He will ride happily for a while, but when he's tired of it, look out!
Neglect
4 years ago
All of Us
At I's wedding in July 2019. Back row from left: My oldest D (27) and his wife B (27), My 6th K (16), My 3rd L (23), My 5th T (19), and my 7th A (14). Front row from left: My 9th Z (11), My 10th M (9), Me!, My new son-in-law L (23), My 4th I (22), my love D, My 2nd J (25), and my 8th M (11).
Saturday, September 26, 2009
More Wild Wrestling
From left: I with A on her back, L with M on his back, cousin M with T on her back.
Jam Pile
One evening there was a lot of wild running and wrestling. We had a cousin and 6 friends that were here, and it was crazy fun!
Here are, from bottom, D, J, I, M, T, and K.
A Ride at the Fair
J. taking M. on a train ride at our church fair. He LOVES vehicles of any kind and she was dying to take him. Of course, he had a great time until it ended....
Beautiful Big Sister
J. remains the favorite older sibling of all the little ones. She is loving, nurturing, creative and fun (when she feels like it--there is that Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde aspect of being 15 that makes her somewhat unpredicatble!)
4th of July
Here I am, wearing a light necklace as a headband prior to the fireworks, trying to be 60sish. Overall, this vacation and the summer in general was such a celebration for me because I felt really good. Last year I didn't even go to the fabulous fireworks in Telluride because I felt too ill.
Sand Dunes
J, A, T, I, K and L is buried in the sand. You can tell how overcast it was in these pictures.
Buried in the Sand
We went to Sleeping Bear sand dunes, hiked a long way to the water, and played in the sand. Here is I (top), A, K, and T.
Sliding Down
Our family vacation was a week on Lake Michigan which began at the end of June and went through July 5. Unfortunately, the weather for 4 out of 7 days was rainy and in the low 60s, then 2 days of sunny and low 70s, and one really nice day! Ugh. We still had a good time, but as you see here, we had to resort to sliding onto the grass, because the water and air were too cold to go swimming!
Water Fun
We bought these inflatables this summer to use on our family vacation and at the family reunion. This is the reunion.
Junior Soccer Player
Sorry this is blurry, but of course little brother M. had to get in on the action!
Coaching Dad
His dad was the coach. K. is on the right as Daryl nudges another player out onto the field. K. loved playing soccer!
D's birthday
D turned 17 on June 5, and we couldn't be prouder of this young man. He is handsome, really nice, helpful and respectul, has a 4.0 gpa, is a talented athlete, and is a leader among his peers (President of National Honor Society).
He is in the center, on the left is his girlfriend M, and on the right is little brother K.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The DRC
Click on the title if you would like to learn more about the DRC and what is happening there.
Our Latest Adventure
We have some big news. We are in the process of adopting 2 children from the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). We made our decision at the beginning of August, and have just completed our home study and are waiting for it to be written up, which will be sometime before October 6. As soon as we have it in our hands, we will send it to USCIS (immigration) to be processed. This will take 2-3 months, and at the end of that process we will be issued visas to bring the children back. During that time, our agency, One World Adoptions, will be matching us with children. We have requested a two year old boy and an infant girl. The adoption will be complete after a court hearing in the DRC. Once that happens, Daryl will travel to the DRC to pick them up. D and J will accompany him. The trip will take approximately one week. I will be staying home with the other children, preparing to welcome our newest family members home!
Our children are SO excited. I can't believe that I will soon be the parent of TEN children! It is exciting to be "expecting" without having to be pregnant. I will undoubtedly miss not having been able to enjoy my children's newborn/infancy,but I believe we have been called to do this.
The last 2 months have been filled with paperwork (filing for adoption is sometimes referred to as the paperwork pregnancy), medical appointments and lab tests for everyone in the family.
My doctor was happy to write a letter stating that my health is good enough to not affect my ability to parent two more children! I am still receiving IVIG infustions, only once every 3 weeks now, and am down to only 3mg of prednisone a day, although I am now tapering it once a month--veeeerrrry slooooowwwllly.
The citizens of the war torn DRC are some of the poorest in Africa. There are thousands of displaced people living in camps, and the violence against them continues. Many flee to the southern part of the country, where the capital, Kinshasa, is located, only to find that there are no better opportunities for them there. It is estimated that 15,000 are living on the streets in Kinshasa. Our children will come from Kinshasa.
Our children are SO excited. I can't believe that I will soon be the parent of TEN children! It is exciting to be "expecting" without having to be pregnant. I will undoubtedly miss not having been able to enjoy my children's newborn/infancy,but I believe we have been called to do this.
The last 2 months have been filled with paperwork (filing for adoption is sometimes referred to as the paperwork pregnancy), medical appointments and lab tests for everyone in the family.
My doctor was happy to write a letter stating that my health is good enough to not affect my ability to parent two more children! I am still receiving IVIG infustions, only once every 3 weeks now, and am down to only 3mg of prednisone a day, although I am now tapering it once a month--veeeerrrry slooooowwwllly.
The citizens of the war torn DRC are some of the poorest in Africa. There are thousands of displaced people living in camps, and the violence against them continues. Many flee to the southern part of the country, where the capital, Kinshasa, is located, only to find that there are no better opportunities for them there. It is estimated that 15,000 are living on the streets in Kinshasa. Our children will come from Kinshasa.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Good News
Just a health update on me:
Since January I have been receiving IV immunoglobulin treatments once every 2 weeks while I taper off prednisone very slowly. I went to lowering my dose 1 mg every 2 weeks to 1 mg every 3 weeks, and now, at 5mg, I am lowering it 1mg every 4 weeks. That seems painfully slow, but it is working. So far, no big reaction. Each time I lower the dose it's a bigger step for my body to adjust, because 1mg was 1/10th of 10mg, but it is 1/5th of 5mg. Earlier this summer the rheumatologist raised my dose of IVIG slightly to help me over the spot where I had the relapse last time, which was around 7-10 mg of prednisone.
I continue to have mild rashes, but my muscle strength is recovering well. I no longer need physical therapy and have just begun working with a trainer at the local gym designing a program just for my needs. That is not to say that my strength is normal--the muscles that were affected the most are still pretty weak (for example--I am able to lift 3 lbs. in each hand doing shoulder presses above my head--prior to this illness I could do sets of 20 lbs. in this exercise) but they are improving. I am able to run again--I can go 1/4 mile without stopping now, and do a total of about 2.8 miles of a run/walk combination where I run 2/10 of a mile, walk 1/10, alternating.
