Back again after a while

Hi Amycakes - that's real progress isn't it! And it's good to hear from you - while the forum has been in a mess this last week we were hoping people wouldn't just give up and stay at home! It was a bit demoralising at times!

The bit about 7mg is that that is the same sort of amount of steroid as your body produces itself so this is the level that most doctors top worrying about the side effects. The majority of steroid side effects are due to the action the excess amount of steroid has on your body - so once you are at what is called a "physiological level" there is less to worry about. My immune system doesn't seem to have any problems so far.

all the best, Eileen

Hi Amycakes and Eileen - just a quick note to aplologise for the technical glitches we have had this week with the forums. Thanks so much for bearing with us while we got them sorted! Hopefully you can adjust to the new layout and if you do have any ideas for improvement just click the feedback link at the top. Thanks, Ben

Hi Amycakes,

So glad we haven't lost you!! I nearly lost the plot trying to change my competely idiotic password to something warm and comfy and familiar. Hey, who stole the emoticons? Please return them immediately and we won't report you the the emoticon police.

Sorry Amycakes, my joy at having cracked this change distracted me. So pleased you are starting to feel a little better, wow! 7mgs, that's excellent - I hope the pain soon goes.

Once again, pleased we didn't lose you!

Love from Lizzie xxx <3 (making do with my homemade emoticons - sideways heart and smile!!) ="" (making="" do="" with="" my="" homemade="" emoticons="" -="" sideways="" heart="" and="" smile!!)=""> (making do with my homemade emoticons - sideways heart and smile!!) >

Absolutely no idea what this is all about!! And I thought I'd cracked it - WRONG!

Lizzie Ellen xxx

="" (making="" do="" with="" my="" homemade="" emoticons="" -="" sideways="" heart="" and="" smile!!)="">

Hello Amycakes..... yes a bit of a nightmare sorting out getting back on the site but have finally been successful ( thank you Alan)

Great to hear you are down to seven mg...... snap!!!!!! Finally lost the hamster cheeks and now hoping to see the facial hair go and can now begin to lose some weight!

Hi All

So good to be back in the fold again.

Anything new at my age & I panic, like everything to stay as it was, but of course things have to move with the times, getting used to the new forum now.

Thank you Eileen for explaining it all to me , I am so looking forward to looking more like my old self, the hamster cheeks have receded, not all gone yet , but definitely an improvement.

I am so proud of myself to have got down to 7mg from 50mg, just keeping my fingers crossed that all will continue to improve.

I am going to be 70 this April, though in my head I am 40!! & used to move around like a 40year old,Its just the body lets me down!

I used to look like 40 too, or so everyone told me , maybe they were being polite, ohhh never mind , life is beginning to look up again.

Thanks again to all you lovely people , you have always picked me up when I've been down.

Cheers

Amycakes.

Amycakes

Good News and I do hope everything continues that way.

Take it easy and don't drop too fast, slowly does it.

Amycakes

It's so good to hear how well you are doing now after your very bumpy start. I can imagine just what a boost this has been for your morale. I remember how excited I felt when I reached 7mgs(from 40mgs) - like turning a corner as my rheumy had told me that 7.5 equated to the steroid (cortisol) dose that our adrenal glands make naturally when we are well. I'd really love an emoticom here to give this post the excitement it deserves but I'll just have to say lots of good luck wishes for the rest of your journey and lots of love from MrsOxx

Thanks MrS O, you are so right , the excitement is so good at last.

I am looking forward now with more enthusiasm, walking longer , though can tell after with achy legs, but I am definitely getting there.

Thanks for your support, just hoping you too are having a better time of things.

Cheers Amycakes.

Thank you, Amycakes, and yes I am doing very well too (crossing fingers as I say that!). After starting at 40mgs almost 5 years ago I am now on 2 days at zero and .5mg on the 3rd day etc so I am hopefully in remission. Still tapering at a snail's pace to zero, hoping that I can nip it in the bud quickly if I feel anything symptomatic of either recurring PMR or GCA (perish the thought!). I still do my daily walk and find that I tend to stiffen up a bit if I miss it for a few days so can't recommend that enough - don't have to stop and sit on walls any more though!

Keep well, Amycakes.

MrsOxx

Wow 5 years!! knocks my 2 years into a cocked hat as they say.

Well done, keep it up, the dark tunnel is showing a light at last.

Cheers Amycakes.

Amycakes, so good to hear from you and so glad that you have improved so much! Perhaps this year will bring good things to you.

Congratulations on being in your 70th year, too - I have a couple of years to go yet.

(Catie)

Amycakes

What day in April? It would be too much of a coincidence if it was the 24th! MrsK and I are already twins but I am the youngest one!!!!!

MrsO

Thank you Nefret & Mrs O.

My husband Bob will be 70 on 22 April & I am 70 on 26th April, we are both Taurus.

I joke he is older than me , could have been the other way around & I could have called him my toyboy!!

His family are organising a party then , so getting excited about that too.

But where have all the years gone I ask myself!

Had my blood test results today , E.S.R 27, C.R.P. 6 , they like it to be 5 apparently.

I was surprised at the E.S.R though, I did manage to get down to 15, a few months ago,since then not so good.

Wondering if I may have the start of a U.T.I. as have been in the loo a lot in the night & today, shall have to see doc again if no improvement by tomorrow.maybe that could be the cause of the higher numbers, I wonder!

Anyway not letting it get me down, all I need now is some sunshine, today it has rained , roll on Spring, still Feb just around the corner.

Take care you lovely people, hope you are pain free today.

Cheers Amycakes.

Amycakes - I'm right in between you and Bob - on the 24th - and will also be 70. A few Taurus Bulls around then!

Do hope a UTI doesn't develop but if it is hanging around then, as you say, that could explain the rise in the ESR. No doubt you're drinking plenty of water meanwhile. Another good, old fashioned remedy is to boil up pearl barley, strain it, add some orange juice and drink, although these days cranberry juice seems to be the most popular remedy plus it's easier! A member of my support group who sometimes posts on our other site recently found that cranberry tablets proved successful for her where a few courses of antibiotics failed. Hopefully, though you're symptoms of yesterday will disappear and you won't need any of these.

MrsO