Hi! I feel so badly for this poor woman, and I do know what she is going through...I am 55 yrs. old and was diagnosed with Sjogren's about 12 yrs. ago. I also have Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and a skin condition called "Lichen Sclerosus", which affects the whole vaginal area and is, in itself, a totally miserable disease!
My husband and I have custody of our granddaughter, Cailey, who is 11, and we also keep her sister, Ashlyn, who is 8 about 3 nights a week while my daughter works. (Ashlyn still lives with my daughter)
We have a lot of stress in our lives emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially. Our family situation is very dysfunctional, and my daughter continues to cause all of us a lot of grief and worry. This makes the auto-immune conditions so much worse. My husband has Psoriatic Arthritis and takes infusion treatments of "Remicade" which cost us a fortune, even with insurance. I lost my job at the bank in January, so now I have no insurance and neither does my granddaughter. We can't afford to go back on my husband's insurance, as it is way too pricey.
I never know from one day to the next which symptom of which disease is going to be aggravating me. The symptoms range from diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, headaches, dizziness, itching, burning, on some days, along with aches, pains, fatigue, and dryness of everything, EVERYDAY! I pray all the time, and I know the Lord keeps me strong and helps me get through it, but it is not easy! I always just want to sit or lay down, but then there is the insurmountable laundry in heaps and piles and the dirty, messy house, that never seems to look any better!
There are some days it is a struggle to just take a shower or even fix myself a sandwich. I don't even want to get out of bed, but of course, I HAVE TO! I have to make myself keep on going.
In addition to the other conditions, I have severe Scoliosis, which
I know is playing a part in a lot of the back pain now. The doctor said I have arthritis in my spine, as well.
I need to exercise, because it would help me to lose weight and also to feel and sleep better, but I hurt so much that I never can seem to make myself take a walk or do anything else physical.
I am on the go constantly with the girls and I love them so much and want to do things with them, but most of the time, I feel like crying because I am so exhausted and everything hurts.
Does anyone else feel this way? Thanks for listening. God bless! Tina Blackwell, Columbia, SC
P.S. I don't even go to a Rheumatologist anymore, because I can't afford it, and I am so allergic to so many medicines that I can't take anything they give me other than Tylenol for pain, and Zantac and Imodium for the stomach. Also, eye drops and nose gel.
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Hi! I feel so badly for this poor woman, and I do know what she is going through...I am 55 yrs. old and was diagnosed with Sjogren's about 12 yrs. ago. I also have Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and a skin condition called "Lichen Sclerosus", which affects the whole vaginal area and is, in itself, a totally miserable disease!
May 4, 2009 - 7:00amMy husband and I have custody of our granddaughter, Cailey, who is 11, and we also keep her sister, Ashlyn, who is 8 about 3 nights a week while my daughter works. (Ashlyn still lives with my daughter)
We have a lot of stress in our lives emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially. Our family situation is very dysfunctional, and my daughter continues to cause all of us a lot of grief and worry. This makes the auto-immune conditions so much worse. My husband has Psoriatic Arthritis and takes infusion treatments of "Remicade" which cost us a fortune, even with insurance. I lost my job at the bank in January, so now I have no insurance and neither does my granddaughter. We can't afford to go back on my husband's insurance, as it is way too pricey.
I never know from one day to the next which symptom of which disease is going to be aggravating me. The symptoms range from diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, headaches, dizziness, itching, burning, on some days, along with aches, pains, fatigue, and dryness of everything, EVERYDAY! I pray all the time, and I know the Lord keeps me strong and helps me get through it, but it is not easy! I always just want to sit or lay down, but then there is the insurmountable laundry in heaps and piles and the dirty, messy house, that never seems to look any better!
There are some days it is a struggle to just take a shower or even fix myself a sandwich. I don't even want to get out of bed, but of course, I HAVE TO! I have to make myself keep on going.
In addition to the other conditions, I have severe Scoliosis, which
I know is playing a part in a lot of the back pain now. The doctor said I have arthritis in my spine, as well.
I need to exercise, because it would help me to lose weight and also to feel and sleep better, but I hurt so much that I never can seem to make myself take a walk or do anything else physical.
I am on the go constantly with the girls and I love them so much and want to do things with them, but most of the time, I feel like crying because I am so exhausted and everything hurts.
Does anyone else feel this way? Thanks for listening. God bless! Tina Blackwell, Columbia, SC
P.S. I don't even go to a Rheumatologist anymore, because I can't afford it, and I am so allergic to so many medicines that I can't take anything they give me other than Tylenol for pain, and Zantac and Imodium for the stomach. Also, eye drops and nose gel.
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