I saw the rheumatologist last week and he is very pleased with my progress and has said I can slow down the pace of the IVIG treatments to once every 3 weeks. I will soon be starting an experimental treatment called low dose naltrexone which he wants to put in place to help me remain in remission once I am totally off prednisone.
The rheumatologist also told me that this is an illness that generally runs it's course, and his job is to shepherd me through it without too much damage to my body. I told him that I know of people who have had it recur sometime later, and he said that they must have been exposed to whatever triggered it again. Since most people don't know the cause/trigger that isn't that helpful, but I can only hope that once it is gone it will remain gone FOREVER!
So my prayers are being answered! If you have been praying for me, THANK YOU!! And please don't stop!
Since January I have been receiving IV immunoglobulin treatments once every 2 weeks while I taper off prednisone very slowly. I went to lowering my dose 1 mg every 2 weeks to 1 mg every 3 weeks, and now, at 5mg, I am lowering it 1mg every 4 weeks. That seems painfully slow, but it is working. So far, no big reaction. Each time I lower the dose it's a bigger step for my body to adjust, because 1mg was 1/10th of 10mg, but it is 1/5th of 5mg. Earlier this summer the rheumatologist raised my dose of IVIG slightly to help me over the spot where I had the relapse last time, which was around 7-10 mg of prednisone.
I continue to have mild rashes, but my muscle strength is recovering well. I no longer need physical therapy and have just begun working with a trainer at the local gym designing a program just for my needs. That is not to say that my strength is normal--the muscles that were affected the most are still pretty weak (for example--I am able to lift 3 lbs. in each hand doing shoulder presses above my head--prior to this illness I could do sets of 20 lbs. in this exercise) but they are improving. I am able to run again--I can go 1/4 mile without stopping now, and do a total of about 2.8 miles of a run/walk combination where I run 2/10 of a mile, walk 1/10, alternating.
I saw the rheumatologist last week and he is very pleased with my progress and has said I can slow down the pace of the IVIG treatments to once every 3 weeks. I will soon be starting an experimental treatment called low dose naltrexone which he wants to put in place to help me remain in remission once I am totally off prednisone.
The rheumatologist also told me that this is an illness that generally runs it's course, and his job is to shepherd me through it without too much damage to my body. I told him that I know of people who have had it recur sometime later, and he said that they must have been exposed to whatever triggered it again. Since most people don't know the cause/trigger that isn't that helpful, but I can only hope that once it is gone it will remain gone FOREVER!
So my prayers are being answered! If you have been praying for me, THANK YOU!! And please don't stop!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Zipperhead
Yesterday I rushed off to a morning appointment with the rheumatologist. I was pleased that he spent lots of time with me, answered every question I had about all of the recent bloodwork I've had done, and all of the reading I've been doing on less common alternative/"fad" treatments, even browsed through a paper I'd printed off from a medical journal with a new theory in it. Bottom line about my condition at this moment: Since my rashes have been slowly increasing and my muscles have been getting sorer over the past few weeks, we decided that it would be unwise to decrease the frequency of my IV antibody infusions AND keep tapering the prednisone. He said it was up to me which one to reduce, so I chose the prednisone, since although the antibody treatments are inconvenient, they have no negative effects on my body. (I recently discovered that after almost a year of taking steroids with seemingly no side effects, I am now beginning to have some--thinning and receding hair, and zero production of testosterone and dhea, critical hormones. I'm taking supplements of those hormones now). So I will continue tapering the prednisone, albeit a little more slowly, reducing the dose every 3-4 weeks instead of every 2, and continue the treatments every 2 weeks but at a slightly higher dose (which means I'll sit there an additional 45 minutes).
Next I ran a few errands, then returned home and took on a huge project--cleaning T. and I's room. It was messier than anything I've ever seen. The floor was literally ankle deep in clothing and garbage--crumpled papers, candy wrappers, you name it. Overlaying all of that was about 10 balls of yarn, half unrolled and tangled together forming a spiderweb around the room. Every other surface in the room was covered as well. I neared completion shortly after I. returned home from school. Instead of being appreciative, she was upset that I'd cleaned her room, although I had been warning them that this would happen for several weeks. After arguing with her, I carried a large bag of trash and a pair of razor sharp kitchen scissors down the stairs. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I twisted my ankle on the pair of shoes left there by L. and fell, hitting my head on a large cedar post at the foot of the stairs. Luckily I was not impaled by the scissors, but did give myself, as the ER dr. described it, a "closed head injury."
I now have 6 staples in the back of my head, which I will have for a week. I received a tetanus shot and a CT scan. Thankfully, I do not have a concussion. I am also grateful that I did not need to have the hair shaved around the cut, since I am already having hair issues!
My next treatment is tomorrow and I am actually glad, so that I can have a restful day. The ER dr. told me to take it easy and not lift anything heavy, LOL. I have a 35 lb. toddler!
Next I ran a few errands, then returned home and took on a huge project--cleaning T. and I's room. It was messier than anything I've ever seen. The floor was literally ankle deep in clothing and garbage--crumpled papers, candy wrappers, you name it. Overlaying all of that was about 10 balls of yarn, half unrolled and tangled together forming a spiderweb around the room. Every other surface in the room was covered as well. I neared completion shortly after I. returned home from school. Instead of being appreciative, she was upset that I'd cleaned her room, although I had been warning them that this would happen for several weeks. After arguing with her, I carried a large bag of trash and a pair of razor sharp kitchen scissors down the stairs. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I twisted my ankle on the pair of shoes left there by L. and fell, hitting my head on a large cedar post at the foot of the stairs. Luckily I was not impaled by the scissors, but did give myself, as the ER dr. described it, a "closed head injury."
I now have 6 staples in the back of my head, which I will have for a week. I received a tetanus shot and a CT scan. Thankfully, I do not have a concussion. I am also grateful that I did not need to have the hair shaved around the cut, since I am already having hair issues!
My next treatment is tomorrow and I am actually glad, so that I can have a restful day. The ER dr. told me to take it easy and not lift anything heavy, LOL. I have a 35 lb. toddler!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Silly sun gear
Since the sun seems to exacerbate my rashes, here I am with my hat and sunglasses, fully sunscreened. At least this hat is light, has built in spf, a string to keep it from blowing away, and is comfortable. Last year I had a straw hat that was hot, tight, heavy and blew off my head easily.
