A Month Long Cold and Sore Feet

I finally feel like I'm over my cold. Even though all my blood work looked good, I was still running a low fever and pretty congested last week so Dr. A put me on 10 days of Augmentin (even though I don't think I was showing any signs of a bacterial infection). I think he was just buying time. Anyway, he said if I still felt sick after I was done with the antibiotics he wanted to do a CT scan of my sinuses. Luckily, I really am feeling better so no CT scan for now. I haven't taken my Methotrexate in 4 weeks.

Around the time my cold started, I noticed that my feet were hurting again. Dr. A said that sometimes a cold can cause aches like that (I disagree) so he wasn't too worried about it. The last time I saw him, he examined them and thinks I might have a stress fracture. My second metatarsal was really tender and Prednisone can make you susceptible to stress fractures, so I guess it is a possibility, but I don't really think so. It's not like I'm in excruciating pain. My right foot especially hurts mostly at the start of the day and then at the end of the day when I take off my shoes and walk barefoot. It doesn't hurt so much that I can't stand on it though. Anyway, he wants me to get an x-ray next week (even though I read that x-rays don't usually reveal stress fractures anyway). But I don't really have a better idea of what might be wrong, except maybe I need new shoes. :)

Ups and Downs

Everyone recovered from their colds. I saw Dr. A again a couple of weeks ago and he dropped my prednisone down to 5mg. I didn't really have any side effects from that. He also raised my methotrexate to 17.5, which has made me feel a little worse. It gives me headaches and some more nausea. Dr. L told me to double my folic acid the day I take my methotrexate and the day after. I don't really think that has helped much though.

All in all, I think I am doing really well. Dr. A said I could get out more and didn't have to be so restricted with being in public like I was on the Cytoxan. So a few days ago I decided to take Amelia into the grocery store to pick up some formula. Of course, she spent the entire time running her mouth all over the handle of the cart. I couldn't stop her. I was just thinking, "Well, this is going to make her sick again. We're all going to end up with the flu!" Of course her nose started running yesterday and she is cranky. I am hoping it's just cause she is getting a new tooth (her 6th one!)

Goodbye Cytoxan

I should have thought about my pills a little longer before I took them this morning. It may have been the last time I ever take Cytoxan again.

I saw Dr. Awadh today and am happy to report that he is switching me from the Cytoxan to Methotrexate. My latest lung CT scan showed that both of my lesions had shrunk and I haven't had joint pain or other WG symptoms for months. I knew I was a lot better during this lung CT Scan. The last one was sooo hard for me. I kept coughing during it and could hardly hold my breath for the required 15 second intervals. This time it was a piece of cake.

I am very happy to be getting off the Cytoxan. I think I've been getting pretty fatigued and nauseated from it. I have just been feeling pretty icky the past week, although maybe that is from the augmentin. Luckily I am done with that now too. I am picking up the Methotrexate from Walgreen's tomorrow and will start taking a once weekly dose on Friday.

Ross started up his contracting position and all seems to be going well with his job. It is pretty nice to have things getting back to normal. The only real problem recently has been that either my mom or Jeff has been sick since I moved home. I haven't really been able to see my mom for a long time. She sends me emails all the time about how much she misses seeing Amelia and me.