Tom's Blog

Hi, My Name Is Marsha, If it's Methotraxate that your talking about,
I Have been on it almost a year, and I Have been Feeling great. I
Have Rhuematoid Arthitis i was originally diagonosed with
SpondolArthitis when i was 20 (Sorry I Know it's spelled Wrong) Then
i got rheumatoid last year when i was 27. I Love it, and like you
i'm around small kids and i live w/ my 88 year old Grandma too, I
have not noticed any major side effects but i'm also taking Folic
Acid every day and Was taking folinic Acid too, I taking 8 pills 1
day a week but my rheumatologist told me to take them at night
before i went to sleep to stop in minor side effects that i may get.
I Have blood drawn every 6 to 8 wks and all of my reports have been
coming up normal lately. I Have not had any major pain up until
about now, I live in michigan and we now have snow so i have been
having a little pain but nothing like i was having. It's pain i can
live with now.
---

Since you are going to want to talk to your rheumy anyway about
stopping Humira while you have this infection, I think it is useful
to remember that your rheumy is also a fully trained and licensed
medical doctor who is perfectly capable of recognizing and treating
ordinary boils and infections, especially given how common these
things are among people with whacky immune systems. If it were me,
I'd see my rheumy first and IF and only IF he feels that I need a
different kind of doctor would I bother finding one. I have had
small infections in my armpit glands from time to time and my
rheumy's view is that it is probably better to let them run their
course than to start and stop Enbrel and MTX every time a minor
infection presents itself. He feels that the trauma to the immune
system from the start/stop/start of the medications if far worse than
having to put up with the annoyance of minor infections. I am
fastidious about keeping the infected area clean and I wipe the area
frequently with alcohol wipes, but I have not stopped the meds. It
sounds like your boil is much worse than the small boils I get
occasionally, so your rheumy may feel very differently than mine has
with my small stuff. Let us know what you decide to do and what your
doctor(s) has to say. Kathy F.]

if you are not on a blood thinner then you might want to try msm cathy from
ma

Hello-
I am a researcher from the University of Oklahoma who is studying on-
line social support for health-related issues. Despite the large
number of groups dealing with health-related topics in recent years,
there is relatively little information about people's perceptions of
the usefulness of these groups.
If you would like to participate in a brief survey about on-line
support groups, the link to the survey is:
http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/W/Kevin.B.Wright-1/supportnet2.htm
All responses are anonymous, and I am willing to provide participants
with information about the study results once it is completed. In
addition, I would be happy to answer any questions to related to what
is currently known about on-line social support.
Thank you,
Kevin

Hi,
My daughter's rheumy instructed me to call him first with any medical issues she
may encounter because she is on Enbrel. Your boil may be a side affect of the
Humira. Call your rheumy and they will advise you as to which doctor you should
see.
I bet they will want to see you.
-Louise

I am totally puzzled about which doctor I should see:
I started taking Humira 11/7. It has been marvelous
and I feel as if I have a life again.
Now, three months later, I have what appears to be an
abscess/cyst/boil type bump in my arm pit.
I had a similar lump years ago, after I had surgery.
Then it was basically an isolated pocket of infection
that was cured by a short course of anitbiotics.
I suspect that this is the same, and I need to do the
antibiotic / suspend humira short term thing...
My problem is: who do I see about this? I have no
'primary care' doctor (long story) I have rheumy,
dermy, and a remarkably talented Nurse practioner that
looks after my diabetes and sends me to other
specialists as needed. Our local 'emergency' clinic
is a total joke, and I won't waste time with them or
expose myself to the flu in them.
I expect that whoever I see will get in touch with the
rheumy about how long to cease the humira, but I don't
want to waste my time and co-pay with a string of 'see
x' no, x can't do it, see y. wait, y needs to
consult with N, G and H...
any input folks?
CMPete
Quilts With Poodle
'.....now times are rough and I've got too much STUFF!!'
J.D. Buffett
I have a blog now!! And there is ACTUALLY stuff on it!
http://cmpetequiltspoodle.blogspot.com/

