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Tight Fitting Jeans or Leggings

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Feb 8 1:19pm | Replies (30)

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@trietsch

My general practitioner had no idea what was happening to me initially which is not surprising since so little is known by the medical world about this condition. In desperation I undertook an enormous amount of reading up on literature from the Mayo clinic and other centres of excellence on the subject to help diagnose myself , then telephoned several clinics and hospitals to find a Rheumatologist knowing there was a 7 year waiting list. Luckily I found one who had just moved to this country. Arrogantly and with a touch of humour i suggested to him in my desperation that i may have PMR based on the symptoms i was /am experiencing . Following some tests to exclude conditions such as Arthritis and based on my symptoms he confirmed PMR , vaccine related and advised how best to treat and deal with the condition, then I really understood what i was dealing with. I take every day at a time and I’m thankful for life , a supportive husband and a wonderful lovable Tibetan Terrier . I’m on my 3 rd course of Prednisolone 5 mg daily and will start tapering again in a months time reducing by 1 mg every 4 weeks. As i mentioned in a previous write up I find Chi Gong Chair yoga meditation and walking my dog very helpful. I no longer think of assisted dying and much more positive about life but oh what a shock to suddenly loose control of one’s muscles and not be able to stand walk or take care of oneself . We await any new research on the subject. Cortisone / Prednisolone appears to be the first line of treatment for now with all its side effects but for me quality of life in the here and now is more important than longevity. Don’t expect too many answers from the medical professionals as the condition is not well researched and diagnosis/ treatment is based solely on exclusion of certain conditions and symptoms.

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Replies to "My general practitioner had no idea what was happening to me initially which is not surprising..."

Sadly your experience is similar to my early experiences. I now can see PMR has been with me for decades, but it wasn't until I had a flare up that anyone took it seriously. Eventually I was lucky my doctors office shunted me off to the Physicians Assistant who recognized what I was experiencing. I was referred to a Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with a blood test repeated every 6 weeks. He then saw me every 6 weeks to discuss where we went from there. That was 3 1/2 years ago but I am definitely getting better. The hardest part seems to be getting past the mind set that the patient is just an elderly woman. I am seeing that some of you do not even seem to have had a blood test taken to measure your level of inflammation. Luckily more research is being done on all autoimmune conditions. Most of the research seems to be coming out of Europe. Hopefully good will come from it. My best to you for your future. I can understand the 'Assisted Dying' you mentioned, I have had those days too. My hungry cats helped to divert my thought to a better place. Remember, don't throw the baby out with the bath water, there is a future without PMR. Keep a positive outlook. Not easy but it helps.