Hey Glenn

[Guest guest]

Dear Glenn,

Larry Brown here and am glad to correspond with you. I have found this group to

be like a wonderful second family to my wife and I.

I am very happy to help anyone anyway that I can....

Timeline....hmmmmmmm....well....looking back (as did you0, I most likely had

Juvenille Rheumatoid Arthritis (a precursor to Adult Systemic Still's)...I

suffered from joint inflammation and pain....severe " Strep-like " throat

episodes, fever spikes, etc. In my late teens, I was hospitalized with what was

thought was Appendicitis....until a few days later, my symptoms vanished...

In my early twenties, I developed Colitis....that blasted me severely for 6

months and continued to haunt for a few years afterwards....I initially lost 20

some pounds....I looked like a " refugee " ....in my late twenties, I was

hospitalized for what I thought was a heart attack...I had all the major

symptoms....turned out to be inflammation and the accumulated fluid around my

heart (Endocarditis)....wellllllll, as you can see, all of this was leading up

to where I am now....a month or so prior to my onset, I had a week-long bout of

some wicked migraine-like headaches....a few days before my onset, I awoke to

both knees inflammed and very painful.....this was strange....when I got to work

(i am a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA) ), I put braces on both

knees and wore them for about half a day until the pain and swelling

subsided....THEN, the following Saturday/Sunday Jan. 8, 2005,

Sir Still's slammed head-on into me.....I woke sometime in the night with

hammer-like tremors

That were uncontrollable and very painful in both arms and legs...I had no idea

what was going on..neither did Patty....they calmed down after afew minutes

enough for me to go back to a restless sleep....when I awoke early on Sunday

morning, every joint in my body hurt sooooo bad.....I could hardly walk.....I

felt worse as the day wore on....Patty and our youngest daughter " took ill "

Same day with a flu-like virus....fevers, body aches, etc.

Next morning I woke with the worst sore throat I ever had AND left knee swollen

and so painful it would not bear weight, plus left shoulder in pain so I did not

dare move my arm....Patty took me to doc who checked me over and said I probably

had the area " crud " ......prescribed high-power antibiotic and sent me on my

way....sore throat resolved next day to be replaced by spiking fevers, rash,

painfully swollen joints....you know....by Thursday night, I was in hospital

....stayed for a week while the docs ran every test in the book...except

pregnancy test...

Anyway, it took another doc in another city about a month later to diagnose me

with Still's.....like you and most of us it was a diagnosis of exclusion.....I

was soon on Methotrexate (which poisoned me after about two months on it) and

high doses of Prednisone and pain meds....well, we fired three doctors who

refused to listen and God led us to two docs we still go to.....due to

Prednisone,

I had my left hip totally replaced in March of last year and my right hip

totally replaced in June of last year.....I returned to work on July 31 last

year....I got progressiely worse until I finally had to quit work this past June

25....my Rheumatologist said I was suffering from severe Fibromyalgia on top of

Still's....he and my personal care Physician both agree that I can no longer

work and I will most likely only get worse...so now, here I am, 48 years old,

having applied for my company's short-term Disability and permanent SSI

Disability......every day, I am in pain, weak and fatigue very easily....I

cannot tolerate the heat AT ALL.....so I stay indoors....I am still on

Prednisone (30mg per day) as well as other meds. So my friend, this has been

long and I hope I answered your questions....I especially hope I have helped you

somehow....please keep comng back to the group and feel free to write to me (us)

at any time.

Go in peace!

Many Blessings!

Larry B from NC