hey, look what i can do!

This morning I was doing my physical therapy exercises (I haven't done them for two weeks) and while I was stretching my left arm I thought, I bet I can touch my fingers and sure enough I could. As you can see, the right arm doesn't bend as well as the left one, I'll keep working on it.

I started an additional medication the middle of May, Humira, so now I take two medications for the RA plus the Prednisone. The good news, I take Prednisone for the last time this Sunday, it will be good to be off the steroids. Humira is an injection and I've learned to give myself a shot every two weeks. About two days after my first injection I noticed an improvement in how I felt. I like to explain it as the pain finally felt like "normal pain" instead of the "what is wrong with pain."

I was feeling so good after the first two weeks that I asked the physical therapist if I could go back to my circuit training class at the gym. I've been to the circuit class for four weeks in a row but I'm really beat up for several days after the class. I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm not ready for the intensity of the class (I'm a slow learner, most people would have figured that out after the first class!). I'll continue riding the exercise bike at the gym (boring). I enjoy walking outside as well although I'm not as fast as I used to be. I really, really, really want to run but I can't do it yet...I keep trying every now and again but it's not working yet.

more documented improvements

The range of motion is increasing, it makes me happy! I was starting to fear that I might not get my range of motion back so it's exciting to me that I'm seeing positive progress.

This is video #5, it was taken on Sunday, January 31, 2010, 4 weeks of medication.

This is my 6th video, it was taken today, Sunday, February 7, 2010, 5 weeks of meds.

"it" has a name...sort of

I saw the rheumatologist today, I was glad I had an appointment because I stopped taking the Prednisone on Sunday and each day that I wasn't taking the steroid I got more sore and stiff. I am amazed at how quickly the soreness and stiffness return. On Tuesday I went to Relief Society after work, as I was getting ready to leave my house I looked in the mirror and it looked like I had a black eye, it was just the dark circles under my eyes. The first thing I learned from the doctor is he hadn't intended for me to stop taking the Prednisone, I started back on that as soon as I got home from the doctor. The second thing I learned from the doctor is my auto-immune inflammatory arthritis has a name, sort of...the doctor said he would call my condition either "seronegative rheumatoid arthritis" or "undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy." Both of those names just roll off the tongue. Dr. Rozelle said we are on the right track but we have a ways to go, he's increasing the amount of Methotrexate I take each week and decreasing the Prednisone. The Methotrexate is working, that is evident in the increased range of motion in my shoulders. Some good news on the test results from the fluid removed from my shoulder on my last visit to the doctor, it's negative for gout and crystals.

After I saw the doctor I stopped at the lab where they took blood to test my liver and inflammation levels, these tests will be a monthly event in my life.

back to work

I went back to work today. It was good to be back to work but there were a couple of times during the day that I thought about what was on TV at the time. I did have a little bit of work and I was able to start sorting through the 700+ emails in my inbox. I made it a short day and only stayed at work for 8 hours.

a cold

It was bound to happen, I've been on a steroid that has been suppressing my immune system for the past 3 1/2 weeks. I started getting a sore throat yesterday and I have a sinus issues this morning. I've started the Zicam and sinus flush, I'm hoping the cold will be mild and pass quickly. I can always dream.

On a positive note, I hit a couple of milestones that are worth documenting. Yesterday I was able to take my t-shirt off the normal way, crossing the arms, grabbing the shirt at the hem and pulling up and over the head. This is the first time since late September, early October. Yahoo! (I've been pulling my arms in and then pulling the shirt off over my head). My second milestone was changing light bulbs in my house, I can raise my arms up high enough to do this now. Last month I had two different people come over to change some light bulbs for me.

side effects and progress

These weekly videos are not only documenting the progress being made as to the range of motion in my arms, it's also documenting the rounding of my face and my acne. Fortunately you can't really see the acne in the video. For the past week I've been taking 10 mg of Prednisone per day, down from the 20 mg per day I was taking for the previous two weeks. I wasn't sure what would happen when the steroid was cut in half. I didn't lose any range of motion but I have experienced a little more pain but the pain has been manageable. I'll take the side effects (knowing they are temporary) in exchange for no pain and my being able to move and get around normally.

I went to the gym everyday this past week, on Monday and Wednesday I did my physical therapy exercises and walked on the treadmill, on Tuesday and Thursday I rode the exercise bike and walked on the treadmill. On Friday I went to physical therapy, I still have full flexion in my right leg! After PT I went to the gym and walked on the treadmill. It felt great to do cardio this week! My knees have felt pretty good even with the walking on the treadmill.

thanks prednisone

I felt good again this week, second week in a row that I've felt good! This is the first time in months that I've felt this good, I'm starting to feel normal again (except for the fact that I don't have full range of motion in my arms). I know that it's the Prednisone that is helping me feel better. Next week the Prednisone dose is cut in half, I hope that I still feel good and can move around fairly pain free.

On Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at physical therapy my right leg finally had full flexion (I haven't had full flexion since August 30, 2009). It took 25 visits to physical therapy to get my right foot to touch my rear end, I was beginning to doubt that I would ever get full flexion and extension in my right leg so I was very happy. As I was leaving my appointment the billing manager stopped me to let me know that I had been to physical therapy 25 times and even though my insurance will cover 60 physical therapy visits they start pushing back after 25 visits. I will now be required to pay the full amount for my pt visits, not just my copay, the pt office will continue to bill the insurance company and if and when the insurance company pays the pt office, the pt office will then reimburse me. I'm almost finished with pt on my knees, I'm going to work on my own for the next couple of weeks and then check back in with the physical therapist. I can go to the gym and do the exercises without paying $85 a visit.

I did some cooking this week (proof that I'm feeling better), I made pork chops, soup, chili, spaghetti sauce, enchilada suizas, peach crisp and brownies with raspberries to name some of the things. I had Brook and Shannon over for dinner for the pork chops and peach crisp. I have a few things in the freezer now for when I go back to work and don't feel like making dinner when I get home.

Here's video #3 documenting the range of motion of my arms. I think you can see a little bit of progress...maybe I just want there to be progress.