new doctor

i finally got in to see a new rheumatologist yesterday after waiting for a couple months. i've always wanted to get a second opinion on my treatment but never knew where to go. apparently this woman is one of the experts in boston, especially on RA/lupus and pregnancy. she said some interesting things. after taking my history (glad i wrote it all out before i went), she said that i sounded more RA than lupus. i guess i felt it was the other way around since the lupus came first, but really the lupus only produced the rash from the sun and fatigue all these years where the RA was so much more debilitating. then when she examined me, she said i had a "fair amount" of arthritis and that i must have a high tolerance to pain. she said the swelling on my left side (wrist, knee, ankle, foot) is from the arthritis (synovitis) and the swelling in my trunk/abdomen and face is from the prednisone. hopefully the left side swelling will subside as i ramp up on the enbrel. she said i have toxicity from the prednisone and suggested that i not go on that high of a dose again...no worries i said, i'm never doing this again if i can help it! she did say the combo of plaquenil, enbrel, and methotrexate that i take normally is a good way for treating the illnesses that i have, which is good because i think that combo works for me.

as for pregnancy, she suggested i go off the pill so that i can get my period regulated and do ovulation tests to figure out my ovulation schedule. she said i can stay on the plaquenil through the pregnancy and that i should stay on the enbrel at least until i find out i'm pregnant. what we didn't ask was a timeline for when we can start trying...i think i'll stick to what my other rheumatologist said for now, which is the beginning of next year. gotta get myself feeling better and stronger first.

i really want to be exercising and getting stronger but i realized on sunday that i can't get my swollen foot into a sneaker! so i think i might try to do things at home where i can be barefoot, like yoga and pilates or an exercise dvd. we'll see how that works out. i thought my face was getting smaller, but i was wrong. still huge. i actually bought a maternity dress the other day...at least i'll have a headstart on my wardrobe when i do get pregnant! might go for pants next...i'm running out of options even though i go shopping every weekend for bigger clothes. these are funny times...

a little side note...happy 1st birthday to my niece and nephew!!! we get to celebrate this weekend...can't wait!