Nightmare weekend

Jan 30th knees are worse than ever.   Right knee worse. I did walk upstairs today and I regretted it half way up... Coming down was more horrible than going up. Heating pad most of afternoon.  Took tramadol  3 times today. I had a headache in middle of night again..  First time in a couple nights.

Jan 31st went to Walmart.  We had no food in house and I thought maybe I was laying around to much. I prayed about it.  Should I go or not??? I went and my knee was killing me...came home laid down..felt a little better...made dinner.  Laid down knee worse..7:30 Rick came home I stood up from recliner and my knee felt like a pop and knife stab. Fell back into recliner.  Could not move out of chair so I slept in chair till 3:00 am.  My hubby slept on couch beside me. Until I  had to go potty.  Somehow made it to bed with help of hubby.

Feb 1st  woke up in dire pain barely slept at all.  Could not get out of bed.  Tried crutches. Too much pain...Had to call ambulance.  Matt (son I law is an EMT)  came and got me in Ambulance and took me to Eastside Medical Center.

Was in ER all day. Dr said doesn't  look broke through X-ray. See orthopedic dr this week soon as I feel like it. I can't walk. At all. They put my leg in a fiberglass cast. I have a wheelchair.  It's basically a nightmare. Very painful.

Rhemy called me in ER. Said most likely Lupus continuing  attacking joints.  Or combo of osteoarthritis.



 When we left hospital I have to sit across back seat due to cast can't bend knee which is a good thing....

This Superbowl weekend my hubby did everything for me.  Cooked and got everything I needed.  I am basically totally dependent on him....I am getting better with crutches only because I can put a little weight on my leg.  Still very painful and hope to get an appointment soon with ortho tomorrow.

Today Heather is coming over to tidy up and make dinner for us.  A precious couple in our Sunday School Class is bring dinner tomorrow night.  They also mentioned bring a bag of pecans!  Yum!

Will update after ortho visit.

He is able.

Last Thursday I received ADA paperwork in the mail.  It was time sensitive and needed to be filled out by my Dr.  My hubby and I saw my Dr at 10:00 am Friday morning.  We broke down all my diagnoses (Lupus, Fybromyalgia, Osteoartheritis and depression) and medications (yes, i am back on Prednesone and plaquenil and cellcept and flexeril and tramadol and too many more to remember)....

 We discussed the fact that Lupus is not curable and mine was continuing to be active that I am unable to work the 45 hours that is required of me as a Center Director with 30 staff and 205 kids.

So right now as of today I am on FMLA for 12 weeks (unpaid) I am applying for STD and I am praying  that I will trust God will take us through this storm. I have the 12 weeks of security of my job and my benefits.  So I am committing to pray that God will lift this from me (us) and HE will get us through.  I know HE is in charge and He is able.

A great Bible verse:

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25

A Great Song:

He is able more than able

To accomplish what concerns me today

He is able more than able

To handle anything that comes my way

He is able more than able

To do much more than I could ever dream

He is able more than able

To make me what He wants me to be!

Forgive me for being so negative

Well the fish oil and Glucosamine Chondroitin which I started taking almost 3 weeks ago are doing nothing...I am worse if anything.  I now have a new scary symptom.  It has happened 3 nights in a row.  I wake up from the pain of a crushing kind of pressure of a headache...in the back of my head...its bad....it seems if I move around and try to get comfortable it goes away so it doesn't last long but it is scary... If I have another one tonight I will contact my Dr tomorrow...I felt one coming on during the day today but it never got bad.  I ran a low temp today as well.  I did work.

I have been tired, stiff, in pain and just miserable...there's no other way to say it. Since this blog is my journal I need to be specific so I can look back over this if need be.  I also have no memory....beyond an age thing...believe me... So forgive me for being so negative..I hate it too....

I Guess I'll Just Have A Pity Party....

You have got to be kidding me.....my knee pain continued so I call Rheumotologist and she wanted me to come in... She said she didn't need an MRI to be able to tell I have Osteoarthritis in my knees.  They crack and pop and grind with simple bending.  She said it was bone on bone and it was a degenerate disease just like when I had to have the disc removed from my back...she gave me options.  Rest and continue taking all meds plus fish oil and glucosamine Chondroitin which I stopped and bought at Walgreens and  when I got home I only had the fish oil.

Other options include injections in knees or knee braces or it could lead to surgery.  All of which I am not going to do and why I am sitting at home with Fish oil.........

She suggested water aerobics and weight loss and right now I am just feeling really frustrated....

Lupus, Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis ......I am 58 years old and can't imagine what it will be like in 10 years....

I guess I'll just have a pity party.........

Chesapeake, Virginia for Christmas

Friday December 21st we left for Norfolk Navy Base where my son Jason is stationed.  Actually they live in Chesapeake, Virginia.  It took is 9.5 hours to get there and they were all standing outside waiting for us.  They included Jason, Rose, Junior, Jarrett, Josh and Jonah and FAITH!!!! It was so good to see them all but especially FAITH.  I had not seen her since she was 12 and she will be 20 in February.  She has grown into a beautiful young woman that is a Sophomore in College with plans to go to Florida State next year. Hugs were happening.  We had a nice Christmas Eve service at their church and Hors d'oeuvres and Honey Baked Ham after..  Did shopping and the NAS exchange and drove around and saw the Naval base and all the ships. I did not know there are only 10 active Air Craft Carriers now.  He is on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.  He is the Air Operations Officer for the flight deck.  They are giving it a complete makeover and it will be back out in the water this summer.  
We had an awesome visit, a great Christmas, got to experience some of their family traditions and more.  One of their family traditions is to listen to a CD of my mom singing Christmas Carols while they unwrap presents.  We also told the kids about our favorite Christmas growing up.  That was nice. Santa was good to everybody and the trip was too short.



On the Lupus end of things.  My legs, knees were never worse.  I had to be helped out of the chair almost every time I got up.  I believe it was due to the bedroom being on the 2 nd floor ( all the bedrooms were) so I had to go up and downstairs several times a day.  I avoided it as much as possible but I paid dearly..I am taking 3 cellcept now.  2 in morning and 1 at night. I see my rheumotologist next week.

Other than that it was a perfect trip!!!

For to us a child is born,to us a son is given,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving Day 2012, on Prednesone which may be a good thing to get me through. I had a tooth pulled and am now experiencing a dry socket but all the family coming to our house!! So excited.
Jason and Rose
Regina And Dave
Heather and Matt
Jason and Becky
And 12 of our 13 grandchildren.  Total of 23
It was a awesome long weekend.  Lots of excitement and lots of help from my daughters.  Heather, Gina and Rose stayed in the kitchen and helped which was wonderful.  Hubby washed all the dishes from Christmas dinner by hand. All of them.  So wonderful. My Lupus did not keep me down and it was a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I am so blessed.

Thanksgiving Week

Itching all over again....Lupus....the wolf.....I have not slept in 3 nights. Unfortunately I don't think hubby has either.  I Called my Dr. And she's put me back on prednesone for the itching.  Too tired during the day to do anything.

Absessed tooth which is causing pain in ear, neck glands and shoulder.   Had to get tooth extracted yesterday.  The day after pain is still very real.  Alternating tramadol and ibuprofen.  Had to go downtown Atlanta for a meeting. . I barely made it through I was so uncomfortable.  Thanksgiving is in 2 days and 23 family  members coming.

The hardest thing to do is not clean like a lunatic like I usually do.  I just can't and they don't care anyway.  15 minutes after our four kids their spouse and 12 grandchildren are here it won't matter anyway and I am more excited to just be with my family then anything.