Cutest Baby on the Beach
M. loved the beach. I bought everyone a wetsuit since we knew the water would be cold and the air wouldn't be all that hot. They turned out to be useful since we had unseasonably cold weather.
Ready to parasail!
We also visited Myrtle Beach during spring break, and I did something I've always wanted to, parasail! Here are D., L, me and J. waiting our turn.
At the Top
Here we all are at the top of the Chimney Rock trail. Front row: T., I., K., and A.
Back row: Paula, D., L., J., Daryl and M. in the backpack.
At the Falls
We drove down to Asheville, NC for spring break. This is J., L. and D. at a waterfall near Chimney Rock.
Prom 2009
We hosted a before prom photo shoot at our house, as well as an after the prom party. Aren't these kids beautiful? Not all of them attended the party. It was just 3 couples, and the other 2 girls (not D's date) had to be home earlier because they were sophomores. After they left, it was 3 guys and 1 girl!
Another Health Update
Boy, it's been a long time since I've blogged! I've meant to, but somehow...
I have been feeling really well. I am still doing the IVIG treatments once every two weeks and they still seem to be working. I am still doing PT and am slowly regaining strength. I have been very active, and very happy. I am back down to 9mg prednisone daily, and start on 8mg tomorrow. I am nervous about this because that is the level at which the really bad rash appeared last time. I have had some minor spots of rash here and there as I have tapered, and some areas which just never went away, like on the backs of my hands and my elbows. To me, this means the disease is still active. If it were not, then nothing would happen as I tapered the prednisone. I am worried that if I discontinue the treatments entirely, the disease will come roaring back. Only time will tell. The plan is that I will reduce the frequency of the treatments to once a month in June.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of complicated medical stuff that I have been researching related to possible causes/cures/treatments that I want to discuss in detail with the rheumatologist at my next appointment.
Medical appointments and taking care of myself (PT, IVIG treatments, massage, acupuncture, rheumatologist, exercising regularly) still comprise a half time job. It is good to focus on myself, I guess, and I know that I am lucky that I can make the time and can afford the complementary medicine as well as the traditional.
Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to taper the prednisone.
I have been feeling really well. I am still doing the IVIG treatments once every two weeks and they still seem to be working. I am still doing PT and am slowly regaining strength. I have been very active, and very happy. I am back down to 9mg prednisone daily, and start on 8mg tomorrow. I am nervous about this because that is the level at which the really bad rash appeared last time. I have had some minor spots of rash here and there as I have tapered, and some areas which just never went away, like on the backs of my hands and my elbows. To me, this means the disease is still active. If it were not, then nothing would happen as I tapered the prednisone. I am worried that if I discontinue the treatments entirely, the disease will come roaring back. Only time will tell. The plan is that I will reduce the frequency of the treatments to once a month in June.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of complicated medical stuff that I have been researching related to possible causes/cures/treatments that I want to discuss in detail with the rheumatologist at my next appointment.
Medical appointments and taking care of myself (PT, IVIG treatments, massage, acupuncture, rheumatologist, exercising regularly) still comprise a half time job. It is good to focus on myself, I guess, and I know that I am lucky that I can make the time and can afford the complementary medicine as well as the traditional.
Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to taper the prednisone.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Troubles with Babyzilla
Our darling baby has turned into a toddler terror. His favorite activity at the moment is hair pulling. He will grab 2 handfuls of long hair and pull as hard as he can. He is very strong and it is very difficult to get him to uncurl his fingers. A. is his most frequent victim since she is the easiest target. He prefers to strike from behind since it is even harder to get him to let go then without assistance. Yesterday he was circling me like a shark, trying to sneak up from behind.
I know it's attention getting behavior, since usually 2-3 people run over to help the screaming victim. M. thinks this is hilarious. I have tried the following negative consequences: one minute timeout (he hates it but immediately tries to pull someone's hair when you release him), pulling his hair (thinks this is funny and will pull his own hair), a swat on the bottom or a slap on the hand (thinks this is funny too). Obviously I don't want to really harm him, and I don't believe in spanking especially when the child is only 15 months old, but this is a serious problem. Anyone out there been through it and have any suggestions?
I have tried spending more positive time with him, but recently while snuggling and kissing him, he grabbed my hair and ripped out a large handful. I was incensed. Since Daryl basically has no hair, he has been trying to spend more time roughhousing with him.
Boredom is another issue. Due to the weather, he rarely goes outdoors. Since he doesn't behave that well in the car (screams) or in stores, and I have a plethora of babysitters, he rarely leaves the house. If he does go somewhere, it is often a roundtrip to pick up a sibling where he doesn't get out of the car. Such is the life of the eighth child. Anyway, we believe he is bored and that may contribute to the hair pulling, so are attempting to get him out more. Also, if he gets more practice he might behave better in public. Right now it is an endless cycle--why would I take a difficult child with me if I don't have to? How will he learn to behave better without any practice? And so on....
I know it's attention getting behavior, since usually 2-3 people run over to help the screaming victim. M. thinks this is hilarious. I have tried the following negative consequences: one minute timeout (he hates it but immediately tries to pull someone's hair when you release him), pulling his hair (thinks this is funny and will pull his own hair), a swat on the bottom or a slap on the hand (thinks this is funny too). Obviously I don't want to really harm him, and I don't believe in spanking especially when the child is only 15 months old, but this is a serious problem. Anyone out there been through it and have any suggestions?
I have tried spending more positive time with him, but recently while snuggling and kissing him, he grabbed my hair and ripped out a large handful. I was incensed. Since Daryl basically has no hair, he has been trying to spend more time roughhousing with him.
Boredom is another issue. Due to the weather, he rarely goes outdoors. Since he doesn't behave that well in the car (screams) or in stores, and I have a plethora of babysitters, he rarely leaves the house. If he does go somewhere, it is often a roundtrip to pick up a sibling where he doesn't get out of the car. Such is the life of the eighth child. Anyway, we believe he is bored and that may contribute to the hair pulling, so are attempting to get him out more. Also, if he gets more practice he might behave better in public. Right now it is an endless cycle--why would I take a difficult child with me if I don't have to? How will he learn to behave better without any practice? And so on....
