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onatreetop
12-06-2009, 02:40 AM
Has anyone noticed if it is a typical time of year to have a flare? It sounds like some of us are recently? i know that you have said that stress causes the flare too. So how do we do the holidays without stress? really? I love the holidays and want them to be wonderful but I also do more, like most people with families do. i am trying to keep a steady pace unstead of the up all night routine that I would pull once or twice a week this time of year.I know that wont work now. So I havent done it. Any suggestions are comments ?

Sangye
12-06-2009, 05:46 AM
The two things that make my Wegs flare (a little or a lot) are stress and heat.

My Wegs began in summer and has always been worse then. Makes sense from a holistic perspective-- an inflammatory disease is due to an excess of the Fire element. If I get overheated with central heat in the winter, my symptoms get worse, too.

elephant
12-06-2009, 05:53 AM
Onatreetop, I was just thinking about that the other day. I have 7 family members staying with us for 4 days during Christmas. There is no way I am cooking all those meals. So it will be a group effort, and I don't think they expect me to clean, cook and pick after them. I am going to have easy meals. I will have to sleep in and try to get enough rest. I noticed if I don't get enough rest I feel worse. I take a nap almost every day. I won't be able to when the guest arrive! They are very noisy, but I love them. I will have to listen to my body and that's all I can do.:)

Jack
12-06-2009, 07:22 AM
I take a nap almost every day. I won't be able to when the guest arrive!
Why not?
Yes, I know it feels awkward and you worry that they will think you rude, but I've got past that stage now. I just say, "If you don't mind, I'm going to have an hours rest. If I don't I'm not going to make it to the end of the day." They soon start to think that maybe you do have something wrong with you after all and family will forgive you anything.

coffeelover
12-06-2009, 07:28 AM
My big event is Thanksgiving. (fed 30) and throw in a family wedding (I played piano for) and my mother in law getting quite sick, so no husband support as his mother needed him more. No wonder I still feel like crap!

stress is a BIG indicator for me.
Not to mention the stress of visiting another doctor who I don't know at the Mayo. The good news is he does not see signs of WEGS in my nasal and sinus area at this time. The bad news...I have a severe case of Thrush. (again!) So more drugs and more time consuming swishing and swallowing.........quit complaining you say?

It helps eliminate my stress a bit so thanks for listening.
Lisa

Doug
12-06-2009, 07:32 AM
Onatreetop, I was just thinking about that the other day. I have 7 family members staying with us for 4 days during Christmas. There is no way I am cooking all those meals. So it will be a group effort, and I don't think they expect me to clean, cook and pick after them. I am going to have easy meals. I will have to sleep in and try to get enough rest. I noticed if I don't get enough rest I feel worse. I take a nap almost every day. I won't be able to when the guest arrive! They are very noisy, but I love them. I will have to listen to my body and that's all I can do.:)

Yep! That's what paper plates, chips (crisps) and cold cuts are all about. "The Elephant Strategy" we'll call it, in honor of the first weggie to say, "I'm letting the guests help with meals, and I'm listening to my body.":)

coffeelover
12-06-2009, 07:33 AM
Doug! Your so.......male

Doug
12-06-2009, 07:38 AM
I got through the holidays...! Ha! Remember, too, the main meal always needs to be special, with all that girly stuff with decorations and place settings and 25 forks, one for each bite, etc. Ha!:)

Sangye
12-06-2009, 08:59 AM
doug! Your so.......male
I am ROTFL!!!!

Sangye
12-06-2009, 09:02 AM
The good news is he does not see signs of WEGS in my nasal and sinus area at this time.
YAY!!!

The bad news...I have a severe case of Thrush. (again!) So more drugs and more time consuming swishing and swallowing.........quit complaining you say?
Naaaah, go ahead.

elephant
12-06-2009, 10:48 AM
Doug that would be 25 plastic forks, I would get a flare just cleaning 275 forks! I feel a twitch coming on the left eye. ( Pink Pather):D

onatreetop
12-07-2009, 03:49 PM
You guys are great! We all have our traditions and tourchers. I am not having xmas my sister-in-law agreed to host. I will be in the kitchen with her drinking and cooking while the poeple we married and there family sit quietly and do nothing. They might speak every ten minutes but that might be strecthing it.
i love the holidays and there are three birthdays next to xmas. mine,matthews then the twins in early jan. So it is busy. There is usually a new years dinner in there too. Let the stress begin!! We actually see each other so much in those two weeks that we are good until Easter again.

jola57
12-14-2009, 10:10 AM
Stress brings muscle stifness and thus pain and flare. So don't stress take it easy this holiday season. So what if the 25 fork setting is missing a few:confused:. I have noticed that heat, and probably the sun, is bad for you when on mtx. I have hives from hel, used any fork:eek: I could lay my hand on to scratch and scratch. Finaly gave up and took a double dose of pred for a couple of days which helped a bit. I tried to behave with some culture while at the dinner table, the air conditioning helped. :D

Sangye
12-14-2009, 10:14 AM
Jolanta, try eating very cooling foods-- cucumber, cilantro, salads, sweet juicy fruit, etc... Avoid "warming" foods like hot pepper, tomato, citrus. That usually helps me with the heat-aggravated symptoms like hives.

