SS

I got a letter today from SS, and I guess they need another exam. Fun fun.

It'll be in Pelican Rapids, MN; September 13th at 11am.

Today. =)

So I woke up at 3pm and went upstairs to check the mail, again.
Nothing was there, except for a letter thingy for Ashton. I then call SS and found out that the doctor who did my exam, the letter he sent to SS had no come in yet. So they are waiting for that.
So I won't be finding out this week at all.
Anyways...I noticed this morning that my chest was sorta hurting, and that I was actually coughing. My jaw seems to hurt alot more today, but maybe that'll get better.

As far as tonight is going, it seems great. ^_^ Watched a movie that was interesting.

Woke up late...so shall sleep later...

So I wake up at 4:21pm, un-knowing what time it is and get up and then check the mail. I'm going downstairs and I feel dizzy for some odd reason, and I turn on my computer and do some thing. Now it's aready 9:22pm, and I feel like I just woke up. I'm not tired. I wanna do some many thing...but in so little time.

I admit I didn't get to bed until about 5am this morning...probably less...but I haven't been tired.

Mornin' and Nighty

I awake with my love beside me, arms wrapped around me with little kisses on my cheek. I was wonderful until I actually got out of bed. " You can turn on the main light, and I'll turn on the bathrrom light. ^_^ Okay?" - Ashton.

Once I got up my wrists start to hurt alot, same with my back and neck. I then went upstairs and checked the mail hopping I would have an approval letter awaitting my eyes. But yet, nothing...Not even a piece of paper sits there on the table. So I head back downstairs to turn on my computer and monitor. I had the internet all day today. I was looking for music & just looking around.

6pm comes, and we are getting ready to go. I am putting more music on my computer, music that EDG gave me. =) By 6:40 we are fianlly done, and leaving. My tummy starts to hurt, I'm blinded by the sun and we get to his house(EDG's) and drops him off. He lets me borrow a book by Anne McCaffery and it's not the book I thought it was.

On the way home I start to feel sleepy in the car, very sleepy. I almost fall asleep but the wind keeps jerking us. We stop off at Pamida and go more Pop and car oil. Then we go to Subway and got some food. and it was yummy!

We then went home and eat our food, but before I ate I cleaned up a little bit. Because our friend was a little messy and so it looks a little bit better. ^_^

Now here I am, it's 1:30am, and I just put Ashton's work clothes in the dryer so they can dry for tomorrow. Fun fun! Soon we will be going to bed, and I hope soon. I am tired, my arm feels dislocated, my wrists hurt, my back hurts, I have a headache, and I need sleep if I am going to try and clean up in the morning. Oh how I wish Ashton didn't have to work. I'm gonna miss him so much.

Late Night

So 3pm we left to get our friend Taylor because he saying over here for a couple days. Was at Pamida and I got some baby food, chips and Ramen Noodles(chicken flavor). I was going to get Beaf flavored Ramen also, but they were out. O_o
When we got back(about 4 or 5pm) I watched some tv, and then feel asleep on the floor. I was so tired and sleepy. Didn't get up till about 7. I had the weirdest dream too. It was about the birdies.

Then at 8pm we went back into torn to eat at the GinHu Chinese Restuarunt. After we ate there we went to Dean's for some things. We got more chips, white bread, icecream and icecream toppings. ^_^ So when we got home, can you guess what we had? I bowl of icecream. yummy. Better than DQ....besides that I couldn't have a chocolate dipped chocolate ice cream cone. =( That was the only thing I wanted. But who cares. =)

This morning aside from taking my normal daily med, I also took some Prednisone, so I've had a little bit more engery and my back hurts, but not as much as it would have if I didn't.

Lately, the last our I've been downloading music. Heeheehee. I know, evil.

Waken by Phone

I awake this morning by a phone ringing...no idea who it was, but I knew I didn't want to get up and answer it. My mouth dry, my back aches and I feel like an old lady.
Last night I was getting ready to go to bed, not tired for once and my back hurt so much I was about to cry in bed. Ashton tried to pop my back..it helped a little. It seems to be doing better than last night, however it still hurts.

My Hands and wrists hurt so much this morning I could barely move. Good thing I didn't have to get up.

Symptons I have

Since I've been dx. with Sjogren's, this is a list of symptons I have. Starting with the feet, and going up.

• Vasculitis - If I do too much activity, or even travel I get flat hives. They are a redish purple, very painful...with a burning feeling. When I take COLD showers, I will cry because my legs are burning from this Vasculitis. I have no dx. of this yet, nor am I sure what kind it is because that it is Small Vessel Vasculitis. This takes usually a day to disappear, but on rare days...it will take days to disappear. During that time if I move it gets worse. Even if I'm getting up to to the bathroom. When it's bad enough I cannot move, or it'll hurt way too much to even move. At this time there would be millions of these "hives" on my legs. My ankles swell up badly also. Before I get the hives I usually get leg cramps and a sort of burning.

• Knees - After too much standing or walking, my knees start to hurt alot. It usually takes about 20 minutes for them to start hurting. My knees are also very dry. Sometimes they are a little red and swell a little.

• Hips, tail bone & Back - I wake up every morning and my hips, tell bone and back hurts alot. Usually I can't even move when I wake up, but I have to force myself to get up and at least turn off the alarm and reset it to 9am. Every day from morning till bed time they hurt, and they get worse as the day progresses. Alot they hurt so much they actually make me cry. The only thing I found that helps with them is taking a hot shower and just laying on my arms and knees in the shower.
  

• Tummy - Alot of the time my tummy hurts. Doesn't matter what I do. Sometimes I even feel nausous. It gets alot worse during flare ups and also monthly. It might be possible that when monthly starts I have a flare up. Would make sense, since when Sjogren's started to appear fast, it was after I started my first period.