Valentine's Day Visitor
We had an unwelcome guest this Valentine's Day--the stomach flu! D., L., and I were all stricken. Needless to say, it wasn't very romantic. Daryl worked hard taking care of the troops, and I rested in bed. It was the only true "sick day" I can remember having in my 16 years of parenthood. Usually Daryl is at work, or out of town, or sick himself, and I don't have the luxury of laying around and not having to take care of anyone. I did nurse M. and put him to bed, but that was it.
I did a Valentine's Day redo on Monday, featuring a nice family dinner of spareribs, roasted potatoes, and salad, with the traditional heart shaped butter cake frosted with whipped cream and decorated with fresh raspberries for dessert. See the archives if you want a photo!
I did a Valentine's Day redo on Monday, featuring a nice family dinner of spareribs, roasted potatoes, and salad, with the traditional heart shaped butter cake frosted with whipped cream and decorated with fresh raspberries for dessert. See the archives if you want a photo!
I'm Improving!
The title says it all. The new treatment seems to be working, although we won't be sure until I have tapered down to a lower dose of prednisone, but I feel the best that I have in 7 months. My range of motion has returned, along with my energy and stamina! I am exercising and doing PT again.
I started with weekly IV immunoglobulin treatments for a month, and then my rheumatolgoist reduced the frequency to once every 2 weeks. They do take 5-6 hours, which is inconvenient, but worth it. The "liquid gold", as I call it, seems to be helping. Hopefully I will be able to reduce the frequency to once a month, and maybe even discontinue it entirely.
Thanks for your prayers, and please keep praying that as I taper the prednisone (at a rate of 1 mg every 2 weeks) I don't experience a flareup of symptoms.
For the moment, life is great. I am enjoying life and my family again.
I started with weekly IV immunoglobulin treatments for a month, and then my rheumatolgoist reduced the frequency to once every 2 weeks. They do take 5-6 hours, which is inconvenient, but worth it. The "liquid gold", as I call it, seems to be helping. Hopefully I will be able to reduce the frequency to once a month, and maybe even discontinue it entirely.
Thanks for your prayers, and please keep praying that as I taper the prednisone (at a rate of 1 mg every 2 weeks) I don't experience a flareup of symptoms.
For the moment, life is great. I am enjoying life and my family again.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Nell Dorr
A few years ago I discovered the work of photographer Nell Dorr. She was born in 1895 and learned photography from her father, who was also a photographer. She did many images of mothers and children, and I find them really beautiful and moving.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Health Update
Here is a more detailed version of what happened than what I put in the New Year's letter. Hope it explains why I don't post very often these days.
Well, here's the news...I've had a setback.
I was taking Humira, which was supposed to be putting my illness, dermatomyositis, into remission, along with prednisone to control the symptoms. I was tapering the prednisone 1mg per week.
In early Nov. I began to have some puffiness around my eyes and small rash spots appeared. I called the rheumatologist and he said that was normal when tapering prednisone--my body was "complaining" about the lower dose but that I'd get used to it. The rash itched, but I put cortisone cream on it and that kept it from bothering me too much. When I lowered the dose from 8 to 7 mg on the day after Thanksgiving, the rash went wild and spread all over the sides of my neck, my chest, breast, armpits, abdomen and hips. It became very itchy, red and raised like poison ivy, and the cortisone cream no longer helped. Whenever i got warm, the rash got worse, and it also made me feel really hot--the rash radiated heat like a sunburn--so it was a cycle. My hands started to swell a little too. I called rheumatologist and he had me raise the prednisone dose to 8 mg and then to 10mg, neither of which helped.
I saw the rheumatologist on Dec. 15 and learned that my muscle enzymes were elevated again as well. He had me take a bigger dose of prednisone again--3 days of 40mg, then 30 mg until today, when I can go down to 20, then start tapering 1 mg per week again. Based on my symptoms and muscle enzymes he said that the Humira is either no longer working or never really worked but that was being masked by the prednisone.
Today I am beginning a new treatment--IV infusions of immunoglobulin, which is pooled antibodies from other people. The good thing about this treatment is it is more proven effective--it works for 90% of people and my dr. has never had it not work. The other good thing is that since it is pooled antibodies from other people, instead of being immunosupressed I will have a better working immune system. The bad thing is that initially I will take it weekly for 4 weeks, then go to every other week, and eventually monthly, and it takes 5 hours to infuse it. It is also very expensive, but luckily my insurance company agreed to pay for it.
I am also taking big doses of the antihistamine Allegra to help with the rash, which is FINALLY subsiding.
Lastly, I read about an alternative treatment with low dose antibiotics based on the theory that certain autoimmune illnesses, including mine, are caused by a low level infection with mycoplasma, which causes walking pneumonia. Interestingly, 2 of my kids had mycoplasma pneumonia in late Jan. 2008 and my first symptom appeared in early April. My dr. is willing to try this at the same time as the other treatments.
Although I look normal, and most people don't realize that I am ill, this illness has made my every day life so much more difficult and physically exhausting. To give you a few examples: I have lost range of motion of my arms, so I can no longer undo or do my bra behind me--I put it on in front and twist it around. I also struggle to get my second arm into a jacket sleeve. Because my arms are weak I have trouble pulling shirts over my head. Recently I was in Kohl's and tried on 4 sweaters. I couldn't get the last one off because my arms were worn out after taking off the first 3. After I waited a couple of minutes I was able to, but I was really panicked for a minute or 2--I didn't want to have to ask a stranger for help.
My leg muscles are weak and stiff, so it's hard to crouch down or get up off the floor. In general I am more awkward and clumsy--I drop things all the time with my numb hands and I fall more easily and have more trouble catching myself and getting back up, so I just feel more cautious and fragile and OLD. It is a hard adjustment since I have always been physically fit and very active and strong. My dr. had me discontinue the physical therapy until my muscle enzymes return to normal again because I can damage my muscles more by exercising them while they are inflamed. That was frustrating since I am so eager to get my strength back!
The numb hands also continue to make zippers and buttons and opening wrappers of packages or bottles and jars very difficult. So I am loving the winter coat season with young children!
