I've 'fallen' terribly ill over the past few days... So I've decided to throw out a play-by-play commentary as to how/why this particular situation occurred.
1. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with RA have antibodies in their blood, which target their own body tissue. (ouch)
2. One of the strongest medications used for RA treatment is Methotrexate - This I'm on. Methotrexate is a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) that is often prescribed when painkillers can't do the job alone. Methotrexate is an antimetabolite. It interferes with the way cells utilize essential nutrients. As a result, Methotrexate inhibits the activity of the immune system, consequently reducing inflammation.
3. Chicken pox is a common disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. I've gotten me this 2 weeks ago.
I've placed it in Chronological order for simplicity...but this explanation I wasn't myself privy to until recently. Anyways... so here's the story.
So I got myself some muscle/tissue/tendon damage in my left hip, which led to a series of, sporadic Spasmodic attacks. That was a little over a month ago. The actual rheumatic inflammation was relatively low... but whatever that was, sent me down and out for a few weeks... with the most pain ever. I initially started a steroid course, which proved futile as it was not an inflammation flare (steroids focus on pain due to inflammation) but rather tissue damage. As the days went by, after being introduced to the right pain killers, which make life bareable, my hip, did it's own healing...
3 weeks later. I discover I have chicken pox. Much to the surprise of everyone, I seemed not to have gotten it bad @ all...even more so for someone with a suppressed immune system like my own. I was then informed that this was so because, of the steroid course I was on. The steroid is what prevented me from breaking out badly in the first place, cuz it was fighting the 'inflammation', not of my joints, but of the Pox itself.
I started taking a 5-day high dosage course of Acyclovir as soon as I was diagnosed. Acyclovir is an antiviral drug, which pretty much takes up the fight against chicken pox.
As the week progressed... all went well with respect to the Chicken Pox. My 1st breakout was as mild as ever and healing itself... making me forget I even have it in the 1st place. My RA on the other hand was slowly getting iffy.
Then the 5 days were over...no more Acyclovir. This coincided with me reaching the lowest dosage of steroid intake as I continue to wean myself off of it - and that is half a pill a day (compared to he 9 a day I started with) This ALSO coincided with the fact that It was a weekend, and on weekends I must take my Methotrexate dosage.
What does this mean? - - - - - - My immune system now had to pick up the fight all on it's own, to get rid of whatever's left of the Varicella virus from my system...while @ the same time, it was being suppressed by the Methotrexate I've been taking these past few years. Can you picture this??? The pox is enticing it to come out and fight, while the Methotrexate is trying to put it to sleep.
I started feeling the exact same symptoms I had before the Chicken Pox break out. Really TERRIBLE Headaches, nausea, irritability, lost of appetite, fever etc. It's like a re-lapse. Except now I'm very aware of it.
And my RA started flaring up too...not jus a general flare up - but that previously damaged left hip, started its spasmodic attacks, which re-tore the muscle tissue and brought back that exposed nerve into play again - which in a nutshell means - PAIN!
It's a double edge knife my ppl.
If my immune system puts up a good fight and gets rid of the Chicken Pox - I'll suffer a very very painful flare-up - with Lord alone knows what implications.
If my immune system succumbs to the Varicella virus, my flare-up will subside (eventually) but I will remain with Chicken pox for a long long time again with Lord alone knows what implications
So I got to sit this one out...or lie it out on bed. Today I woke up with such an overwhelming overall feeling of physical un-wellness... form excruciating pain and fever to nausea an headaches... that I was left with little choice but to take some painkillers and hit the bed again. I re-awoke @ 5pm. Rested and medicated, I can now type. And walk around a bit. The only thing I can do is (against my will) pump up on painkillers to make life bearable once again, as my body fights its fight and hope that my immune system turns out the winner sooner than later. Cuz seeing the doctor and going for my scheduled x-ray appointments for this hip etc, is gonna be kind hard if I'm still deemed contagious.
Between my hip damage and the Chicken Pox, I've collectively missed 5 weeks of classes for this semester. Aren't we glad it's semester break?
Everything seems so simple when made into a story.
1. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with RA have antibodies in their blood, which target their own body tissue. (ouch)
2. One of the strongest medications used for RA treatment is Methotrexate - This I'm on. Methotrexate is a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) that is often prescribed when painkillers can't do the job alone. Methotrexate is an antimetabolite. It interferes with the way cells utilize essential nutrients. As a result, Methotrexate inhibits the activity of the immune system, consequently reducing inflammation.
3. Chicken pox is a common disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. I've gotten me this 2 weeks ago.
I've placed it in Chronological order for simplicity...but this explanation I wasn't myself privy to until recently. Anyways... so here's the story.
So I got myself some muscle/tissue/tendon damage in my left hip, which led to a series of, sporadic Spasmodic attacks. That was a little over a month ago. The actual rheumatic inflammation was relatively low... but whatever that was, sent me down and out for a few weeks... with the most pain ever. I initially started a steroid course, which proved futile as it was not an inflammation flare (steroids focus on pain due to inflammation) but rather tissue damage. As the days went by, after being introduced to the right pain killers, which make life bareable, my hip, did it's own healing...
3 weeks later. I discover I have chicken pox. Much to the surprise of everyone, I seemed not to have gotten it bad @ all...even more so for someone with a suppressed immune system like my own. I was then informed that this was so because, of the steroid course I was on. The steroid is what prevented me from breaking out badly in the first place, cuz it was fighting the 'inflammation', not of my joints, but of the Pox itself.
