Vaccinations, swine flu, and building immunity.

On Facebook I just joined a group called "I will NOT take Vaccines for "Swine Flu"!!"

The reason is simple, many of us are already immune or working on immunity. This summer so many people have been sick. Think about it, does it make sense then to get an injection for something your body is already conquering?

I have not had a flu shot since 1995. Yes I get sick, but I did back when I'd get the shots too. I'd get sick from them even, so I stopped getting them in high school.

From what I have been hearing about swine flu it spreads fast, with how many of us have been sick this summer I'm sure a good chunk of us already have our bodies working on building immunity. Every flu season I tend to be one of the first to get sick, before a vaccine is available, & while multiple strains go around each year, I often wonder if what someone is injected with isn't something they've already dealt with & built their immunity for by the bug running it's course; an injection then is pointless & only runs the risk of harming ones body because of the other things found in an immunization injection.

Dealing with rheumatoid arthritis I have to keep myself healthy as much as possible. But I've found I fair better by eating right and taking my vitamins than by flu vaccines. The following video helps support this idea.

RA and PCOS

Doing a search for the two terms together I often find many message-board sites where women are trying to reach out with others to see just how previlent this combination is, and it is if you look at all the posts, but what I notice in all my searching is that there isn't much in the way of medical info about this.

* Both conditions are considered genetic.
* Both conditions have deep impacts on young women, in life changing ways.
* Both conditions are improved (BUT NOT CURED) by a low carb, high "good-fat" diet.
* Both conditions feed of of their own symptoms and often make treatment hard.
* Both have depression or dysthymia as a possible symptom.
* Both have increased fatigue as a frequent symptom.
* Symptoms of both diseases often leave the patient with feelings of loss, loneliness, and isolation. A strong sense of not being physically whole or well.

Because of these cross-overs, it's hard to think of one as completely separate from the other.

When I got my diagnosis of PCOS several years ago so much started to make sense. Almost all of my medical issues fell under one umbrella now, and the diagnosis gave way for treatment plans and medical understanding. I wasn't causing these things to myself, but my body was causing them to me. As a few forms of arthritis have crept up on me before I'm even in my 30's, I've had to wonder well, does this fit all together too? I mean I have various forms of arthritis on both sides of my family tree, so I've always been well aware that I'd develop some form of arthritis in my life, but never did I really think it'd turn out like this. So I search the net...

The following is probably the best article I've found to date trying to piece together things for those of us with both issues. It seems to me like this article just confirms what my symptoms and pain levels already tell me, that one issue feeds off of the other and presents itself sooner for those who are unfortunate enough to have both diseases in their family tree.

I bought a cane today.

So I woke this morning in agony. I had yet another "charlie horse" in my leg. Kevin had to kneed it to relax and even after that I ended up staying in bed in a half alseep half awake zombie mode. I didn't make it to church. Later when Kevin came home we went out together to get some stuff from the store and I was having such a hard time getting around that I bought a cane. I'm 27 and have days were I need a cane, fabulous! I'm not happy. Basically I've been taking one medication that I'm supposed to stop taking by taking less and less of it, but the more I do that, the more all my issues seem to keep creaping back up. I may just have to go back to the doctor again before my next appointment and just say, "See, this isn't working." I will admit I hardly ever take my prescription pain pills, just full strength asprin about once a day, but the pain isn't the issue as much as the mobility. It's really bad days like today that make me fear that when we do go to try and adopt that they'll say I don't pass or something like that. I can get around fine, I just have to make adjustments sometimes. And I haven't had a day this bad in months. Maybe I'm just worried about too much, but I feel like my body in persecuting me and I really don't want anything else bad to happen in any other way, even if it's far off. Which really doesn't make sense, but pain causes depression, and then a lot of things don't make sense.

Just call me the loopy Lupus lady...