Taking care of M. is by far the biggest problem. At 12 months he weighs 29 lbs. and is 33" tall--literally as big or bigger than many of my kids were at age 2! It often takes me 2 tries to lift him off the floor, and it is a struggle to lift him in and out of the highchair, carseat, shopping cart. He's not old enough yet to be managed or directed--if he walks he won't hold my hand or walk in the direction I want, sits down, etc. He is also by far my most rambunctious toddler. and although he is happy and easygoing, he never stops for a second--he is a whirlwind of activity. Despite babyproofing efforts, and with the "help" of my 4 and 5yos , there is always something he shouldn't have or do available. So it's exhausting keeping an eye on him. He's fast and alert--the instant the gate is left open he's up the stairs in a flash, or out the door to the outside or garage, etc. He doesn't like toys much, and knows how to pry the backs off of all the remotes in the house and get the batteries out.
NEW UPDATE--As of mid Jan. 2009 I have received 3 treatments. I am feeling really good due to the increased dose of prednisone, and my labs were normal BEFORE the first IVIG treatment. I have my last scheduled treatment next Tues. and I haven't heard from the rheumatologist about whether or not he will want me to continue and how frequently. I am wondering how he will tell if the treatment is working, since the prednisone alone created a lot of improvement. I am currently at 19mg per day, tapering 1 mg per week. I didn't start to really have noticeable symptoms until I hit 10mg last time, which will be several months from now.
The rash is 95% gone, although I still have some itching, and I have discontinued the antihistamines. I look great, because the prednisone removed all the swelling around my eyes. It also gives me lots of energy which is really nice.
Please pray that this new treatment works and I am cured!
Well, here's the news...I've had a setback.
I was taking Humira, which was supposed to be putting my illness, dermatomyositis, into remission, along with prednisone to control the symptoms. I was tapering the prednisone 1mg per week.
In early Nov. I began to have some puffiness around my eyes and small rash spots appeared. I called the rheumatologist and he said that was normal when tapering prednisone--my body was "complaining" about the lower dose but that I'd get used to it. The rash itched, but I put cortisone cream on it and that kept it from bothering me too much. When I lowered the dose from 8 to 7 mg on the day after Thanksgiving, the rash went wild and spread all over the sides of my neck, my chest, breast, armpits, abdomen and hips. It became very itchy, red and raised like poison ivy, and the cortisone cream no longer helped. Whenever i got warm, the rash got worse, and it also made me feel really hot--the rash radiated heat like a sunburn--so it was a cycle. My hands started to swell a little too. I called rheumatologist and he had me raise the prednisone dose to 8 mg and then to 10mg, neither of which helped.
I saw the rheumatologist on Dec. 15 and learned that my muscle enzymes were elevated again as well. He had me take a bigger dose of prednisone again--3 days of 40mg, then 30 mg until today, when I can go down to 20, then start tapering 1 mg per week again. Based on my symptoms and muscle enzymes he said that the Humira is either no longer working or never really worked but that was being masked by the prednisone.
Today I am beginning a new treatment--IV infusions of immunoglobulin, which is pooled antibodies from other people. The good thing about this treatment is it is more proven effective--it works for 90% of people and my dr. has never had it not work. The other good thing is that since it is pooled antibodies from other people, instead of being immunosupressed I will have a better working immune system. The bad thing is that initially I will take it weekly for 4 weeks, then go to every other week, and eventually monthly, and it takes 5 hours to infuse it. It is also very expensive, but luckily my insurance company agreed to pay for it.
I am also taking big doses of the antihistamine Allegra to help with the rash, which is FINALLY subsiding.
Lastly, I read about an alternative treatment with low dose antibiotics based on the theory that certain autoimmune illnesses, including mine, are caused by a low level infection with mycoplasma, which causes walking pneumonia. Interestingly, 2 of my kids had mycoplasma pneumonia in late Jan. 2008 and my first symptom appeared in early April. My dr. is willing to try this at the same time as the other treatments.
Although I look normal, and most people don't realize that I am ill, this illness has made my every day life so much more difficult and physically exhausting. To give you a few examples: I have lost range of motion of my arms, so I can no longer undo or do my bra behind me--I put it on in front and twist it around. I also struggle to get my second arm into a jacket sleeve. Because my arms are weak I have trouble pulling shirts over my head. Recently I was in Kohl's and tried on 4 sweaters. I couldn't get the last one off because my arms were worn out after taking off the first 3. After I waited a couple of minutes I was able to, but I was really panicked for a minute or 2--I didn't want to have to ask a stranger for help.
My leg muscles are weak and stiff, so it's hard to crouch down or get up off the floor. In general I am more awkward and clumsy--I drop things all the time with my numb hands and I fall more easily and have more trouble catching myself and getting back up, so I just feel more cautious and fragile and OLD. It is a hard adjustment since I have always been physically fit and very active and strong. My dr. had me discontinue the physical therapy until my muscle enzymes return to normal again because I can damage my muscles more by exercising them while they are inflamed. That was frustrating since I am so eager to get my strength back!
The numb hands also continue to make zippers and buttons and opening wrappers of packages or bottles and jars very difficult. So I am loving the winter coat season with young children!
Taking care of M. is by far the biggest problem. At 12 months he weighs 29 lbs. and is 33" tall--literally as big or bigger than many of my kids were at age 2! It often takes me 2 tries to lift him off the floor, and it is a struggle to lift him in and out of the highchair, carseat, shopping cart. He's not old enough yet to be managed or directed--if he walks he won't hold my hand or walk in the direction I want, sits down, etc. He is also by far my most rambunctious toddler. and although he is happy and easygoing, he never stops for a second--he is a whirlwind of activity. Despite babyproofing efforts, and with the "help" of my 4 and 5yos , there is always something he shouldn't have or do available. So it's exhausting keeping an eye on him. He's fast and alert--the instant the gate is left open he's up the stairs in a flash, or out the door to the outside or garage, etc. He doesn't like toys much, and knows how to pry the backs off of all the remotes in the house and get the batteries out.
NEW UPDATE--As of mid Jan. 2009 I have received 3 treatments. I am feeling really good due to the increased dose of prednisone, and my labs were normal BEFORE the first IVIG treatment. I have my last scheduled treatment next Tues. and I haven't heard from the rheumatologist about whether or not he will want me to continue and how frequently. I am wondering how he will tell if the treatment is working, since the prednisone alone created a lot of improvement. I am currently at 19mg per day, tapering 1 mg per week. I didn't start to really have noticeable symptoms until I hit 10mg last time, which will be several months from now.
