Speaking of stress

[Guest guest]

Earlier today I posted in a response to Gita that stress can take a toll on our bodies and sometimes very unexpectedly. I was speaking from immediate personal experience.

Since Christmas Eve my back and neck have been covered with an inflamed itchy rash. In short I've beem miserable. It started out slowly on Christmas Eve and got worse as the days went on. I couldn't attribute it to an allergy because nothing in my life had really changed.(soap, shampoo, laundry detergent etc. no changes) In addition I've been feeling particularly weak and exhausted.

I finally put a call into my rheumatologist and saw her yesterday. She says it's my dermatomyositis flaring up and it's likely stress related. Stress as in the holidays. In other words happy stress. I had a great, if busy Christmas but apparently that was enough to make my body yell for help. So my Imuran has been increased to 150mg for a month or so and then we'll move the dose back down again.

I hate this so much. I hate that something like Christmas can put me in a tailspin. It's annoying but I suppose I have to be grateful my doctor recognized it for what it was and we're dealing with it before it effects my lungs.

Please everyone look after yourselves. Eat well, get some kind of exercise and get more rest than you think you need. I don't know who first said it on this board but every once in a while it's good to call a 'pajama day' and hang out in the house not doin nuttin!

Beth

Moderator

Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08