So yesterday I met with my doctor and he agreed with my Rhumatologist that Lupus seems to be what I'm dealing with. He gave me some pain pills which I was hesitant to take, but they're supposed to be better for me then the Alive I've been taking most days and he had a letter from my rhumatologist who was suggesting that for me too. He also gave me some skin antibiotics that are supposed to be more heavy duty then the over the counter kind. It's kinda gross, but I've had these moles on my neck as long as I can ever remember and this last week one of them just decided to split open and get infected. That's what I deal with these days. When I catch the same cold as others I'm out for weeks when they're out for days, I get a cut or scrap and it gets infected. But looking at it through the eyes of starting to understand Lupus it all is starting to make sense. I'm not unfamilular with this process in understanding health issues because I dealt with a simular thing when I was diagnosed with PCOS. From what my doctors can tell the two don't seem to be related. There are a few ways they could be, but it's very slim. I just happen to be someone who has both. And the strangest thing is they are both considered "orphan diseases" meaning they're rare and hard to diagnose, and now I'm looking at having been diagnosed with two, its just kind of weird to me.
So yesterday was quite the roller coaster. During the morning I kept hitting time black holes or something. I'd look at the clock, think 5 minutes passed and look at the clock again and it would be 45 minutes later. Amazingly I still made it to getting the car to the shop for an oil change and some brake job. I walked from the auto shop to my doctors office and it felt nice, the weather was so nice. It wasn't too hot, but it was sunny and clear.
After the doctors appointment I walked to 7-11 and got some water and nachos. Not a great choice, but I needed to snack on something. As I sat at a nerby table I could feel eyeballs watching me. It really made me self concious about eating in public. Then this stupid jerk shouted out at me, "Hey Shamoo!" I didn't move. I was livid and insulted, but I didn't make any outward acknowledgment. Their light changed and they drove on, but it just really ticked me off. I ended up tossing half my chips (they were too salty anyway) and I walked on to the bookstore and waited for Kevin to come get me since we're leaving the car at the shop. The comment really didn't make me mad because of me, but because I had such a hard time believing someone so stupid actually could exist! I feel sorry for them and I kept thinking about how they just weren't raised right.
After all that happened we stopped in Monroe to get some dinner and while I was in the parkinglot my wallet fell out of my pocket. I never put my wallet in my pocket for that very reason, but yesterday I did. I came home to hear a message from a good Samaritan who had found my wallet and wanted to know where to meet me to return it to me. It just seemed kind of strange to me that I'd see such a jerk of a person and such a kind soul all in one day. And all on the same day that I started getting some important confirmation about my health.
So yesterday used up all my spoons, and I think I ended up borrowing against today's spoons, which with having walked approximately 7 blocks I'm not too surprised. I'm just going to kick back today, read my new book and watch the news.
I'll know more next week after I meet with my Rhumatologist again. I look forward to making an action plan with her as to what I need to take and what I need to avoid. I thank all of you for your loving words and prayers, it means so much to me. Thank you!

I've been trying to see if anyone else has both or if anyone has noted any connections...the only thing I've found has been this conversation.

What it's like to be sick.

I came across this link while looking up if there is any connection between PCOS and Lupus, or others who have both, etc. I really liked this women's story and could really relate to it so I'm posting it here.

PCOS... I know I have, but Lupus too?

I don't know, My Rhumatologist seems to think so, but she's still doing test. I'm spending time in the mean time resting (like I have to be told to do that.) and researching. I came across a cool website/message board that I may keep visiting just for PCOS but one of the topics was for PCOS and Lupus. The person posting was wondering if anyone knew of any connection, or had both or anything like that. The posts that followed revealed nothing (a common problem on message boards I find.) and since I might have both I guess I'm making this post serve as a marker for that topic so I can revisit it when I know more.

Here's the link.

Blood protein issues #2

So now it seems like it's not so much the blood protein's the doc is concerend about but my inflamation. I can't remember the thing in the blood that shows that, but with both tests that was up. In my second blood test my blood protein was back to normal, so he said that was my cold, that it was a virus cold. So that's cleared up. But what isn't cleared up is my fatigue, fall asleep hands and some other symptoms too.
I went to About.com and found a "Do I have M.S.?" check list, with all I was able to check I'm going to talk to the Rhumotologist when I see her again next week. Oh, yeah. I've seen her once already, she said I didn't have enough pain regions to be considered someone with fybromialgia (not what I thought was going on anyway.) but that something is happening so she did some labs and we'll meet next week to go over them.
Also the blood tests I have with my regular Doc showed me as being a bit anemic, which astounds me since I'm a low carb, eat the protein kinda girl. All my doctors have been asking me now if I'm veggitarian. I may have over worked myself with our latest house move, but I so don't cut the meat out, ever. Just imagin how anemic I'd be if I did! That alone seems proof enough that humans are supposed to be meat eaters. Anyway, so I'm taking B-12 and iron now, I'm sleeping a little less (10-11 hours instead of 12-13.) but it's still a lot! And still never very restful. Especially when I wake up to both hands icy cold, stiff and asleep. Doesn't matter how I sleep either. Worst seems to be on my side so I toss to my back, but then my back hurts if I sleep like that all night.
Well, that's the update so far. Hopefully I'll know more after my next meeting. I've basically ruled out anything PCOS for all this with the Endocrinologist, but the Rhumotologist said there was still a chance it's something else with my thyroids. She gave me a more detailed neck exam then he did, I thought she was going to choke me! And ordered some of the labs to look into Thyroid things since I basically didn't know what he tested me for, and it would take just as long for her to get my labs as to get the records transfered and then possibly find out a test she wanted ordered wasn't done in his. And then it would all take longer.
So 2 and a half weeks later I still don't know what's up. I'm still nervious, but I'm not the crazy kind of nerveous I was before. I'm pretty certain that the Rhumatologist is going to find out what this is all about and care for me. She seems really invested in her patients. I'd totally recommend her to anyone needing a rhumotologist in the Seattle Bellvue area!