Good News/Bad News

First the good news, as I have to keep reminding myself there is good out there!  I got my final short term disability award!  And the crowd said, AMEN!  I left work on November 25 and my school assured me that with one paper, I would qualify for short term disability.  The purpose os short term is to fill in until long term kicks in.  I actually was awarded long term social security disability way before the short term issues were resolved.  It was a huge hassle, lots of anger and tears, but it is over and I never have to deal with them AGAIN!!!!!!  For anyone facing disability issues, just keep hanging in there, call, write letters, call again.  It is worth it.Now the bad news, I'm officially in a flare.  I was holding off taking anything, as in upping my prednisone, until after my Orencia infusion.  This was to be my 4th infusion and I was waiting for the rainbow of relief.  Wrong, just didn't happen.  Then, last night, in my very looooooong night (I only got 2 hours of sleep!) I thought, DUH!  Orencia is not made for short term relief.  It is all about long term.  Of course it isn't handling my flare, that isn't what it is made for.  So I got up at 3:30 a.m. and started on a prednisone burst.  No, I don't really like it.  But I can't survive on two hours of sleep and that level of pain.  And once again, prednisone is beginning to work.  I haven't had a flare since February, so this is outstanding for me.  While working I was getting flares every 2 months, which was about how long it took to go up on prednisone and come down.  This is progress for sure.