Happy to have found this forum. I was diagnosed Jan 08 with Wegener's thru kidney biopsy. They just barely found it in time and had about a 10% chance or so of making it. It started early Jan 08 with head cold symptoms,then within a week, the most severe, couldn't move, extremely painful muscle pain in hips, thighs, calfs, and arms. Jan 16 08 entered local hospital. Three days later I was in ICU with acute renal failure. I went from 145 lbs to 196lbs from fluid retention. Transfered to Dartmouth Jan 18 08. Massive testing, steroids, and chemo infusion brought it in control. By Jan 28 08 ( b-day present) was released with the whole boat load of meds and the crash course of insulin and lovenox injections. Prior to this I was the type that would pass out from a flu shot so it was a little nerving. Anyway.......the rest I am most surely aware that you all know what goes on for the unsuspecting battle!
I have had several flair ups thru out the year with my most previous on yesterday......(anual b-day present ironically) Incredible body pain and severe fatique and was treated and released. This flair up I guess was not the Wegeners' but a too rapid reduction in my prednisone levels.
So now it has been a year and a week or so since it all started and I am still on the battle field. I am just trying to have some light shed on me of how long does it go on? Kinda sick and tired of not being able to do much. Does it ever get back to normal??? Thanks for listening! (reading)

Just finding my way around here so I hope nothing is redundant!!
extremenewenglander age 52 yesterday white male
carpenter by trade F.T.
musician/drummer/instuctor/P.T.
extensively active prior to illness
mountainbiking, hiking, downhill skiing,
snowshoeing, fishing, camping.