feelin' wondeful

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

After the roughest year and a half of my life ( after starting doxi) the

past three weeks have been wonderful.

I changed several things in the past month and a half so who knows what is

causing the drastic change or maybe it is the combination of all of it. I

added in estrogen five weeks ago and vioxx three weeks ago.

Four weeks ago I was considering seriouly disability and the possibilty of

having to use a wheelchair at work until I could quit or get benefits.

This week I was able to do 40 minutes of step aerobics and each day get

stronger and stronger. I have gone to barely being able to do 1 set of each

weight machine to doing 3 and begging for more. Just a little over a

month ago I was getting up in the morning and just sitting in the chair

for hours upon hours on the weekends and sleeping as that is all I have

been capable of doing. After work the story was the same.

This morning I climbed on chairs and took down on my curtains for an

overdue washing. I have cleaned and orgnized until way until the wee hours

of the night for the past week. I can climb in and out of the attic with

minimal problems instead of the sideways struggle of steps that I have been

encountering for about a year. To have the will to want to accomplish

something besides mere survival is miraculous. The strength that has

returned in my hands and wrists is unbelievable.

I have had another successful reduction of prednisone. THis is the first

time that I have been able to reduce it without having a drastic change in

the way I feel.

I have gained 6 wonderful and well needed pounds and have gone up an entire

size.

I do think that part of this is the doxi as for the first time in months

and months I am not running an afternoon temperature of 99.3 to 99.6. It

has dropped to a wonderful 98.3 to 98.8 and has been there for over a week.

I have not watched my diet at all and it has not influenced the way I feel.

We have had three winter storms in the past 2 weeks and the barometric pr,

cold , and dampness hasn't made one difference.

I am waking up with ZERO morning stiffness. Not even a slight stiffness or

tightness in my hands. Nights are a dream without the pain and stiffness

upon movement. I literally was turning into cement just

last month.

I do not know how long this wonderful event will last but I am taking

advantage of every minute. I will be seeing Dr. Franco in March and I am

sure that the blood tests will help me figure out what is working.

ON the last blood test my sed was in the 70's and my CRP was in the 90's .

That is how much inflammation I was experiening just three months ago. Dr.

Franco told me that things would be much worse before better and that is

exactly what seems to have happened.

Those on doxi hang in there as for me it was like the pill from #*@^.

Seriouly each time I would take it I would flare from each dose. It got to

where I dreaded swallowing it. But several months ago I realized it wasn't

flaring me anymore and there was no difference on the on days or off days.

Guess I have rambled enough. It is nice to have the will and want too. I

have felt wonderful for three weeks so maybe this is really it this time. I

guess time will tell ...