New diagnosis of lupus; MM

[Guest guest]

Donna, I am glad they seem to think your heart is OK. I

know what you mean, how do you loose weight on 20+ mg. of prednisone. I

wish I could help

You on the Remicaid question.

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/Uses/0,3915,772|Remicade,00.html

Maybe that might help. Try not to worry about being around to

raise your

Kid. I used to worry so much about that because their dad ran out

on them.

I'm still here and they are grown.

“NEVER be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have

its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.” (

6:34) That counsel given by Jesus Christ certainly is practical for all of us

living in today’s fast-paced and stressful society.

Realistically, though, is it possible for us not to be anxious about

our problems, decisions, obligations, and responsibilities?

Where to Draw the Line

We need to plan and prepare for our obligations, assignments,

decisions, and problems—be they urgent or otherwise. The Bible encourages

us to “sit down and calculate the expense” before embarking on any

major undertaking. (Luke 14:28-30) This includes weighing the available choices,

analyzing the possible effects of the outcome, and assessing the cost in terms

of time, energy, and money.

While one should carefully consider what is likely to occur, it is not

possible or constructive to try to think of every eventuality. For example, in

the interests of family safety, you might consider what to do in case of a fire

in your home. You might purchase and install smoke detectors and fire

extinguishers. You might plan and rehearse escape routes from different parts

of the house. But when does sensible, practical planning end and excessive,

unwarranted anxiety begin? Such anxiety begins when you start to agonize over

an endless number of hypothetical situations, many of which may be the product

of a fertile imagination. Disquieting thoughts may overtake you, convincing you

that you must have overlooked something or that you have not done enough to

protect your family. This self-inflicted anguish can weigh so heavily on your

mind that you may lose sleep over it.

New diagnosis of lupus; MM--congestive heart failure

Well, I found out

yesterday I do not have heart failure--yet. I need to

make some changes so that I don't end up with it. I

need to be more careful about my diet and exercise and

I need to lose some weight (on 20+ mg. of

prednisone!). I was extremely relieved that I don't

have it! I have had Sjogren's, Hashimotos and

fibromyalgia since 1990. Yesterday I was told that I

now test positive for lupus. Maybe that's why I've

been feeling worse then ever. I'm now in the throes

of another big wave of grief. Finding

myself feeling like I'm in a nightmare and can't wake

up. I know life isn't fair and things could be worse

but I have a very good life in many respects and feel

like it's being stolen. It also seems like I don't

ever get a chance to really gain much acceptance

because there is frequently something new to set me

back. I turn 50 in a few days and I have a 6 year old

daughter. I love her desperately and really, really

want to be around to watch her grow and spend lots of

time with her. I was so hoping to homeschool her next

year but now wondering how the heck am I going to do

that. I have always been a bit of a night owl but for

the last couple of months I am sleeping all day (14 to

16 hours) and up all night. I have tried several

times to change this pattern and it seems impossible.

I need to hear from others with lupus that there are

times when you function fairly well and can be

involved in life. One of the big changes I need to

make for my heart issue is to taper my prednisone.

Every time I get to 18 mg. I crash and can't get out

of bed much. I've tried other meds and don't tolerate

them. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard

place. My Naturopath discussed the possibility of my

trying Remicaid. Has anyone else tried it? It sounds

pretty scary. They infuse it into the blood stream

and it lasts from 8 to 12 months. He says it's pretty

toxic and they don't know who will tolerate it well

until after they've given it. Yikes! Could use some

understanding and encouragement, if possible. Don't

want to be fixed, just heard. Thanks much. Donna

Magnuso

P.S. Mike: What did you find out about having

congestive heart failure?

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