balancing healing therapies, food and drugs during this journey

I'm calling this a journey after 10 months. It started intensely one morning... low back and across hips, and right should so tender I couldn't touch it. The inflammatory response was immediate and I could barely move. My doc ran blood tests and the inflammatory markets were WAY up. He said to try prednisone 10m for a week. Ahh, relief. And the minute I stopped it was back. Ibuprofen helped, so I began takin as little as I could daily, which helped enormously. But the pain started spreading from the top down. First both shoulders & neck, then hips, then knees.
I'm a holistic healer, so I started trying everything I knew about foods and lifestyle. Taking electrolytes actually helped. I switched to pure coconut water and continue daily, it's inexpensive and has lots of magnesium and potassium naturally. I began an anti-inflammatory diet and cut out coffee because I was afraid of the ibuprofen bothering my stomach. Fresh foods, as little processed as possible.

But the pain continued. Some days terrible and I could barely move. Sometimes at night I'd get up and take a hot shower and it worked. Other time, cold water on my joints worked better. Some days were pretty good and I'd get hopeful. But a lot of fatigue from interrupted sleep. I'm 71 so I was grateful that I didn't have a job to get to and could nap if I needed.
I also found morning qi gong exercises (on you tube) quite helpful to get me moving. I alternate some yoga, fascia stretching and only played an hour of pickleball when I felt able. Walked daily. I'm also a Reiki master/practitioner and when I would do a treatment on myself in the middle of the night when I hurt. Many times the Reiki energy would relieve my pain and I'd sleep.

It had been almost 2 months, I did tons of reading (as I'm sure everyone does) and I asked my doc to test for Lyme, Lupus, Rheumatoid, and a few others. (he had no suggestions at this point other than an inflammatory response can last quite awhile but usually goes away!). All my blood tests were negative and the inflammatory markers a bit lower, but my thyroid off. Thyroid meds adjusted. (I do a compounded thyroid, as the pharmaceutical versions mess up my stomach because of the binders they use!). He then suggested Meloxicam, which I started.
The meloxicam kicked in and although I wasn't pain free, it was much better and tolerable. Then I realized I was getting numbing and tingling in my hands and feet. It freaked me out, so I stopped Meloxicam and went back to Ibuprofen.

Then the pain moved into my muscles, mostly my hips and thighs!

We had recently moved from the high desert of New Mexico to Central Illinois. Maybe a reaction from the environment? Again I asked my doc for more tests.... regional allergens among others. All Negative.
So he suggested x-rays for osteoarthritis ... my shoulders and knees looks super healthy. That wasn't it either. At this point, even without a diagnosis of arthritis, he finally referred me to a Rheumatologist. But I couldn't get in for 2 months. So I worked with a nutritionist/kineseologist. He looked at the whole picture and found a lot of other things. Progesterone cream has stopped night time hot flashes. He upped my Vit D/K2, added Fish oils, and a balanced Vit B. Natural sleep aids. And a parasite cleanse (natural herbs) as parasites can end up in the muscles, not just the gut. I eat as little sugar as possible. I started feeling better but was still taking Ibuprofen when the inflammation started to build.
My fatigue was much better, pain levels lower but some days would flare. I decided to keep the rheumatologist appt.

FINALLY, after 10 months it only took this new Dr. 20 minutes of questions and looking at labs to diagnose me with PRM. He explained all the possible side effect, which terrify me. But I went on the 10mg prednisone he suggested. It took about a week, to be almost pain free. I realized my energy is back, my mood is definitely lifted. I'm glad I was already started on the vitamins that will help support my bones. And he knows I want to taper as soon as I can. It's been a month now.

I'm also dedicated to daily meditation, reiki treatments, getting more massages, clean eating, journaling and practicing gratitude. I've worked with clients for many years and know that our body holds patterns of pain and need trauma release. At 71, I thought I'd done a lot of this work, but I'm still digging emotionally having faith that my body will release and heal. As a holistic practitioner I realized I took this as a "failure". I now realize it's another life lesson ... about me, about the medical profession, and about our environment. I came from clean air of Santa Fe, where healthy food and open markets are a way of living, well water and sunshine are abundant. Where I live now I'm surrounded by cornfields where pesticides are sprayed regularly, There are no fresh food markets ... only chain grocery stores. I have found one farmer who doesn't spray and sells from a stand.

PRM seems to be unknown to many people, even doctors! It usually hits older people, over 65. I just wonder that as we get older if our bodies just can't fight the toxicity that now surrounds us... our environment, our food, our fabrics. I'd be interested to see if there's PRM in other countries where it's cleaner. And shame on those people who say joint pain & fatigue is just aging.

I truly believe I'll eventually get off the drugs and hope that with all the other things I'm doing I'll avoid the side effects of prednisone.