Guest guest Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 Thanks Christie, Yes we will (((Hugs))) RobynChristy wrote: Robyn that was beautiful! You know, I think all of us must be like that or we wouldn't have come together on this group to search for the answers. Hang in there. We'll find it someday! Adelle I'm a positive thinker and believe I can get on top of these symptoms. I've done it before and will find the answer to this "challenge". I don't believe there is just "one answer" but that each of us has to find the combination that works in our individual situations. I'm grateful for this group's contact to keep me searching and believing in a better future. I'm sure you will find great support from this group as well. Welcome. RobynPlease visit our website at:http://ACES_Autoimmune.tripod.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 OH my goodness! Life certainly hasn't been what I planned when I got out of high school! I certainly didn't think it would take me until I was 45 to marry my dream man, and I certainly didn't expect two failed marriages before that. The kids I wanted desparately, although they came a little earlier than I'd planned. But I've loved my life, my work as a nurse, etc. Everything in my life would be perfect now if it weren't for these health problems. And I don't think I could have done anything to avoid it, sigh. It IS a very hard adjustment. The biggest thing for me (besides the pain and not being able to drive) is my appearance. My eye surgery left me with a slightly droopy lid on the right eye, and that eye is always somewhat swolen. The right side of my face is always puffy and sometimes swollen. I can't wear my contacts anymore, but thank heaven there are cool glasses now. I rarely wear makeup, and when I do I know I'll have a day or two with a red eye. And the pain has put deep creases between my eyes and pulled my mouth down. Not to mention that my hair is beginning to thin some, thank heaven it was thick to begin with. I know that in light of the health problems these things are the least of it, but it wears at my sense of self. Kathy Re: Adelle Do you ever reflect and look back wondering how this all happened? I mean, you certainly didn't expect this when you graduated from high school. Everything then seemed so easy and now it is facing what isn't going to go away and it is a terribly hard adjustment. Adelle*********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** Hi Adelle, I'm the "antipodes" member of the group. My name is Robyn and I'm 53. I live in wonderful Australia but love travelling anywhere to learn more about people and cultures. I'm married to . This is a second marriage for both of us. We were married last year after living on my own for 14 years. I have two grown-up children, a daughter who is 33 and a son who is 34. I also have 2 adorable grandchildren, who is 5 and who is 3. also has two grown-up daughters who are now part of my extended family. I've recently been medically retired from teaching. In 1974 I had a partial thyrodectomy for hypothyroidism. Ten years later I had to begin taking thyroxine. My blood tests show that my thyroid levels are fine on this medication.In 1995 I had severe food poisoning. Hospitalised several times over a couple of years with chronic diarrhoea & later constipation. Colonoscopies suggested inflammatory bowel disease - possibly Crohn's - prescribed prednisone and Messasal. Put on 25kg in 3 months. Decided to get off prednisone (took 3 months more to do so) and discovered magnesium / phosphate tissues salts along with many supplements seemed to help me manage the digestive problems.In 2002 I suffered severe migratory inflammatory arthritis. It started in my right knee only but now has progressed to knees, shins, ankles, toes, hands, wrists, fingers, elbows. I'm now on large dosages of Prednisone & Arava. However, I'm not getting any better and the pain is intolerable at times. I'm of the opinion that my symptoms are linked to possibly my diet? environment? or aggravated by reactions to the medication I'm taking? I'm looking for alternative approaches to my inflammatory arthritis both Western and alternative, to ease the pain. I know now that my arthritis is directly linked to my Crohn's disease. I've also got Sjorgens. I'm a positive thinker and believe I can get on top of these symptoms. I've done it before and will find the answer to this "challenge". I don't believe there is just "one answer" but that each of us has to find the combination that works in our individual situations. I'm grateful for this group's contact to keep me searching and believing in a better future. I'm sure you will find great support from this group as well. Welcome. Robyn Yahoo! Personals- New people, new possibilities. FREE for a limited time! Please visit our website at:http://ACES_Autoimmune.tripod.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 Adelle, Oh I know why my Crohn's "happened" to me. Sure it was originally a result of food poisoning, and sure I had a predisposition to "autoimmune" from my heredity, but I was "cruising for a bruising" as they say. I had been stressing my body out something terrible. I'd been working a full-time job, raising a family on my own, and then working in a volunteer capacity for at least 40 hours a week on top! My body had been sending me signals that just kept getting stronger and stronger for years probably but I kept ignoring them. I talk about the fact that I was like a "head" and my body just carried my head around. I ignored my body completely. So, it had to send me a really urgent message to care for it regularly - hence the Crohn's which is now with me every moment of every day. I can't ignore my body now! (((Hugs))) RobynBlueDenim wrote: Do you ever reflect and look back wondering how this all happened? I mean, you certainly didn't expect this when you graduated from high school. Everything then seemed so easy and now it is facing what isn't going to go away and it is a terribly hard