Update after Ireland trip

[PatB1948]

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know about my trip to the wedding in Eire (Bunratty) last weekend. First of all we made the mistake of travelling by car and ferry and it was a long journey even though we stayed in a hotel overnight at Stranraer going, we should have flown and it would have been much shorter, less tiring. On the morning of the wedding, I had a mishap, lost my footing and fell on some steps outside the hotel. (This was before I had a drink, I may add). I went down with a real thud which was worse as I am by no means a small lady. As you can imagine, I bruised my shins, knees, elbow and shoulder. Anyway, I managed to get ready and the wedding service at the church and the reception was lovely. I actually felt okay. The next day, however, the bruises had really come out, they were made worse as I am on Warfarin, which together with the Pred have made bruises really colourful. I am feeling achy all over and have been very fatigued until this morning. I seem to be recovering from my trauma of falling and the stress of travelling, wedding etc. I am not sure if my aches and pains are the PMR or the effects of falling. I am due to cut down to 20mg Pred on Saturday. I am only reducing by 2.5mg instead of 5mg and GP is okay with this. Hope I haven't gone on too much. Pat

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Oh dear Pat,

What a shame, but glad you managed to get through the wedding okay. I bet you do feel bruised and battered, literally and metaphorically after all that!

Would guess that aches and pains are combination of the actual fall, and some PMR, so when it comes to Saturday if you still feel the same, my advice would be put the reduction on hold for, say another week. Suggest you speak to GP again tomorrow, if you can, and say you'd rather delay reduction, no point in putting your body under extra stress, and a week here or there is nothing in the great scheme of things!

Meanwhile, rest up, and use arnica for the bruises.

[PatB1948 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks, DL, I agree with you about maybe putting off the reduction for another week, I'll see how I feel, it will be ok with doc as he is fine letting me do the tapering at my own rate. Yes, Arnica is a godsend.

Pat

[Rose1bud in reply to DorsetLady]

As I was feeling a bit weird after dropping from 20mg to20 mg my rheu got me to have blood test on 20 for a week now blood test down from 56 to 10 am to continue with 20 for an other week am having another blood test next week to make sure it is going the right way my blood count was 300 8 weeks ago I am so relieved thank u for all your comments

[SnazzyD]

A mixed bag then! Glad you made it to the wedding.

In my experience when I was nursing, the main injuries from falls reach a peak over 28 hours. Then the hidden extras that you didn't realise you had appear over the next week sometimes two, including the shock reactions. I fell recently trying not to step on my dog. I tripped on a tree root, went flying and had to land awkwardly to avoid falling on her. Most undignified. Anyway, I felt that it took a good week to feel normal again. As I said to someone, falls are a gift that keeps on giving. Trouble is, when you have other things going on, you don't know what's what.

[PatB1948 in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks, SnazzyD, it is interesting how falls and injuries effect the body, I didn't realise the shock etc could last for so many days aferwards. The sorest bit is where I scraped the skin off my elbow and knee. The saving grace was that when I fell, there were not many people about!

Pat

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to PatB1948]

I toppled off a bike - really hardly anything compared to yours - and I felt shaky for a week! One tiny little scrape on my knee and it was worse than torn ligaments and a brace for 6 weeks!

[PatB1948 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for replying, PMRpro, I felt better this morning but fatigue has caught up again so having a rest with feet up.

Pat

[Rokerman in reply to PMRpro]

There is something about falling off a bike PMRPro that is singularly inelegant (not to say painful) - some years ago I had a go on my cycling-mad son's racing bike. This requires wearing 'Look' cycling shoes which lock into the pedals to give you greater oomph. All was well until I came to traffic lights - nobody had told me how to twist the feet to 'unlock'. I swayed left and right until falling sideways without being able to put a foot down to break the fall...

Not only was it painful but I looked a right twit !

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Rokerman]

You are absolutely spot on! I did at least have freedom of legs and arms to break the fall!

[Rimmy]

Blimey !! hope you are continuing to improve - you would have NEEDED a drink after that fall Not sure what it is but weddings and the challenges they seem to represent are a big theme in discussions - I think I might try to avoid them !

I am about where you are on my own pred reductions and as I get close to the 20mg after being on much higher doses - I am starting to recognise i also need to slow my tapering down. If I were you at the moment though - to be clear - I might sit on the current dose until some of the aches and pains diminish somewhat.

All best wishes

[PatB1948 in reply to Rimmy]

Thanks, Rimmy, yes I think I will stay on the 22.5mg for a bit longer. On my list from Doc showing amounts to reduce, it started with a 10mg reduction from 40 to 30 after 4 weeks. I managed this ok but the 10mg drop after another 2 weeks was too much so I went up to 25 which worked for me for another 2 weeks. I then decided to only go down by 2.5 which has been ok also. Doc is ok with this so we'll see how it goes after I am fully recovered from my fall.

Pat

[Rugger in reply to PatB1948]

No more than 10% reductions are a good rule of thumb, therefore as the dose gets smaller, so should the reduction. Writing this as a note to myself as well, after a recent flare when I continued to reduce at 1mg / month regardless, from 9mg, 8mg, 7mg, 6mg, 5mg, 4mg and now back up to 10mg to clear the inflammation! What am I like?

[SheffieldJane]

Gosh Pat you have just come through the ordeal I am facing for this Saturday, and you fell!!!!! I hope you did manage to enjoy the wedding and I imagine the setting was magical. Poor you and your bruised and battered body, you are amazing for getting through the wedding at all. If it were me I wouldn't reduce at all for a few days. You've been through an awful lot. You don't want to risk a flare. Of course you haven't gone on too much! These detailed posts help more than you think. Were you wearing heels? I normally wear flat shoes and am intending to wear a modest wedge heel for my wedding. Is this just an elephant trap I've set for myself?

[PatB1948]

Hi Jane, thanks for replying. No, I was not wearing heels, I had flat sandals on. I did wear a small wedge which I knew would be comfortable for the wedding so you should be fine with yours. I intend to leave Pred dose the same for the foreseeable. Have a pleasant time at the wedding and try to relax and pace yourself.

Pat

[Jackoh]

Good to hear how you got on , no you didn't go on!! Slowly slowly does it- hope you'll soon be feeling back to your old self. I suppose it's good too to learn from these experiences re travel and how to do it the easiest way- we're all on that learning curve!! Xx