Update: Week 1 at 12.5 under my by belt. Keeping a detailed log of aches and pains + PT and exercise. In summary: no flaring; ongoing improvement in range of motion and strength. Feel lucky and so damn good (relatively speaking).

Having many, many thoughts that are not so cut and dried. Here is my typical stream of consciousness these days: [Rheumy recommended 2 to 3 weeks at 12.5. I've read other opinions that say go 3 weeks, go a month. I've read studies that say (paraphrasing) if you're stable, a week is enough. So maybe drop 1.25 after another week? 1.25 seems safer than 2.5, even though I'm still above the danger zone. Or is it overcautious? What is the harm in dropping to 10? So many people have said how easy it was to go from 15 to 10. ... Prednisone thoughts: I'm worried about side effects; but I'm not looking forward to the day all this nice energy, like I used to have before PMR, goes away. Don't rush. Enjoy the day. ... I'm glad I had the that one day early on when I forgot to take the prednisone and all the stiffness and aches came back in a rush; that is what I think it will be like when I eventually flare, so I'll know exactly what it is. ... I'm so lucky that 15 mg worked for me; that 12.5 works for me. ... I know one thing, when I flare, I'm not waiting around to see if it goes away, I'm upping my dose. Or am I? ]

I find myself wondering if, as I seem to be a pretty textbook case, it doesn't actually matter how fast or slow I go from 15 down to 10. To wit:

1. When I creep below my lowest effective dose I'm gonna flare.
2. That'll most likely be between 8 and 5 mg.
3. I have no idea if what I do now (in terms of slowness and percentage drop) will have any effect on 1 and 2.

Well, I have another week to think it through.

Thanks, all!