Symptom Log | 02/20/10

Today was a good day!    Definitely having to pace myself because when days like these come I want to over do it BIG time.  And then I pay for it.   My knees were  hurting quite a bit today, but other then that it was a happy day!

Meds: P & F

Symptom Log | 02/17 – 02/19/10

Struggled with a very depressed mood.  Tired and SO irritable.  Poor family, eek.  I feel like either the Lupus or the meds majorly increases PMS.

Haven’t been taking the Zanaflex, which I probably should because I have been having trouble sleeping.  The Plaquenil causes bad nightmares and I find myself staying up to 3am.   No bueno!

Symptom Log | 02/14 – 02/16/10

Dizzyness and fatigue are persisting.  2/16 I also began to notice that my vision felt blurry and heavy like I had to strain to focus my eyes.
Meds:

P & Q

Symptom Log | 02/09 – 02/13/10

Glad to report I’m still feeling pretty good.

2/9 and 2/10 were pretty pain free days

2/11: knee and ankle aching

2/12: dizzyness and fatigue

2/13: fatigue

Symptom Log | 02/08/10

Today was a good day!

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Medication:

F&P

Zanaflex at night

Symptom Log | 02/06-02/07/10

Well, good news, the nausea has left me alone for two days.  Hooooooray!  Bad news, it’s been replaced with horrible dizziness and a pounding headache that doesn’t seem to respond to Tylenol.

It doesn’t help either that my vision is feeling a bit blurry and I can’t find my glasses.  Hrmph.

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Headache, knees still aching.  Today, 02/07,  Left-side flank pain that comes and goes, feels like a bruise being pushed on.

Medication:

Plaquenil, Folguard

Zanaflex both nights.

Blah.

I am feeling so down.  I found a picture from 3 years ago and man did that make me want to cry.  I looked so happy and glowy.  I remember we traveled with R to Texas to visit family and I was pregnant with L.  I just felt good!

I am finding that coping with a chronic illness is way more mental/emotional then it is physical.   I keep wishing back to several years ago or even 6 months ago when I didn’t know I had Lupus.  Would it make any difference?

I remember still having symptoms and sometimes that was worse not knowing what was wrong.   Having a diagnosis is just, I don’t know, a kick of reality.  Like, hey you have this and it isn’t going away!  You can’t ignore it!  You must take the meds!  I want to scream and then I want to be thankful.  I am alive.  I have a wonderful family who supports me.  I live in the best possible state for having Lupus, the resources are exceptional as are the doctors.   My illness is chronic not terminal.  But still, such an emotional roller coaster.

It probably doesn’t help that I’ve spent a lot of time reading up on the internet.  Darn internet.   I started this blog because when I was first diagnosed all I could find were sad posts and negativity.  I wanted a place that a newly diagnosed person could find and there would be positivity amongst the  struggle.    Ha! Not doing so great in that department.

But, I’m being real and that’s all I want at the end of the day.  Truthfully, that is the hardest part.  It’s hard for me to let others in and see that I’m struggling.  I’m confident there will be sunshine soon, I just have to hurry and make it through the dark valley I’m in.

Adjust, accept, cope.  Hoping today is a better day.

Symptom Log | 02/03-02/05/10

ugh.  Totally not feeling good.  I have been on the meds for 5 1/2 days and the side effects are sucking.   I seriously hope they improve over the next 6 weeks or I don’t really see the point.  Would much rather deal with aching joints then feeling like I need to throw-up all day.  This is worse then being pregnant!

02/03 Wake up fine, eat breakfast, take meds at 10am.  By 11 am I have horrible nausea and stomach pain all.day.long.   Can’t stand to eat anything.  Around 7pm the dose seems to wear off and I’m suddenly ravenous.  Eat dinner but am full very quickly.  Take meds again at 10pm.

02/04-02/05  Now waking up with a headache which persists.  Stomach issues were worse on the 5th but otherwise the same = not good.   Also feeling dizzy/disoriented.  I’m not comfortable driving very far.   Started having ringing in my ears on the 4th and am just plain tired most of the time.  Knees were very achy but the weather has also been very cold/rainy so that is probably the issue.

———

Meds:

Plaquenil and Folguard

Zanaflex on the 4th

Symptom Log | Tues. 02/02/10

Had trouble falling asleep last night so I am definitely exhausted this morning.  Woke up very stiff in shoulders/neck and with a headache.   Knees are achy this morning.

This evening my ankle has been hurting but other then that feeling good.  Knees stopped hurting before lunch and haven’t bothered me all day. woohoo!

Medication:

P & F

Symptom Log | Mon. 02/01/10

Today is the day for new meds!  I am a bit nervous but also hoping so much that these bring relief in the long run.   Was told it would take approx. 2 months before I noticed any improvements as this medicine needs to ‘build’ in the system.

*Need to contact my eye doctor to make him aware that I am now on Plaquenil.

Achy knees continuing this morning.  Achy even when at rest.

Fatigued this a.m. but didn’t sleep well last night, so probably the culprit. I did not take a Zanaflex last night.

Knees continued to get worse and by evening it was hard to stand for more then a few minutes.  When resting they throbbed.  Slept with legs elevated.

Medication:

P & F