Re: Trudi from Faith

[Guest guest]

Hi Trudi,

It willl be okay one day...dont know when but one day it will be okay. Hope is what keeps us going and alive and yes there are days like what you went through on this particular evening.

Right now i dont know if i remember telling you this. My big toe nail had to be removed becuase of the infection underneath and the oozing pus. It has started growing again but my doctor told me the nail has a fungal infection because of the other infection. Im taking a capsule of fluconazole once a week to get rid of the infection. I also have new lesions around that particular nail which is infected and its so painful my dear so painful. i decided to start wearing shoes and lol!!!

Its crazy but I cling on to hope Trudi...thats all I have left hope. And I pray you will see that beautiful ray of hope soon my dear. It will be okay.

Love and cheers from the mother land,

Faith

To: erythema_nodosum_Group Sent: Fri, November 19, 2010 3:51:22 PMSubject: Familiar signs, how it starts....

Hello All,I am going to write this journey to you as it happens. In the last few weeks I have been feeling unwell with little symptoms here and there, but couldnt quite put my finger on it. I have had some tenderness on the inner calves, fatigue and increased joint pain.On Wednesday I was sitting outside catching the afternoon breeze when I got up to answer the phone, and suddenly pain ripped through my knee. As the evening wore on my knee swelled, so did my calf and ankle. Pain was the overwhelming clue.I am not new to EN, nor its symptoms or range of treatments, what I am new to is noticing it now, as it is beginning, where as before it just seemed to happen. I went to our local hospital with my pathology order and had the usual blood tests, in readiness to see my doctor today, I just knew.For the last few months I have been trying to wean off prednisone (steroids), after a particularly hard year with EN, inflamation of

the lungs and numerous other undiagnosed symptoms, and was finally down to 2mg per day and just holding my own. My body has other ideas. Only two weeks ago I was told I had full blown emphysema, yes I am a smoker, the only thing I have ever done bad to my body. This time it (the EN) feels different..........I have never really had onset pain like this before, the burning, the numbness in my foot, the dire need to put ice packs on my entire leg, yet there are no visible lesions yet, they are all under the skin, not red but some are bulging a little. I fear this is going to be a bad episode this time. Points to note here that I did not connect to a possible onset of EN......in the last couple of months, no shoes have been comfortable, I have had to buy thongs and slip on type shoes because my feet ached a lot...I have been far more lethargic than usual, my sleep is extremely disturbed and short, my body temperature changes so fast I can't

keep up with jackets or stripping off, motivation is lacking, and the pain throughout my body, most especially my lower body joints is becoming at times unbearable, breaking through my usual medication of oxycontin, panadol ostea and gabopentin. I have also noted changes in my appetite (or lack of) and disinterest in social activity. In summary, I have been advised to increase the prednisone immediately (all other treatments in the past have failed and the only thing to keep me out of danger and hospital has been prednisone)elevate my legs and try to rid my life of all stress, worry and work (I haven't been at work since February!!).I want to share my Aussie journey of EN with you, as our health system, treatments, knowledge and lifestyle is so different from yours. I will keep you posted. If you have any advise, now would be a good time to share it, as I am feeling really low tonight, and in major pain and

discomfort.RegardsTrudi

[Guest guest]



Hello Faith,

Well how ironic! I have had two toenails removed in the last three months because of a growth under each nail, and like you am on fluconazole. I was prescribed fluconazole for a yeast infection in my esophagus and stomach which showed up through a gastroscopy and was told it was due to the steroids. I does seem odd that we both have had toenails removed though doesn't it? I wonder if this has happened to others with this group?

I decided to go against doctors advice and not increase the prednisone, and to be honest don't feel too badly at all. Some days when I do things such as go to town, or vacuum the house etc I end up spending the following two days exhausted and unable to do much, so I am working around what I can do and pace myself. It is hard at times, but once I realised this pattern and my incapacity, I am have begun to adjust to it.

So far so good Thank you for your kind words Faith, I will keep you posted.

Trudi

Familiar signs, how it starts....

Hello All,I am going to write this journey to you as it happens. In the last few weeks I have been feeling unwell with little symptoms here and there, but couldnt quite put my finger on it. I have had some tenderness on the inner calves, fatigue and increased joint pain.On Wednesday I was sitting outside catching the afternoon breeze when I got up to answer the phone, and suddenly pain ripped through my knee. As the evening wore on my knee swelled, so did my calf and ankle. Pain was the overwhelming clue.I am not new to EN, nor its symptoms or range of treatments, what I am new to is noticing it now, as it is beginning, where as before it just seemed to happen. I went to our local hospital with my pathology order and had the usual blood tests, in readiness to see my doctor today, I just knew.For the last few months I have been trying to wean off prednisone (steroids), after a particularly hard year with EN, inflamation of the lungs and numerous other undiagnosed symptoms, and was finally down to 2mg per day and just holding my own. My body has other ideas. Only two weeks ago I was told I had full blown emphysema, yes I am a smoker, the only thing I have ever done bad to my body. This time it (the EN) feels different..........I have never really had onset pain like this before, the burning, the numbness in my foot, the dire need to put ice packs on my entire leg, yet there are no visible lesions yet, they are all under the skin, not red but some are bulging a little. I fear this is going to be a bad episode this time. Points to note here that I did not connect to a possible onset of EN......in the last couple of months, no shoes have been comfortable, I have had to buy thongs and slip on type shoes because my feet ached a lot...I have been far more lethargic than usual, my sleep is extremely disturbed and short, my body temperature changes so fast I can't keep up with jackets or stripping off, motivation is lacking, and the pain throughout my body, most especially my lower body joints is becoming at times unbearable, breaking through my usual medication of oxycontin, panadol ostea and gabopentin. I have also noted changes in my appetite (or lack of) and disinterest in social activity. In summary, I have been advised to increase the prednisone immediately (all other treatments in the past have failed and the only thing to keep me out of danger and hospital has been prednisone)elevate my legs and try to rid my life of all stress, worry and work (I haven't been at work since February!!).I want to share my Aussie journey of EN with you, as our health system, treatments, knowledge and lifestyle is so different from yours. I will keep you posted. If you have any advise, now would be a good time to share it, as I am feeling really low tonight, and in major pain and discomfort.RegardsTrudi