SANDY KASSIMIR
I'VE HAD PAIN IN MY UPPER ARMS FOR FOUR MONTHS NOW BUT ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT IT WAS ARTHRITIS AND IGNORED IT. I FINALLY WENT TO SEE AN ORTHOPAEDIC DR.THE TESTS HE TOOK WERE NEGATIVE AND HE SENT ME TO A NEURALOGIST. I HAD AN MRI & 2 BLOOD TESTS WHICH INDICATED THAT MY SED RATE WAS HIGH. HE SAID THAT I HAVE PMR AND SENT ME TO A RHEUMATOLOGIST TO CONFIRM HIS FINDINGS. I HAD ANOTHER MRI AND MORE BLOOD TESTS AND HE PUT ME ON 15MG OF PREDNISONE. AFTER ONE WEEK I WAS STILL CLIMBING THE WALLS WITH PAIN SO HE ADDED 5MG MORE AND THAT WAS YESTERDAY. I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT I WILL HAVE SOME RELIEF. WHEN I HAVE SEVERE THROBBING PAIN IN MY UPPER ARMS, A MASSAGE SEEMS TO HELP AND A VERY HOT SHOWER. IT'S ONLY TEMPORARY BUT IT IS SOOTHING FOR THE MOMENT. I COULD NOT TURN OVER IN BED AND HAD TO GET OUT OF BED WITH MUCH EFFORT AND TURN OVER AND RETURN TO BED. I HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR MORE THAT AN HOUR AT A TIME, IF THAT MUCH, FOR MONTHS NOW. THE PAIN IS SO BAD THAT IT BRINGS ME TO TEARS. I CAN'T PUT MY ARMS BEHIND ME SO I HAVE TROUBLE GETTING DRESSED, REACHING OUT TO THE SIDE, PUTTING MY HANDS IN MY POCKETS OR FASTENING THE CAR SEAT BELT. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN A CAR FOR MONTHS NOW AND I CAN'T DO ANY OF MY HOBBIES AND I AM TOTALLY FRUSTRATED.IT'S SCARRY WHEN I CAN'T LIFT MY ARMS UP AND MY LEGS ARE STIFF. IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS ANY ADVISE FOR ME I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.