Re: New to group... from mike

[Guest guest]

hi cami i'm from east central indiana . if you live close to indy try go to

I.U. Med. center that is where i go . my rheumys name is dr. grau . he is real

good . he's helped me alot. as for pain meds. i'm on ms-contin 45 mgs. and

vicodin 7.5/750. those lumps on your foot could be deformites i got a few

myself. a few weeks ago i thought about smoking to just to see if it would help

but have never tried it and probily never will. i have told my wife many times

to take me out in a field and shoot me llike an old lam horse. i know that

feeling too. if you have any ? just ask i will to my best to asnwer them if i

can't someone in the group should they are wise people. hopefully your new

friend mike

Cami DeFries <gsplovers@...> wrote: Hi everyone! I've read a little &

am really glad I found this group!

I was diagnosed with MS in 1996, RA in 2004. The RA gives me a run

for my money! I'm SO tired all the time and my whole body

hurts...like I'm sure you all experience.

I began using marijuana (illegally - it's not 'allowed' in Indiana)

approximately 2 months ago...the pain was too much & they don't make

a pain medication that helps. I have found great relief in smoking!

I don't use it daily...only once or twice a month...usually when it

gets to the point where I want someone to shoot me - seriously.

Ironically, I do not suffer much from the MS...I will occasionally

get the 'dropsies' & have short-term memory issues. I think my

numbness, which extends from my left leg toes up through a portion

of my lower back, might actually be caused from the RA. Does anyone

else have this numbness? Drives me insane!! I also have a 'lump' in

my left foot...that's how it started. It's a large lump & sometimes

it's really painful & always feels 'strange' in my shoe.

I am not currently on any medications - for either illness. I think

I'm probably going to have to look into starting some preventative

med's for the RA...I can't imagine trying to work right now, but I

can't NOT work either. What does everyone know about the med's, etc.

& how have they affected you? I pop Excedrin Tension Headache pills

like candy...the arthritis is bad in my neck & I have

headaches/migraines literally every day.

What about SSI/SSDI? I'm mostly functional with 'bouts' of flare-up.

I don't know if I would even qualify for this...but I would

definitely be interested in checking it out. This particular 'bout'

has been with me for over 3 months...it starts to get better for a

few days, then comes back full force. I'm not sure what they base

who qualifies and who doesn't on. I've lost two jobs in the past

year because of RA...missed work, etc. I'm not a 'job hopper' so

this has been really rough for me to accept.

Anyway, that's my story. Any input would be appreciated! I look

forward to meeting everyone.

Thanks!

Cami

[Guest guest]

Mike,

Hi! Thanks for the info. The smoking thing was a very new concept to

me. I was seriously contemplating suicide...I'm not a depressed

person, far from it...but there's only so much pain a person can

take & I'd reached the end of the line. I'm so tired of always

having migraines that immobolize me and having numb legs & arms,

etc. And when I realized my hands wouldn't hardly work...they get so

painful & my fingers are ridiculously stiff & swollen...I just hit a

new bottom.

My husband actually suggested smoking. I had honestly never smoked

before, but he had when he was younger (for 'fun' - LOL). He brought

some home from a buddy at work & I tried it for the 1st time. Oh my

gosh! I couldn't believe the relief. I actually cried. I felt like a

human again...and I actually felt like I was the 34 years I really

am, instead of the 80 I usually feel.

Honestly, I would rather smoke than take med's like Vicodin. Maybe

that sounds crazy? I just feel that smoke is a completely natural

part of the earth & it's much less harmful than so many of the man-

made chemical pain killers, etc. Also, I'm concerned about addiction

to things like Vicodin. I have blood pressure problems too & worry

about pain pills affecting my blood pressure - especially since I

refuse to take med's for it...they make me really sick. Which is

another problem...I tend to have a really rough time with

nausea/vomitting & I've noticed pills (especially pain & anti-

inflammatory pills) can make that incredibly worse.

I'm in Northern Indiana...up close to South Bend, Michigan, etc. I

was referred to a rheumy in Ft. Wayne - Ringwald is her last name. I

didn't keep the appointment at that time...January of this year. I

had went into what I now know is a remission & thought I was 'fine'.

LOL! Famous last words!! But, now I have to get a referral from a

doctor & start over...last time it was a 3 month wait...who knows

what will happen this time?!

Thanks!!

Cami

Hi everyone! I've read a

little & am really glad I found this group!

>

> I was diagnosed with MS in 1996, RA in 2004. The RA gives me a run

> for my money! I'm SO tired all the time and my whole body

> hurts...like I'm sure you all experience.

>

> I began using marijuana (illegally - it's not 'allowed' in

Indiana)

> approximately 2 months ago...the pain was too much & they don't

make

> a pain medication that helps. I have found great relief in

smoking!

> I don't use it daily...only once or twice a month...usually when

it

> gets to the point where I want someone to shoot me - seriously.

>

> Ironically, I do not suffer much from the MS...I will occasionally

> get the 'dropsies' & have short-term memory issues. I think my

> numbness, which extends from my left leg toes up through a portion

> of my lower back, might actually be caused from the RA. Does

anyone

> else have this numbness? Drives me insane!! I also have a 'lump'

in

> my left foot...that's how it started. It's a large lump &

sometimes

> it's really painful & always feels 'strange' in my shoe.

>

> I am not currently on any medications - for either illness. I

think

> I'm probably going to have to look into starting some preventative

> med's for the RA...I can't imagine trying to work right now, but I

> can't NOT work either. What does everyone know about the med's,

etc.

> & how have they affected you? I pop Excedrin Tension Headache

pills

> like candy...the arthritis is bad in my neck & I have

> headaches/migraines literally every day.

>

> What about SSI/SSDI? I'm mostly functional with 'bouts' of flare-

up.

> I don't know if I would even qualify for this...but I would

> definitely be interested in checking it out. This

particular 'bout'

> has been with me for over 3 months...it starts to get better for a

> few days, then comes back full force. I'm not sure what they base

> who qualifies and who doesn't on. I've lost two jobs in the past

> year because of RA...missed work, etc. I'm not a 'job hopper' so

> this has been really rough for me to accept.

>

> Anyway, that's my story. Any input would be appreciated! I look

> forward to meeting everyone.

>

> Thanks!

> Cami

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