The rash is 95% gone, although I still have some itching, and I have discontinued the antihistamines. I look great, because the prednisone removed all the swelling around my eyes. It also gives me lots of energy which is really nice.
Please pray that this new treatment works and I am cured!
New Year's 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
Here is our yearly family synopsis:
2008 was a year of travel for us. We visited Disneyworld for the first time for a long weekend in January, which was a fun but tiring trip. In April we went back to Florida for spring break, staying on North Captiva Island, a tiny island that doesn't allow any vehicles, where we rested and rejuvenated on the beach. In June we went to Telluride, Colorado, where we rented a house with our dear friends the XXXXX's and spent a week taking advantage of the hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and scenery in the area.
D., 16, played basketball last winter and ran track in the spring. The biggest event for him during the past year by far was getting his driver's license in June, which enabled him to work this summer for Daryl's company and to begin dating. During the summer he also went on a volunteer service trip with the National Relief Network, organized by our church, to Parkersburg, Iowa to do post tornado cleanup and on a hiking trip with friends to the top of Mt. Whitney in CA (the tallest mountain in the continental United States). This fall he was a starting outside linebacker on the varsity football team, making 67 tackles during the season, earning his varsity letter and all-conference honorable mention.
J., 14, ran track again last spring. She also volunteered for the National Relief Network service trip to Iowa last summer. She attended marching band and cross country camps last summer as well, which prepared her to run on the cross country team and march in the marching band this fall. The first semester of her freshman year of high school was a busy one! In September J. received the sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church, which was a proud moment for all of us.
L., now 13, (we have 3 teens now!) continues to play soccer, his first love, and played football this fall and basketball in the early winter as well. He has also continued playing the clarinet. Ever the social butterfly, he is now beginning to get phone calls from girls and receive invitations to coed get togethers. He began middle school this fall and is really enjoying it.
I., 11, continues to play both clarinet and piano. She enjoys arts and crafts and ceramics as well. Always a fashionista, she spends a lot of time "shopping" on the internet and selecting just the right outfit to wear to school the next day.
T., 8, has found her niche with a horseback trail riding group. She loves the riding and has made some new friends in the group as well. She is in the 3rd grade now and really blossoming. T. experienced the sacrament of First Eucharist in April
K., 5, began Kindergarten this fall. He is attending a private program run by the preschool that A. attends. We were able to select the days he attends so that the two of them could spend more time together than would have been possible if he had attended the daily afternoon kindergarten he was assigned at the public school and A. attended preschool 3 mornings a week. They are the best of friends (and, at times, worst of enemies!) so this was important for us. He also enjoys a smaller class size in the private school. He is extremely curious and clever, and loves to learn. Learning to read is opening up a whole new world for him.
A., 4, is somewhat shy and had a hard time adjusting to the new preschool at first, but is really enjoying it now. Not to be left behind by K., she knows all of the letters and most of their sounds. She loves to draw and write and can write anything if you help her spell it.
M., 1, is sometimes known as Babyzilla. He is extremely active and rambunctious, and prefers making messes and getting into things around the house to playing with toys. He is by far our busiest toddler, as well as our largest, weighing in at 29 lbs. and measuring 33" tall at a year old.
All of the kids continue to do very well in school, working hard and enjoying academic success.
Daryl completed his year of sabbatical at the University at the end of August, and is back to a full teaching and research load. He continues to direct a research center at Michigan. He also continues on as CEO of his company, which is doing well, having formed a partnership with a large corporation during the past year and grown in revenue and people.
Paula had the most difficult year of any family member. In June she developed an autoimmune illness called dermatomyositis, which is characterized by a variety of rashes and skin disorders and muscle weakness. The cause of the illness is unknown, although there are many theories implicating parasites, bacteria, viruses and intense sun exposure, any of which might trigger the immune system to begin overreacting and attacking the body. Initially she had a lot of fatigue, hand numbness, tingling and swelling, and joint pain, as well as muscle weakness in her shoulders and hips. These symptoms made it difficult to do simple tasks like opening bottles and jars, doing buttons, zippers and snaps, etc. It has also been very difficult to lift and care for M., since he is so heavy to lift in and out of the carseat, highchair and stroller, and resists every diaper and clothing change. She was lucky to be diagnosed quickly, and began taking steroids to control the symptoms and was treated with a somewhat experimental drug called Humira from Aug.-Nov. while slowly tapering the steroids. The hope was that the Humira would put the disease into remission, but as the steroid dose got lower the symptoms returned and lab results confirmed that the disease was still active. This week she begins a new treatment, IV immunoglobulin, which has more proven success (90%) with dermatomyositis. The disadvantage to this treatment is that it takes 4-5 hours to receive an IV infusion of the medication, which she will receive weekly for the first month, and hopefully less frequently as time goes on, while tapering the steroids once again. She plans to use the time spent receiving the treatments to 1) address these cards! 2) read and 3) catch up on photo albums. If you think of it, please pray that the new treatment is successful!
We hope that 2008 was a good year for all of you, and send you our wishes for a happy and healthy 2009!
Here is our yearly family synopsis:
2008 was a year of travel for us. We visited Disneyworld for the first time for a long weekend in January, which was a fun but tiring trip. In April we went back to Florida for spring break, staying on North Captiva Island, a tiny island that doesn't allow any vehicles, where we rested and rejuvenated on the beach. In June we went to Telluride, Colorado, where we rented a house with our dear friends the XXXXX's and spent a week taking advantage of the hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and scenery in the area.
D., 16, played basketball last winter and ran track in the spring. The biggest event for him during the past year by far was getting his driver's license in June, which enabled him to work this summer for Daryl's company and to begin dating. During the summer he also went on a volunteer service trip with the National Relief Network, organized by our church, to Parkersburg, Iowa to do post tornado cleanup and on a hiking trip with friends to the top of Mt. Whitney in CA (the tallest mountain in the continental United States). This fall he was a starting outside linebacker on the varsity football team, making 67 tackles during the season, earning his varsity letter and all-conference honorable mention.
J., 14, ran track again last spring. She also volunteered for the National Relief Network service trip to Iowa last summer. She attended marching band and cross country camps last summer as well, which prepared her to run on the cross country team and march in the marching band this fall. The first semester of her freshman year of high school was a busy one! In September J. received the sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church, which was a proud moment for all of us.