Hello!
Well I thought I would share with you all my appt with my rheumy last
tuesday (sorry I've been behind) Let me first recap what happened at my last
visit before this one. That visit was 2 years ago, and at the time, she
kept trying to tell me my pain was fibro related and not PA and to deal with
it. I of course had a problem with this and kept arguing with her to do
something, anything. So she sets me up with a pain doc.....(didnt go due to
change in insurance), that was my first issue. The idiot who was doing the
remecaid infusions was a pain my bootie! she was an older RN and would see
me coming and tell me i'm not doing your iv. Uhm look lady, you're all
that's here, yes you are. I am used to being a human pincushion and had no
issues with multiple sticks. I may have tears running down my face, but I
never scream or wince, or even move, I told them keep going until I cant
take it any longer. Well she didnt like that at all.... and I spoke to the
rheumy at that time about her behavior. I have sucky almost non-existant
veins and that stupid nurse didnt help a thing. My third and final issue
was I was working in a doctor's office at the time, and my office manager
happened to be all cozey comfy with the rheumy's office manager and decided
to discuss my health issues, my treatments and my ability to work etc. and
questioned my time off. I was FURIOUS!! With all the hippa laws etc they
have the gall to discuss my health behind my back. I went in there and told
the rheumy what was going on and i wanted it stopped immediately. I knew
for a fact it was going on because only things that were discussed at the
rheumy's, nothing i had shared with my office manager was getting back to
me. So let's just say I was a little, ok alot hissy at the time. I was
done and walked away. I said ya know what, I"ll take raptiva for my skin
and forget the rest...
Ok, BIG mistake..... now two years later, I go back right. OMGDS she was
E-V-I-L to me!!! she walked out of the room and i looked at my hubby and
said "i think i p@ssed her off the last time I was here" and my hubby says
"ya think?????, UHM YES" She was all ready to be nasty and I showed her my
feet and my hands and she stopped short of saying what she was going to say
to me because she could see things have gone way south. She took a chest
xray and did the tb test... she took xrays of my hands, and my knees (not my
feet which i felt was odd cuz they are disfigured) did the baseline
bloodwork, and then also gave me two shots of depo medrol to get me
moving.... I had waddled in there using my walker and was really not doing
well at all. She just gives me this attitude and "well it wont work as well
without methotrexate you do realize that?" (i can't take it due to liver
disease) I'm like uhm, yeah I understand that fully, and dont you think I
should at least try, it may not cure what ails me now, but stop it from
becoming any more deteriorated than I already am!!!! So its been a week
now, and I'm still waiting to hear if the ins approved the remecaid. They
said it could take 2-3 weeks because everyone is going thru re-certs right
now and new apps as well so they are backlogged. Whatever, just let me
know. I am praying, and please those of you that believe in a higher power,
pray that my veins can handle the iv's this time around. I am drinking alot
more water these days, so maybe, just maybe.... they got me on the first
stick for my bloodwork this last time around which is amazing.... so maybe
this time it wont be as hard. They also have a gem on wed's giving the
iv's... she's like a big wig at a labour and delivery at a major hospital
here in our area, suffice it to say, she is good!!!!
SOOOOO.... with that said, I'm still on pain pills, tons of advil, no more
anti-depressants, and awaiting my remecaid approval..... THought I'd share
=))))
--
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Phil 4:13

I had nail problems for years, purple nails, purple streaked nails,
dented, pitted, grooved, striated, split deformed nails, nails with
active bleeds under the nails, swollen nails, ones that look and
FEEL like they were hit by a hammer. Weird nail pains at random
times, even when they look OK.
The best treatments for me were systemic,,, steroids, enbrel,
sunlight, methotrexate, all work some on my nails,,but locally I
would scrape away the dead debris, (if you draw blood that is too
much), keep affected nails very short, and used betamethasone
ointment (shoved in with toothpick) or lotion immediately after
trim/debridement(the clear liquid).
Basically I treated the under nail lesions like skin lesions, and
used skin meds to reduce inflammation. WARNING Tar ointment is good
for skin and scalp lesions, but turns nails brown and reeealy ugly.
I used the clear nail strengthening varnish/glue to keep nail
fragments intact and waterproof. I'm a guy and often wear gloves at
work.
Right now my fingernails are nearly normal, my toes not too bad.
I haven't talked on forum for about a year. Dec 9 2005 I fell due to
sore, unreliable knee, had concussion, memory loss, and it took a
few weeks before I could understand writing or spoken english. Still
not 100% back, total recovery unlikely now, but headaches mostly
gone.., and I can usually function after a half hours warmup, and
work full days with naps before work and at midday. Steroids to help
brain swelling really helped psoriasis, the BRAIN FOG from
methotrexate hard to distinguish from blunt trauma. Paycheck stubs
say I worked alot of hours, don't remember most of the year.
Had bad cold in Dec 2006 which turned into autoimmune asthma,
illness was infection hitting weak immune system followed by
autoimmune revenge/rebound when usual meds stopped, then restarted,
still recovering with help on a few hundred mgs of steroids again.
(to help breathing) Sick enough so now the doctors call me, WEIRD to
get unsolicited Doctor calls during your favorite show. yes doctors
plural, dermatologists, pneumonologists, rheumatologists, even some
radiologist who wants followup,, more tests....guess this means I
won't be singing on American Idol.
I have noticed that brain damage makes TV more enjoyable, even if
you can't follow the plot.
My wife recovering from hip replacement and multiple fractures after
trying to teach my daughter to drive. Insurance replaced car in
weeks, wife rehab taking about a year.
We all take a licking and keep on ticking!! And my nails are OK.
pete from Baltimore

In a message dated 1/24/2007 7:12:47 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
deannaacarrigan@... writes:
I have good disability ins thru my work
that I think would carry me thru until the SSD kicked in. I have
worked full time for 30 years and am 49 years old. Any insight anyone
has on this would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Deanna...I went on long term disability a few years after I got diagnosed
and before I figured out all of the medications. If your rheumy won't help
you, do you have another doctor that can? My rheumy who did the initial
disability paperwork retired, so my primary care doctor picked it up for me as
the new rheumy was not overly sympathetic. The disability was the best thing I
did to take care of myself...I had the doctor write it so that I could still
work part time but the extra rest really, really helped get myself better.
If you can't get your current rheumy to help, find a new one...it's worth
it:-)
Rachel

Dear Jack,
You have such perfect timing! I saw one of your newsletters and was
wondering how to look up the past issues. Thank you! And, thank you
so much for taking the time to gather all of this information and
sharing it with us all! I saw so many articles listed in the index
that I can't wait to start reading.
With Gratitude,
Brande
[Editor's Note: Thank you, Brande, for saying what so many of us feel. Jack's
research is a gift to all of us and we appreciate the many hours he puts in each
month to bring us the lastest news. I had the privilege of speaking with Jack
on the phone this week - it was like chatting with an old and valued friend. He
deserves our gratitude and deep appreciation for all he does for us. Kathy F.]