(You can google any Ayurvedic site to find tons of "Pitta-pacifying" foods. Pitta is fire.)

jola57
12-14-2009, 10:17 AM
I'll try that now, it would be murder on the cruise with all that yummy food. It is not going to be a problem when I'm back in Mission since its snowing there LOL

Sangye
12-14-2009, 10:37 AM
"Cruise" rhymes with "Snooze" rhymes with "Foods".... :D:D

jola57
12-14-2009, 10:46 AM
I already feel withdrawal effects, it's 6:30 pm and I'm hungry, boohoo

onatreetop
12-15-2009, 11:19 PM
The holiday baking has begun and I am eating!!!Had guest over the weekend and we baked and ate the whole time it seems. oh well it was tasty and fun for the kids too. Was off the eliptical for a few days. Time is getting stretched in all kinds of ways with the holiday approaching rapidly. Kids concerts and xmas party to attend with all the normal that comes with the holiday. Finally finished my cards. That was a big releif. Only 100 this year.
I have the pred face back, puffy with reddness form the the pred or cytox not sure which. Started retianing more water again too. Th RA kept me at 100mg cyt. and down to 40mgs pred 3x brac a week. I am still a little shakey and scatter brained but that is par for the coarse. I see him again wednesday. Blood work and hopefully another adjustment on the meds would be nice. He did say I would have to take everything for another year. The dosage will reduce but still have to take it. OH no blood in the pee for the first time!!!! He canceled the biop.!!! No Biop now! That was a christmas present in its self!!!!

RCOSSIO
12-15-2009, 11:34 PM
I think I am flaring....its breaking record high temp in FLA.

I think its time to cool down....maybe I could take a bite of the ice cream sandwich Doug is holding.

elephant
12-15-2009, 11:52 PM
Well my sister and her crew come here next week. Went to Costco and walmart to buy some of the stuff. I told her that Christmas eve were only having appetizers. ( meat balls/sauce, goat cheese/crackers, pizza, taco dip/chips). Even bought paper plates ( christmas) and plastic this and that. Very laid back. Lately I been having sore muscles in my upper arms/hands and it Comes and goes.. Oh hope this is not the beginning of a flare or side effect from the meds. :eek:

onatreetop
12-16-2009, 12:14 AM
My sisterin law is hosting thank god! But I will be in kitchen with her. i had to help my mother dig in the storage unit yesturday so I am a bit sore in the arms from lifting boxes and loading boxes and moving boxes.
Are you in cold weather? My husband actually suggested that one to me for my knee. Theres no way the pain in the knee that bad was weather.

elephant
12-16-2009, 02:01 AM
It's gotten colder down here around 30-50 degree's. I lift my daughter who is 40 pounds 3 times a week to get her in a grocery cart. Once in a while I will lift her up and give her a kiss. Is our bodies that sensitive to any strain that we endure? Oh, how love DENIAL. Hope it's nothing!

Sangye
12-16-2009, 02:12 AM
Onatreetop, if your doc is saying you're going to be on cytoxan for another year then he doesn't know what he's doing. That's WAY too long on cytoxan.

Onatreetop and Elephant (funny combination!) : Pred can cause ligaments and tendons to rupture easily, with very little strain on them. This is a known, common side effect and your docs should have warned you. (Of course, none of my original docs warned me, either! It's one thing I DIDN'T learn by experience-- found it on the internet) You should not be lifting anything over 10-15 lbs. Be careful exercising, also. I don't know this for a fact, but having read about other people's injuries, it seems to be worse at higher doses and at any long-term dose.

The Achilles tendon is a common one to rupture with pred. Take care stretching it. Ankles and knees are stabilized by ligaments alone, and are susceptible to easy ruptures.

elephant
12-16-2009, 03:51 AM
I will stop picking up my child and do grocery shopping when my husband gets home. It's so much easier to go by myself anyways. I will have to keep an eye on my ache's. In the last four days my left ear ache's, looks like I will have to take a full dose of Bactrim for a few days and see if that is it. I rinse my nose ( Neil Med) twice a day. Wondering if that is causing it? Oh well.:rolleyes:

onatreetop
12-16-2009, 11:18 PM
I knew about the easy bruising and weakness but not limits. Thank you again. That explains a lot. I have started putting wieght back on but just a few pounds. If I am good I can keep it within a five pound range. If I am bad away we go go! I had the ACL replaced in the same knee 22 yrs ago. it has held up pretty well.Just a few miniscis tear scares but no damage. I hyper extended it about three monthes ago had to wear a brace for about 6 weeks. But it seems better. Especailly since exercising.