|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 2,127
Location: Thornton Cleveleys
|
Hi everyone  Back from a lovely holiday in Cyprus and it's taken me the best part of a week to get my head and body back together! Still working on the latter and no doubt will be for some time  Cyprus was great. The villa perfect, the pool was so warm it was almost like walking into a hot tub, the scenery dramatic, and the rest and relaxation first rate. It wasn't the easiest of holidays but I think I did the right thing in going. The journey took it out of me and after two days experienced the most awful flare; it completely stopped me in my tracks. Fortunately I had taken plenty of extra meds with me so upped the prednisolone to 15mg, took the full complement of pain relief and bandaged up sore joints. (Got some wonderful light but supportive bandages from a pharmacy in Cyprus; the chap was quite intrigued by the RA, not something he sees often!) It settled quite quickly and I was able to enjoy a restful break. Walking was an issue so other than hobbling with my stick round the villa and local town we did very little. My knee remains very problematical and I'm not sure where I'm headed with that. It actually seems to be getting worse rather than better which is somewhat disconcerting considering the rest its had. I'm back with orthopaedics on the 3rd so will see what they have to say. I suspect the flares and the ongoing knee issues may well be down to lack of RA meds (stopped for op 7 weeks ago) so, in my wisdom, or lack of, I have restarted the Enbrel in the hope that it will kick in quickly. I'm back down to 10 mg of prednisolone and hopefully by the 3rd will be down to 8mg which is where I'm supposed to be! My GP would have a fit if he had any idea that I'm self medicating! I did try to make an appointment to see him immediately I returned but he's away until next week. At the end of the day though after 22 years I do feel I'm in the best position to know my own body and what it requires. That said I'm not advocating anyone else follow my reckless example!! Hope you are all okay ... there's a fair bit of reading to do!! Look forward to catching up with you all. Lyn x
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/4/2010
Posts: 576
|
Hi Lynn - nice to see you are safely home. Sorry about the flare but glad you still managed to have an enjoyable and restful time in spite of mean old RA! Hope you get some help with the knee next week XX Ailsa
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
|
Hello Lynn WELCOME BACK. Your input was missed. Pleased after the initial hicc up that you really enjoyed your break away in Cyprus. I'm sure that the weather was much better than in this Country at the moment. Looking out the window and it is hammering down with rain, they forcast thunder rain and possible flooding - great. I hope your medication soon works for you. What were you doing being up in the early hours of the morning ! ! ! Rose 
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,157 Location: Huddersfield
|
Hi Lyn,
Welcome back!
I was going to say the same.....after 22years you probably know your RA and how to treat it better than any doctor!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the holiday, the sunshine alone will have done you good.
Hope the enbrel kicks in soon for you.
Love, Doreen xx
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,524 Location: W. Yorkshire
|
Oh Lynn-so pleased you actually got there! Alan (my hubby) now tells his GP what he wants to do re preds! YES I'VE CHANGED, PAIN DOES THAT TO PEOPLE.
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/18/2010 Posts: 1,098 Location: farningham kent
|
Hello Lyn
Pleased to hear you have had such a lovely holiday and it went so well overall.
Like Doreen says, you know how to look after your body just as well as any consultant, so no worries there really. I m sure the rest and relaxation has done you more good than perhaps you realize, like you say the travelling takes it toll.
Hope all goes well on the 3rd and the enbrel starts to work again for you.
It is good to have you back Lyn, we have missed you.
