually, had some good luck recently with medical... you know, the thing that starts with an M and that we used to use recreationally back when we were young and stupid.

Vaporizing is an interesting way to go. Much easier on lungs and sinuses, and doesn't seem to make one feel quite so... stupid.

Or not as fast, anyway. In other words, if the normal combustion solution route of administration might make you feel stupid if you used even very small doses once or twice a week, you can get away with vaporizing three, maybe four times a week... The stupid, slowed down feeling does hit you eventually, just not as soon and not as hard.

The antiinflammatory effect is pretty powerful, however. Works well for muscle aches, though it might make the dysphagia slightly worse.

Sorry to say I've been under the weather. It's all so damn frustrating. Pains in places I never knew could even hurt. Tired of hearing myself complain. Hubby hardly responds. Can't say I blame him but it stinks anyway.
I need a lift.

Nancy