Struggling, But Managing
I think I've been doing pretty well lately, considering all I have on my plate. School has gotten as stressful as ever. I have 3 papers that are quickly approaching, as well as a ton of reading that needs to be done for them.
I also got really sick a couple days ago. I'm pretty sure I just caught what everyone's been getting lately, but I need to be extra careful when I get sick because of the immunosuppressant drugs I'm taking for Lupus. I called my rheumatologist yesterday because I was concerned about how sick I was, and she said that I can expect to get sicker and stay sicker longer than most people, and that it's really important that I rest a great deal and don't push myself so that I can get better. Usually when I'm sick I don't give myself much time to rest, and I try to just keep up with life as best I can. However, this time I decided to really just throw myself into bed and not leave. I didn't even go to class last night which was a first. I almost never miss class, no matter how sick I am.
I'm feeling a little bit better today... but I still plan on staying in bed. It's almost like I can physically tell that my body isn't as strong a fighter anymore.
I've also been having a really tough time, especially over the last 2 weeks, with the side effects of prednisone. I'm dealing, but it's hard. My face has pretty much exploded with water weight and I feel like I don't even look like myself anymore. It hurts to smile, and I can't move my face as much when I'm talking either. I also haven't been sleeping well at all, which is a common side effect. I got so fed up with it though so I had my rheumatologist call in a prescription of ambien for me. I took one last night and slept beautifully all night long. I'm glad I've got that one taken care of! The other thing I've noticed is a lack of muscle control/weakness. It's hard for me to open things that take a lot of strength, and when I try to carry heavy things my muscles start shaking.
GOOD NEWS THOUGH. As of a couple days ago my rheumatologist said I can finally decrease my dose of the prednisone. I was on 40mg a day, and now I'm taking 30mg, at least for the next month. My labs still have not improved, but since we're increasing the dose of my immunosuppressant (cellcept), she felt it would be safe to decrease the prednisone slightly. That makes me happy. I hate prednisone.
I also got really sick a couple days ago. I'm pretty sure I just caught what everyone's been getting lately, but I need to be extra careful when I get sick because of the immunosuppressant drugs I'm taking for Lupus. I called my rheumatologist yesterday because I was concerned about how sick I was, and she said that I can expect to get sicker and stay sicker longer than most people, and that it's really important that I rest a great deal and don't push myself so that I can get better. Usually when I'm sick I don't give myself much time to rest, and I try to just keep up with life as best I can. However, this time I decided to really just throw myself into bed and not leave. I didn't even go to class last night which was a first. I almost never miss class, no matter how sick I am.
I'm feeling a little bit better today... but I still plan on staying in bed. It's almost like I can physically tell that my body isn't as strong a fighter anymore.
I've also been having a really tough time, especially over the last 2 weeks, with the side effects of prednisone. I'm dealing, but it's hard. My face has pretty much exploded with water weight and I feel like I don't even look like myself anymore. It hurts to smile, and I can't move my face as much when I'm talking either. I also haven't been sleeping well at all, which is a common side effect. I got so fed up with it though so I had my rheumatologist call in a prescription of ambien for me. I took one last night and slept beautifully all night long. I'm glad I've got that one taken care of! The other thing I've noticed is a lack of muscle control/weakness. It's hard for me to open things that take a lot of strength, and when I try to carry heavy things my muscles start shaking.
GOOD NEWS THOUGH. As of a couple days ago my rheumatologist said I can finally decrease my dose of the prednisone. I was on 40mg a day, and now I'm taking 30mg, at least for the next month. My labs still have not improved, but since we're increasing the dose of my immunosuppressant (cellcept), she felt it would be safe to decrease the prednisone slightly. That makes me happy. I hate prednisone.