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!)

A Dreaded Cold

Well, despite my best efforts, I have caught a cold. Amelia has it too. I dropped my prednisone last Wednesday and started feeling bad on Thursday. I had a sore throat and a lot of congestion. I started coughing again. I never ran a fever so I thought I was having a Wegner's flair, but then Amelia's nose started running too and my stepmom (who I had been around the previous weekend) called and said she was sick also. On Monday, I called Dr. Awadh and he told me to increase my prednisone again and to stop the Methotrexate for the time being. He also preventively put me on a z-pack of antibiotics since I am such a high risk of an opportunistic secondary bacterial infection. I am still sick, but feeling a little better. Poor Amelia was up most of last night though. She is cutting a new tooth too. :(

Methotrexate Increase and a Prednisone Drop

I feel awful today. I am coughing some and congested. I have a headache and am exhausted. I dropped my Prednisone from 7.5mg to 6.0mg yesterday and I think it's effecting me alot. Ugh.

I've been on the Methotrexate 2 months and Dr Awadh has increased my dose to 6 pills a week. It makes me feel pretty nauseated at the start of the week (I take it on Sunday night). I also think it makes me moody, but I don't know if that is supposed to be a side effect.. maybe I'm just moody because I feel bad.

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.

Nails Again

I'm down to 10mg of Prednisone. Every week the drop makes me feel a little bad (headache, nausea) for a couple of days, but then I recover.

Although, I have actually been doing a pretty good job not biting my nails, one of them got infected again. My pinky nail broke off and I really don't even remember biting at it, but I must have. In any case, Dr. Awadh had given me refills on my Augmentin prescription and so I got it refilled. I've been taking it for over a week and it makes me feel pretty bad. I've been sick to my stomach and have lost my appetite some. Losing my appetite is a good thing I guess, since I've gained so much weight on the prednisone.

At least Miss Amelia has been sleeping though the night again. :)

Ick

Having some problems with the prednisone taper maybe. I dropped down to 15mg yesterday and have had a headache and been nauseated and fatigued all day. .. oh and cranky. Hope I feel better tomorrow. :(

Home Sweet Home

Well I finally moved back home today. We had been talking about moving me home really soon because my mom's back is better and my health has been really good. We had planned on getting the house cleaned up a bit first (Ross living like a bacholor had left in an unfit state for my standards). However, my mom started getting a cold so I thought it was prudent to get out of her house immediately. I spent all day packing up and driving home. I am exhausted, but thrilled to be back in my own house. It is going to take me while to get unpacked, and cleaned and organized, but at least I'm own my way to living my own life again.

My visit on Monday with Dr. Awadh went really well. He said that he thinks he will take me off of the Cytoxan next month (and probably switch me to Metholtrexate). My labs all look really good. There is no sign of inflammation despite the fact that I am now down to 17.5mg of Prednisone. I still have a runny nose and some congestion, but he said that he thinks the systemic Wegener's is under control.

I am now going to go lay my head down in my own sweet bed on my own sweet pillow (at least until Amelia wakes up and needs a bottle) and drift into blissful sleep. :)