Out of the Blue

I saw my rheumatologist on Tuesday. She had the results of my most recent blood tests, which were two months old. The shortage of specialists means I only get to see her once every eight to twelve weeks, so the blood tests are always old by the time we review them. In this case, it was only a comparative review. She compared my numbers from July to the first tests I had done in early September of 2013, the tests I had run in January of this year, and the second set of tests I had done in April. There was good news and bad news. The good news is that there are no signs of lupus, which is what my current rheumatologist worried about. The bad news is that with the exception of a slight blip in April, my inflammatory markers and rheumatic factor have not changed since last year. This is despite nine months of treatment with Plaquenil and anti-inflammatories like Mobic and Relafen. I haven't gotten worse, but I haven't gotten better, either. The next step in treatment is Methotr...

I am on vacation this week, and I guess it's perfect timing. I had a cortisone shot in my right knee on Friday of last week, and the prescription included rest, ice, compression, and elevation. At my last rheumatology appointment, I had an x-ray to diagnose the source of the pain and swelling. Back in May, I was walking and both heard and felt a pop on the inside of my knee. The x-ray couldn't pinpoint soft-tissue damage, of course, but did show considerable degeneration in the joint. So my doctor prescribed a cortisone injection and RICE. I've been doing that since Friday and have seen good improvement. There is still some pain, but nothing like the constant throbbing I felt before. I can walk without my cane. The knee pops occasionally but it isn't bad. It helps that I don't have much of anywhere to be. I'd have preferred a more active vacation, with some hiking, biking, and maybe kayaking. I'm still planning on the kayaking, but the other two will have ...