What, me worry?

**vdub** · 10-25-2015, 02:34 PM

It’s always nice to know you have friends! I've been away from the forum for several weeks (months?) and I've received a few PM's asking if everything was ok. Thanks for the concern guys!

Everything is ok, given the obvious challenges we all have.

I have had a couple changes, though. I was taken off mtx mid-July in preparation for a complete knee replacement. The knee replacement was a success, but I did have an adrenal crisis after the surgery despite the doctors predicting and preparing for such an event.

This was my second adrenal crisis -- they aren't any fun and are quite painful, but easily resolved with an injection of a couple hundred mg's of steroids. Otherwise, the surgery was pretty uneventful and totally successful.

The bad part of the surgery was going off the mtx, which I've been on for the better part of 5 years. As most of you know, you can't be on mtx when you are going in for surgery. Since I was going to be off the mtx, my rheumy wanted to see if I could stay off without having a flare. It didn't work out. I didn't have a wegs flare, but I did have a psoriatic arthritis flare. At least, we think that's what flared. Lots of joint and muscle pain, sleeping many hours beyond normal -- sometimes sleeping for 16 hrs only to wake up, get something to eat, and go back to bed. This was happening even when on pred -- pretty weird.

Part of the sleeping might have been due to the pain meds I'm on. Both the hydrocodone and gabapentin have been increased, but a lot of my hormones seem to off, too. The blood tests all come out "mostly" ok, but I'm on so many replacement hormones that it’s difficult to tell if one isn't quite up to speed. And, as most of you know, it takes weeks for some of our drugs to "work" or "not work", so it’s not something you can easily identify. I'm currently on 18 different drugs a day, so isolating one that might be a problem is really hard.

So that's about it -- really, really tired. But, I seem to be coming out of it. I still have a lot of joint pain, but I have now replaced the hydrocodone with tramadol and I'm sloooowly decreasing the pred, but won't go below 7.5. And, of course, I'm back on mtx (20 mg). I took a gamble that I was on the up-swing of this round and we loaded up the RV about a week ago to head south for part of the winter. I am continuing to get better and having a little more energy, but still going pretty slow. We are currently in Las Vegas, but we aren't partying. :-)

Thanks again for your concern!

**drz** · 10-25-2015, 03:33 PM

Thanks for the update. Where were you for the surgery? And your plans now for recovery location? Vegas?

**Pete** · 10-25-2015, 03:35 PM

Glad to hear you're on the mend. Hope it continues. Be well...

**annekat** · 10-25-2015, 03:49 PM

Good to hear from you, vdub.... I had wondered a bit. Sounds like you've been through a lot of stuff, but are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Knee replacements are so common these days, it's good for us to know in advance what could happen when going off our meds to get one. Hoping you manage to get to some partying in your RV eventually.

**Alysia** · 10-25-2015, 04:19 PM

Thanks for the update. I was worried. But seems that you are tough as nails (this is how you say it in English?l) and handled it all so well.
Your psoriasis needs the dead sea when and if you will be able to make the trip, be my guest. If there are any products of the dead sea that can help you, please let me know and if I will find them here, I will send them to you.
Sending my prayers and love ♡

**vdub** · 10-25-2015, 05:52 PM

Where were you for the surgery? And your plans now for recovery location? Vegas?

Knee replacements seem pretty routine anymore, so are done everywhere. Mine was done in Lewiston, ID. Everyone is different with respect to pain tolerance, but the pain from my knee surgery was minimal. I left the hospital using a walker, but only because they insisted. Once I got home, I used a cane for a couple days, but then was walking normal. I drove myself to my first PT session. On the second PT session I had already hit their "graduation goals" -- they wanted rotation of 0 to 130 and I was doing 0 to 142. The adrenal crisis was a whole nother eye-watering experience, but only lasted about 3 hrs until the doc decided what it was and injected soluble steroids, which gave pretty much instant relieve. So, as far as the knee goes, I'm pretty much recovered. Now I just have to wait for the AI drugs to start working.

My worst "pain point" for the past few weeks has been my right shoulder and arm. My rheumy thinks it is PA and emanating from my spine. I'll bet my new rheumy has taken 100 xrays in order to establish a base line. The knee surgeon said I definitely had some steroid damage on the joint.

**mishb** · 10-25-2015, 06:16 PM

Great to see you have been having a load of fun vdub

and sounds like you have a few more fun times ahead.

Clearly you are getting better again, just in time for the annual RV winter escape. I hope partying in Vegas, and travelling becomes easier in the next few weeks

**woz** · 10-25-2015, 10:22 PM

Good to her from you Vdub, hope the new parts get you out in that nice red car more often.

Regards Woz...

**annekat** · 10-26-2015, 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by Alysia

Thanks for the update. I was worried. But seems that you are tough as nails (this is how you say it in English?l) and handled it all so well.
Your psoriasis needs the dead sea when and if you will be able to make the trip, be my guest. If there are any products of the dead sea that can help you, please let me know and if I will find them here, I will send them to you.
Sending my prayers and love ♡

Yes, tough as nails is how we say it in English, Alysia. You mention Dead Sea products. I have found that Dead Sea Salt to use in the bath and soaps containing it are available here, either online or in special stores. I was looking for our friend Jacquie (Booknut), who may be allergic to epsom salts, which most common bath salts are made of. But of course, better yet would be if vdub could visit you and soak in the Dead Sea itself, for its life giving benefits!