• Arms & Hands - I cannot left heavy things. Like a case of 24 cans of pop, or carry two gallons of milk. I have a hard time keeping ahold of anything. My fingers hurt alot, they pop..crackle, and snap. Some of my fingers have become double jointed and sometimes dislocate themselves. the bones on my hands hurt alot also.
  

• Chest Pain - I often get a little chest pain, some breathing problems. It really hurts when I start to cry, or try to stop from crying. There have been times when I tried to stop from crying that I couldn't breathe at all. So it was hard to stop.
  

• Neck - My neck often hurts, probably partly to do with my back and my glands near my jaw hurt alot too.

• Dry mouth- I often have very dry mouth. I wake up and it's very dry...often I have problems getting my mouth to be wet enough to swollow anything. Since I have dry mouth my teeth are extremly bad. To the point where my teeth alone could kill me if I leave them umtreated. I have infections alot because of them, and lately(2008) I have been throwing up when I have a bad enough infection. I have alot of trouble eating due to my teeth falling apart, so lately I have been drinking Ensure.

• Dry Eyes - Dry eyes really isn't a problem until later in the day, or right in the morning when I turn on the lights or go outside. They will burn alot, and become blurry sometimes and I have a light sentivity.
  

• Memory - I am very forgetful. I can't remember something someone said a second after they said it, and If I am trying to ask someone a question...they better stop talking so I can ask before I forget. I have a bad case of Brainfog aswell.
  

What is Sjogren's Syndrome?

"Sjögren’s (SHOW-grens) syndrome is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects moisture-producing glands. The damage caused to these glands leaves you with dry eyes and mouth. Other parts of the body (such as the skin, respiratory system, nerves, thyroid glands and digestive tract) can be affected by the inflammation as well.

In this disease, the body’s immune system mistakenly sends its disease-fighting cells to attack the lacrimal and salivary glands, which produce tears and saliva, respectively. Rather than protecting the body as it is intended to do, the immune system damages these glands causing dry eyes (called keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia).

What causes it?

Scientists think that Sjögren’s syndrome is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several different genes seem to be involved, but simply having one of these genes will not cause you to develop the disease. Some environmental trigger must activate the immune system. Researchers think that the trigger may be a viral or bacterial infection. Because most people with Sjögren’s syndrome are women, it is thought that hormonal factors play some role in the disease’s initiation.

Along with the main symptoms of dry eye and dry mouth, several other parts of the body can be affected by Sjögren’s syndrome.

• Eyes: Your eyes may burn and feel dry, gritty and itchy. They may appear red and can be sensitive to bright lights. Having dry eyes makes you more prone to getting eye infections.

• Mouth: Your mouth will feel dry, and you may have difficulty swallowing and speaking. Your sense of taste and smell may be altered. Because you are lacking natural saliva, which contains substances that fight bacteria and cleanse the mouth, you are susceptible to cavities and mouth infections. The fungal infection candidiasis (oral thrush) is particularly common among people with Sjögren’s syndrome and causes redness, burning and a white film in the mouth.

• Energy: Sjögren’s syndrome can cause extreme fatigue that can interfere with your daily life.

• Salivary glands: The saliva-producing glands located under your tongue, in front of your ears and near the jawline may become swollen and sometimes tender.

• Nose and throat: A dry nose and throat can cause a tickly feeling and persistent cough, leading to irritation and hoarseness.

• Skin: About half of people with Sjögren’s have dry skin. The skin may only itch, or it may also become so dry that it cracks and splits. Skin that is split or has been vigorously scratched is prone to infection. Some people with Sjögren’s (particularly when it is secondary to lupus) are sensitive to sunlight and can get sunburn from minor exposure.

• Vagina: Vaginal dryness is common in women with Sjögren’s syndrome. Painful intercourse is the most common complaint.

• Lungs: Pneumonia can be a complication of dry mouth when food becomes aspirated when swallowing is difficult or bacteria from the dry mouth can migrate to the lungs. The disease itself can cause inflammation of the bronchial tubes, windpipe and voice box.

• Kidneys: Some people with Sjögren’s syndrome have a diminished ability to concentrate urine. People may have distal renal tubular acidosis, which gives people acidic urine and can lead to calcium loss from bones. Parts of the kidney’s filtering system can be affected by this autoimmune disease, causing inflammation around the kidney’s filters (interstitial nephritis) or in the filters themselves (glomerulonephritis).

• Nerves: Peripheral nervous system involvement can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy or cranial neuropathy. Carpal tunnel syndrome causes pain, numbness and tingling in the thumb and index and middle fingers. Peripheral neuropathy causes similar symptoms in the legs or arms. Cranial neuropathy causes face pain; loss of feeling in the face, tongue, eyes, ears or throat; and loss of taste and smell. Rarely, Sjögren’s syndrome can affect the brain and cause stroke-like symptoms.

• Digestive system: Inflammation in the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and liver can cause painful swallowing, heartburn, abdominal pain and swelling, loss of appetite, diarrhea and weight loss. It can also cause hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) or cirrhosis (hardening of the liver).

• Connective tissues: The connective tissues of the body include the joints, muscles, bones, skin, blood vessel walls and lining of internal organs. Sjögren’s syndrome could affect any one of these on its own. In addition, several autoimmune disorders that effect the connective tissues are associated with Sjögren’s syndrome, including:
  • Polymyositis
  • Raynaud’s phenomenon
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Scleroderma
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Vasculitis

• Thyroid disorders: Grave’s disease (overactive thyroid) or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (underactive thyroid)

• Lymph nodes: About five percent of people with Sjögren’s develop lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). Lymphoma occurring in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome often involves the salivary glands.

" - Arthritis Foundation