adjustment. Adelle*********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** Hi Adelle, I'm the "antipodes" member of the group. My name is Robyn and I'm 53. I live in wonderful Australia but love travelling anywhere to learn more about people and cultures. I'm married to . This is a second marriage for both of us. We were married last year after living on my own for 14 years. I have two grown-up children, a daughter who is 33 and a son who is 34. I also have 2 adorable grandchildren, who is 5 and who is 3. also has two grown-up daughters who are now part of my extended family. I've recently been medically retired from teaching. In 1974 I had a partial thyrodectomy for hypothyroidism. Ten years later I had to begin taking thyroxine. My blood tests show that my thyroid levels are fine on this medication.In 1995 I had severe food poisoning. Hospitalised several times over a couple of years with chronic diarrhoea & later constipation. Colonoscopies suggested inflammatory bowel disease - possibly Crohn's - prescribed prednisone and Messasal. Put on 25kg in 3 months. Decided to get off prednisone (took 3 months more to do so) and discovered magnesium / phosphate tissues salts along with many supplements seemed to help me manage the digestive problems.In 2002 I suffered severe migratory inflammatory arthritis. It started in my right knee only but now has progressed to knees, shins, ankles, toes, hands, wrists, fingers, elbows. I'm now on large dosages of Prednisone & Arava. However, I'm not getting any better and the pain is intolerable at times. I'm of the opinion that my symptoms are linked to possibly my diet? environment? or aggravated by reactions to the medication I'm taking? I'm looking for alternative approaches to my inflammatory arthritis both Western and alternative, to ease the pain. I know now that my arthritis is directly linked to my Crohn's disease. I've also got Sjorgens. I'm a positive thinker and believe I can get on top of these symptoms. I've done it before and will find the answer to this "challenge". I don't believe there is just "one answer" but that each of us has to find the combination that works in our individual situations. I'm grateful for this group's contact to keep me searching and believing in a better future. I'm sure you will find great support from this group as well. Welcome. Robyn Yahoo! Personals- New people, new possibilities. FREE for a limited time! Please visit our website at:http://ACES_Autoimmune.tripod.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 Oh yeah, we've had those discussions! For many of us, it was a car accident or physical trauma that brought on our symptoms. You never know how long it's been lurking, waiting for a moment when your defense are down, to spring on you and we've all tried to figure out "why." One thing most of us don't do is the "why me's." We just don't seem to be a group that does that although we do have our whiney times... we have a lot of whine and cheese parties! But no pity parties. We're compassionate and we'll commiserate and you'll have plenty of shoulders to cry on but you won't find pity here. We'll help you get back up, dust you off, and push you along again. Re: Adelle Do you ever reflect and look back wondering how this all happened? I mean, you certainly didn't expect this when you graduated from high school. Everything then seemed so easy and now it is facing what isn't going to go away and it is a terribly hard adjustment. Adelle*********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** Hi Adelle, I'm the "antipodes" member of the group. My name is Robyn and I'm 53. I live in wonderful Australia but love travelling anywhere to learn more about people and cultures. I'm married to . This is a second marriage for both of us. We were married last year after living on my own for 14 years. I have two grown-up children, a daughter who is 33 and a son who is 34. I also have 2 adorable grandchildren, who is 5 and who is 3. also has two grown-up daughters who are now part of my extended family. I've recently been medically retired from teaching. In 1974 I had a partial thyrodectomy for hypothyroidism. Ten years later I had to begin taking thyroxine. My blood tests show that my thyroid levels are fine on this medication.In 1995 I had severe food poisoning. Hospitalised several times over a couple of years with chronic diarrhoea & later constipation. Colonoscopies suggested inflammatory bowel disease - possibly Crohn's - prescribed prednisone and Messasal. Put on 25kg in 3 months. Decided to get off prednisone (took 3 months more to do so) and discovered magnesium / phosphate tissues salts along with many supplements seemed to help me manage the digestive problems.In 2002 I suffered severe migratory inflammatory arthritis. It started in my right knee only but now has progressed to knees, shins, ankles, toes, hands, wrists, fingers, elbows. I'm now on large dosages of Prednisone & Arava. However, I'm not getting any better and the pain is intolerable at times. I'm of the opinion that my symptoms are linked to possibly my diet? environment? or aggravated by reactions to the medication I'm taking? I'm looking for alternative approaches to my inflammatory arthritis both Western and alternative, to ease the pain. I know now that my arthritis is directly linked to my Crohn's disease. I've also got Sjorgens. I'm a positive thinker and believe I can get on top of these symptoms. I've done it before and will find the answer to this "challenge". I don't believe there is just "one answer" but that each of us has to find the combination that works in our individual situations. I'm grateful for this group's contact to keep me searching and believing in a better future. I'm sure you will find great support from this group as well. Welcome. Robyn Yahoo! Personals- New people, new possibilities. FREE for a limited time! Please visit our website at:http://ACES_Autoimmune.tripod.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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