L., now 13, (we have 3 teens now!) continues to play soccer, his first love, and played football this fall and basketball in the early winter as well. He has also continued playing the clarinet. Ever the social butterfly, he is now beginning to get phone calls from girls and receive invitations to coed get togethers. He began middle school this fall and is really enjoying it.
I., 11, continues to play both clarinet and piano. She enjoys arts and crafts and ceramics as well. Always a fashionista, she spends a lot of time "shopping" on the internet and selecting just the right outfit to wear to school the next day.
T., 8, has found her niche with a horseback trail riding group. She loves the riding and has made some new friends in the group as well. She is in the 3rd grade now and really blossoming. T. experienced the sacrament of First Eucharist in April
K., 5, began Kindergarten this fall. He is attending a private program run by the preschool that A. attends. We were able to select the days he attends so that the two of them could spend more time together than would have been possible if he had attended the daily afternoon kindergarten he was assigned at the public school and A. attended preschool 3 mornings a week. They are the best of friends (and, at times, worst of enemies!) so this was important for us. He also enjoys a smaller class size in the private school. He is extremely curious and clever, and loves to learn. Learning to read is opening up a whole new world for him.
A., 4, is somewhat shy and had a hard time adjusting to the new preschool at first, but is really enjoying it now. Not to be left behind by K., she knows all of the letters and most of their sounds. She loves to draw and write and can write anything if you help her spell it.
M., 1, is sometimes known as Babyzilla. He is extremely active and rambunctious, and prefers making messes and getting into things around the house to playing with toys. He is by far our busiest toddler, as well as our largest, weighing in at 29 lbs. and measuring 33" tall at a year old.
All of the kids continue to do very well in school, working hard and enjoying academic success.
Daryl completed his year of sabbatical at the University at the end of August, and is back to a full teaching and research load. He continues to direct a research center at Michigan. He also continues on as CEO of his company, which is doing well, having formed a partnership with a large corporation during the past year and grown in revenue and people.
Paula had the most difficult year of any family member. In June she developed an autoimmune illness called dermatomyositis, which is characterized by a variety of rashes and skin disorders and muscle weakness. The cause of the illness is unknown, although there are many theories implicating parasites, bacteria, viruses and intense sun exposure, any of which might trigger the immune system to begin overreacting and attacking the body. Initially she had a lot of fatigue, hand numbness, tingling and swelling, and joint pain, as well as muscle weakness in her shoulders and hips. These symptoms made it difficult to do simple tasks like opening bottles and jars, doing buttons, zippers and snaps, etc. It has also been very difficult to lift and care for M., since he is so heavy to lift in and out of the carseat, highchair and stroller, and resists every diaper and clothing change. She was lucky to be diagnosed quickly, and began taking steroids to control the symptoms and was treated with a somewhat experimental drug called Humira from Aug.-Nov. while slowly tapering the steroids. The hope was that the Humira would put the disease into remission, but as the steroid dose got lower the symptoms returned and lab results confirmed that the disease was still active. This week she begins a new treatment, IV immunoglobulin, which has more proven success (90%) with dermatomyositis. The disadvantage to this treatment is that it takes 4-5 hours to receive an IV infusion of the medication, which she will receive weekly for the first month, and hopefully less frequently as time goes on, while tapering the steroids once again. She plans to use the time spent receiving the treatments to 1) address these cards! 2) read and 3) catch up on photo albums. If you think of it, please pray that the new treatment is successful!
We hope that 2008 was a good year for all of you, and send you our wishes for a happy and healthy 2009!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Is the New Blog Working?
I just wanted to check in with you all about the new blog. I see from sitemeter that many people still stop by here, maybe to get the link to the new blog. No one ever comments on the new blog, so I wanted to make sure it's working. For some reason, you have to click the titles to see the pictures, and almost every post has a picture. If the commenting isn't working or you can't see the blog, leave a comment here and let me know. I know I rarely post anymore, but my counter on the new blog shows that people are stopping by there--just no comments and it makes me wonder.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Test Results and How I'm Doing
The good news is: normal mammogram, normal chest xray and normal colon cancer screening, AND the insurance company agreed to pay for the really expensive ($500+ per dose, one dose every 2 weeks) Humira medication!!
I just took my 3rd dose of Humira (the first 4 doses are once a week). I am feeling pretty good, but I can't really tell if it is the new medication working to put me into remission or just the prednisone keeping the symptoms at bay. I am a little better, less pain in my muscles and my hands are a lot better, less swelling and burning/tingling (but not totally gone), but the rashes are still the same. I see the rheumatologist on Sept. 10 and am curious what his criteria for improvement are. I think they will be lab test results--muscle enzyme measurements. I have elevated muscle enzymes caused by the inflammation.
The second half of the summer was much better than the
first. June was so stressful and in July I was so ill. Even though
long term prednisone use isn't good for you, it is allowing me to
function and even have some fun with my kids, so I am thankful.
Last week I got the results of a
sophisticated GI profile my dr. ordered. It revealed that I have a
common parasite (dientamoeba fragilis) and elevated yeast/fungi levels. I will probably need to
take antibiotics to kill the parasite, which will only cause
proliferation of the yeast/fungi, so then I will probably go on a
restrictive carb diet to starve the yeast. My dr. wanted me to
read over the test results and we'll discuss our plan of action at my
next visit after he talks it over with the rheumatologist.
I had an EMG last week which revealed extensive carpal tunnel syndrome--my wrist nerves are fried--no myelin, but that grows back. I also have proximal muscle weakness in my shoulders and neck, gluteus and hip muscles. It wasn't completely conclusive as to whether this is being caused by the disease or the steroids, because the steroids are masking some of the inflammatory symptoms, but the fact that I haven't been on the steroids very long and the pattern of muscle weakness--proximal (close to the spine) muscle weakness is a sign of the disease, leads the dr. to believe that it is being caused by the disease, not the steroids. This test really hurt, as opposed to the mammogram, which I was worried about since I haven't had one before and I am still nursing, and it didn't hurt at all.
It's ironic that God has sent me the sumo baby--my biggest by far and
a very fiesty, active kid that has to be wrestled at every clothing
and diaper change--at the same time that He sent me an illness which
gives me weak muscles.
