August Already!

It's hard to believe that July has come and gone as has the first week of August. I wish I could say that it's been a great summer but GI issues and pain have put a damper on things.

There have been two occasions in the last couple of weeks when I've had to stop my feed due to nausea. One, I'm reasonably sure, was due to something I ate so it's my own fault. I really don't like to skip feeds 'cause I lose weight so easily and then have to fight like hell to get it back. I'm still about 100 pounds, dressed, so the consequences haven't been too severe. I'm hoping it's just a temporary thing and that I can get back on track which, at present, is still four bags of Vital HN per day.

And then there's the pain. It's been going on for a year now but is progressively worsening despite taking Arthrotec, and Celebrex before that. A week ago I forgot to order my Arthrotec so had to go one night without it and at least I know now that it works because it was a terrible night with extreme pain and virtually no sleep. But it's just not enough. My rheumatologist has been on holidays but will be back on Monday so I will be calling to see if I can get an appointment to adjust my meds. As an indication of how bad the pain is, I have spent about an hour on the guitar, in total, all summer. When I was feeling well, it wasn't unusual for me to spend two hours or more a day, every day. But now after fifteen minutes, when I'm just getting warmed up, I have to stop due to the pain. So, something has to be done 'cause I derived a great deal of pleasure from playing. My other hobby, photography, is also suffering.

Well, enough said. I really don't like to gripe here but I also want to present a realistic picture of what it's like living with scleroderma so I hope you, dear reader, will forgive me this little rant and hopefully my rheumatologist will have some answers for me when I see her.