I started taking a 5-day high dosage course of Acyclovir as soon as I was diagnosed. Acyclovir is an antiviral drug, which pretty much takes up the fight against chicken pox.
As the week progressed... all went well with respect to the Chicken Pox. My 1st breakout was as mild as ever and healing itself... making me forget I even have it in the 1st place. My RA on the other hand was slowly getting iffy.
Then the 5 days were over...no more Acyclovir. This coincided with me reaching the lowest dosage of steroid intake as I continue to wean myself off of it - and that is half a pill a day (compared to he 9 a day I started with) This ALSO coincided with the fact that It was a weekend, and on weekends I must take my Methotrexate dosage.
What does this mean? - - - - - - My immune system now had to pick up the fight all on it's own, to get rid of whatever's left of the Varicella virus from my system...while @ the same time, it was being suppressed by the Methotrexate I've been taking these past few years. Can you picture this??? The pox is enticing it to come out and fight, while the Methotrexate is trying to put it to sleep.
I started feeling the exact same symptoms I had before the Chicken Pox break out. Really TERRIBLE Headaches, nausea, irritability, lost of appetite, fever etc. It's like a re-lapse. Except now I'm very aware of it.
And my RA started flaring up too...not jus a general flare up - but that previously damaged left hip, started its spasmodic attacks, which re-tore the muscle tissue and brought back that exposed nerve into play again - which in a nutshell means - PAIN!
It's a double edge knife my ppl.
If my immune system puts up a good fight and gets rid of the Chicken Pox - I'll suffer a very very painful flare-up - with Lord alone knows what implications.
If my immune system succumbs to the Varicella virus, my flare-up will subside (eventually) but I will remain with Chicken pox for a long long time again with Lord alone knows what implications
So I got to sit this one out...or lie it out on bed. Today I woke up with such an overwhelming overall feeling of physical un-wellness... form excruciating pain and fever to nausea an headaches... that I was left with little choice but to take some painkillers and hit the bed again. I re-awoke @ 5pm. Rested and medicated, I can now type. And walk around a bit. The only thing I can do is (against my will) pump up on painkillers to make life bearable once again, as my body fights its fight and hope that my immune system turns out the winner sooner than later. Cuz seeing the doctor and going for my scheduled x-ray appointments for this hip etc, is gonna be kind hard if I'm still deemed contagious.
Between my hip damage and the Chicken Pox, I've collectively missed 5 weeks of classes for this semester. Aren't we glad it's semester break?
Everything seems so simple when made into a story.
15 comments:
I am WELL aware... but it iz after all my blog. So I care.
This is all information to me.. OMG that sounds very difficult, but I am sure you will do everything that you must tomake the best of the you situation. Stay strong, I like your attitude .. I won't get all sappy on you if you don't either.
omg chic! i kno you not around on camp but you dint have to so modest everytime I arks you how you doing? I glad you finally decide to give us this information. I will pray for you. and its a good thing you blogged it cause that wouldav really been plenty to explain over msn :-p We care luv! Hang in there
- AM
I don't know why bad things happen to good people, and sadly, that is the way life is. I can only imagine what you are going through every day. Life is difficult but some like to rub salt in the wounds. When someone doesn't, or cannot care for others, or intentionally hurt others, it means they have a depreciated humanity. It is what is what is known as sub-animal mentality. I don't think there is any know cure for that predicament.
I saw Million Dollar Baby last night and the movie is amazing. There was one line in it which stood out, and I feel it is appropriate to you. It applies not only to boxing, but to life; it goes like this:
"If there's magic in boxing is the magic of fighting battles beyond endurance, beyond cracked ribs, ruptured kidneys and detached retinas. It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you."
Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, Tanz. I really hope things get better soon, as I know you also do. It seems so inconvenient that as highly developed we humans are, something as simple as the body can floor us completely and yet it can and does. But Tanz, one of the things I admire is that you keep on going. Don't ever lose your determination.
i love my tantay!!
continue to fight the fight tan. that you can be well enough to post up all this stuff is testament to your victories thus far
GO STRONG!!!!!!!!!
Oye...see I told you that I would visit sooner or later.
Go strong man.
My heart goes out to you T and, in a case like the one you are facing now or have been facing for all these years, it hurts and disturbs me to know that there is someone like you who has to endure such pain. For you and those like you I pray all the time that you no longer cry in defeat, but rise to fight another day stronger physically and mentally.
Hmmm... my theory has been validated.
Hi. Maybe you should join a RA support group. There are good ones on the net (based in the UK). I presume you know that infliximab and leflunomide can be used for RA now. I suppose it's too late(!) but there is a vaccine for chicken pox. On another note, it's amusing to see an engineering student expounding 'psychology'.
"it's amusing to see an engineering student expounding 'psychology'."
urf?
Oh, pardon me - I was referring to aka_lol's comments. What's 'urf"? I notice your blogs are generating a small number of, uh, impolite comments. This is to be expected, you know; it's an open forum and this, after all, is the internet! Try not to take the comments so personally! If you do, you may find the 'blog experience' more damaging than helpful. Regards.
Oh okie Palantiri7. I guess u know aka :)Thanks for the advice. "impolite comments...Try not to take the comments so personally!" - The thing is, I KNOW the person making those comments, so sadly it is personal. This person KNOWS It's unnecessay, uncouth and inappropriate. But don't worry... noone can kill my desire and love for this...other than myself :)
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