So all in all it's better living through pharmaceuticals. I am just impatient to get back to totally normal again so I can do everything I used to do, like open jars and bottles, lift heavy stuff, lift anything over my head, and exercise. (The rheumatologist told me not to exercise while my muscles are inflamed because it will make it worse). I tire more easily too--I just have to take really good care of myself.
This summer was kind of a loss, but the good thing about it being summer when this happened was that the kids were home and have been really helpful, and Daryl was around more in the summer and he has helped a lot, too. I have also been blessed by having a great regular dr. who has taken great care of me while I waited for the rheumatologist appt.
I just took my 3rd dose of Humira (the first 4 doses are once a week). I am feeling pretty good, but I can't really tell if it is the new medication working to put me into remission or just the prednisone keeping the symptoms at bay. I am a little better, less pain in my muscles and my hands are a lot better, less swelling and burning/tingling (but not totally gone), but the rashes are still the same. I see the rheumatologist on Sept. 10 and am curious what his criteria for improvement are. I think they will be lab test results--muscle enzyme measurements. I have elevated muscle enzymes caused by the inflammation.
The second half of the summer was much better than the
first. June was so stressful and in July I was so ill. Even though
long term prednisone use isn't good for you, it is allowing me to
function and even have some fun with my kids, so I am thankful.
Last week I got the results of a
sophisticated GI profile my dr. ordered. It revealed that I have a
common parasite (dientamoeba fragilis) and elevated yeast/fungi levels. I will probably need to
take antibiotics to kill the parasite, which will only cause
proliferation of the yeast/fungi, so then I will probably go on a
restrictive carb diet to starve the yeast. My dr. wanted me to
read over the test results and we'll discuss our plan of action at my
next visit after he talks it over with the rheumatologist.
I had an EMG last week which revealed extensive carpal tunnel syndrome--my wrist nerves are fried--no myelin, but that grows back. I also have proximal muscle weakness in my shoulders and neck, gluteus and hip muscles. It wasn't completely conclusive as to whether this is being caused by the disease or the steroids, because the steroids are masking some of the inflammatory symptoms, but the fact that I haven't been on the steroids very long and the pattern of muscle weakness--proximal (close to the spine) muscle weakness is a sign of the disease, leads the dr. to believe that it is being caused by the disease, not the steroids. This test really hurt, as opposed to the mammogram, which I was worried about since I haven't had one before and I am still nursing, and it didn't hurt at all.
It's ironic that God has sent me the sumo baby--my biggest by far and
a very fiesty, active kid that has to be wrestled at every clothing
and diaper change--at the same time that He sent me an illness which
gives me weak muscles.
So all in all it's better living through pharmaceuticals. I am just impatient to get back to totally normal again so I can do everything I used to do, like open jars and bottles, lift heavy stuff, lift anything over my head, and exercise. (The rheumatologist told me not to exercise while my muscles are inflamed because it will make it worse). I tire more easily too--I just have to take really good care of myself.
This summer was kind of a loss, but the good thing about it being summer when this happened was that the kids were home and have been really helpful, and Daryl was around more in the summer and he has helped a lot, too. I have also been blessed by having a great regular dr. who has taken great care of me while I waited for the rheumatologist appt.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Update on Me
I finally saw a rheumatologist today. He believes that I have something called dermatomyositis, which is an autoimmune illness characterized by muscle weakness and a variety of skin rashes. He started me on a medication called Humira, which is a biologic that is injected, weekly at first then biweekly. It works well for about 70% of the people. For now, I will continue taking prednisone as well, and we will reassess in a month. If it works well, then we will taper off the prednisone. It's a good drug in that it doesn't cause any allergic or immune reactions because it's based on proteins already present in the body--it binds to the problematic antibodies, taking them out of commission without disabling my entire immune system the way some drugs can. I will be more susceptible to respiratory infections, but he said it should be nothing I can't fight off. If it works, then once the illness is in remission, then I will stop taking that medication and take something else that will keep me in remission, and hopefully that will be the END of it. He says it is a potentially serious illness that he is treating aggressively since he doesn't want me to lose ground with my muscles getting progressively weaker, but that he doesn't have any patients with this illness that aren't OK.
The only other problem could be that my insurance won't want to pay for this EXTREMELY expensive medication, or will want me to try methotrexate (a drug used in conjunction with chemo that is more toxic with more side effects and not compatible with breastfeeding) first and prove that it doesn't work. The dr. gave me samples to get me started.
If the Humira doesn't work then he will suggest infusions/transfusions of immunoglobulin, which also works well but is a hassle to get the infusions.
The dr. also ordered a chest xray, a mammogram, and a colon cancer screening test, because some people who present with dermatomyositis also have cancer. He emphasized that this was a small risk in my case (less than 10%) because those people tend to be older men, but he needs to rule it out. He also ordered an EMG to assess my muscle weakness and determine if it is being caused by the steroids or the illness. He thinks it's the illness since I'm not on a really high dose of steroids and I haven't been on them that long. He also put in a standing order for monthly labs to measure my muscle enzymes, which are moderately elevated and have been rising despite the prednisone.
That about covers it. So everybody please pray that I am in the 70% that respond well to Humira!
The only other problem could be that my insurance won't want to pay for this EXTREMELY expensive medication, or will want me to try methotrexate (a drug used in conjunction with chemo that is more toxic with more side effects and not compatible with breastfeeding) first and prove that it doesn't work. The dr. gave me samples to get me started.
If the Humira doesn't work then he will suggest infusions/transfusions of immunoglobulin, which also works well but is a hassle to get the infusions.
The dr. also ordered a chest xray, a mammogram, and a colon cancer screening test, because some people who present with dermatomyositis also have cancer. He emphasized that this was a small risk in my case (less than 10%) because those people tend to be older men, but he needs to rule it out. He also ordered an EMG to assess my muscle weakness and determine if it is being caused by the steroids or the illness. He thinks it's the illness since I'm not on a really high dose of steroids and I haven't been on them that long. He also put in a standing order for monthly labs to measure my muscle enzymes, which are moderately elevated and have been rising despite the prednisone.
That about covers it. So everybody please pray that I am in the 70% that respond well to Humira!
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About Me
- Paula
- SE Michigan, United States
- Mother to 10 fabulous kids, ages 9 to 27 years! Mother-in-law to 2 more awesome young adults! Married for 32 years to my best friend.
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God Will Make A Way6 years ago
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Zootopia is Cute as a Bunny, Sly as a Fox10 years ago
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