Julia xx
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,689 Location: Durham
|
Hi Lyn, I`m so pleased you enjoyed Cyprus, and managed to get a fair amount of R & R in spite of your flare. The pool sounds wonderful - I always try to choose somewhere with a lovely pool. I`m certain you are right when you say you know your own body - I think it`s something we learn when we live with RA, and after 22 years you could probably write the manual!! Take care, Kathleen x
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,110 Location: London
|
Hi Lyn, welcome back to us!!! Glad you enjoyed Cyprus despite the flare and walking problems. If you cant get to see the consultant, then there is not much choice but to do what feels right to you!! You onbviously know what is best for you Hoping things improve, especially the knee x x BARBARA
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/5/2009 Posts: 216 Location: Leicester, UK
|
So glad to hear you had a good holiday Lyn. As for starting Enbrel, I thought you only stopped it while taking antibiotics. Once the anti-b's are finished, then it's all systems go to give Arthur a good old wallop Hope you are soon feeling the benefit. Warmest wishes, Ann "I cannot do everything. I accept that. Not being able to do everything is no excuse for doing nothing." ~ Helen Keller
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009
Posts: 854
|
So delighted to see you back Lyn. Will e mail you. x
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/8/2010 Posts: 914
|
Hi Lyn, So glad you have had a lovely time. Hope all goes well with your appointment. I think everyone is right, we all know our bodies better than the medics especially those who have lived with RA as long as you have. I've missed seeing you on the forum, glad to have you back. Cyprus is somewhere I would love to visit, and take my dad too. He was there in the army before I was born and would love to return and let me see some of the places he was stationed. We will see next year. My husband doesn't like the heat so I've been busy getting him lots of thin clothes for our hoiliday in October to Fuerteventura. Hope you get a bout of feeling really well now, take care Lorna x
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 2,127
Location: Thornton Cleveleys
|
Hi guys Lovely to hear from you all, I missed you whilst I was away so it's good to be back. I do miss the sun, the villa and all the r&r I managed to pack in though, I'd quite like to nip back again! I now seem to have so much to do that I kept 'putting off until after the hols', but now my knee won't let me do it!! Oh well, one gets used to living in a pig sty! At least Ian and Jake are back in college next week and Louis in school the following week so all's good on that front! Abby has got a place to do a Masters in Events Management starting in two weeks (all last minute ... but that's Abby!) at the University of Salford. She is going to be renting an apartment in Chorley with a friend who is also a postgrad so that will be one less body to clutter up the place. I will miss having her around, but she'll only be 40 minutes away. Lorna, my husband didn't like the heat and it was so hot, well into the 40s some days. If you can persuade him to go do try to avoid July and August. The humidity was exceptionally high too which doesn't help matters. Definitely worth going though and June and October are supposed to be ideal for weather. Hope you enjoy Fuerteventura; I have been to Tenerife and Lanzarote but not yet made it to Fuerteventura. Lyn x
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/7/2009 Posts: 262
|
Welcome back Lyn!
So pleased you had a good, relaxing holiday.
Sorry to hear about the flares..think you're right to take control with the meds..I do when needs be. Hope the Enbrel does the trick.
Wish Abby good luck with the Masters. 40 minutes away isn't too bad, you'll probably see lots of her... short enough distance to nip home with the washing every week and raid the fridge and cupboards!!
Diane x
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 259
|
welcome back Lyn, so pleased you had a good holiday.
I love Cyprus!
Jan x
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,081
|
Welcom back Lyn. I'm glad you managed to enjoy the sunshine. Hope you have a good appointment on the 3rd.
Julie xx
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 2,127
Location: Thornton Cleveleys
|
Rose-B wrote: ... What were you doing being up in the early hours of the morning ! ! ! Rose I was posting on the forum!!! Actually, the larger than normal dose of prednisolone is to blame, it gives me far too much energy and I can't sleep! Monty wrote: ... As for starting Enbrel, I thought you only stopped it while taking antibiotics. I had to stop the Enbrel two weeks before my knee op as it apparently interferes with wound healing. I was told not to restart until after I'd seen orthopaedics next week but hey come on ... what are they going to know about anti-tnf drugs and whether or not I should restart?! After 5 weeks I'd had enough of the pain and inflammation so decided I would restart it anyway. No doubt I'll be in bother but heyho  I don't care!! Diane wrote: ... nip home with the washing every week and raid the fridge and cupboards!! I think not!! By the time Abby's emptied my house to furnish her flat there will be nowt left! Good to see you posting, hope things are going well for you Diane Thanks for the welcome Jan and Julie; I'm glad you two are still around, our numbers seem to have diminished somewhat! Eleanor, I shall look forward to your email; hope all is well. Lyn x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
