I was on a two hour drive back from my Rheumatologist's office yesterday and I amused myself by thinking about some of the crazier aspects of having PMR (Jeff Foxworthy style to the Americans in the forum). I came up with a few personal examples and hope some of you will add a few more
If you've ever found yourself using a broom to knock the coffee can out of the overhead cupboard that just a few weeks ago was within easy reach...well...you might have PMR.
If you've ever, however briefly, considered calling emergency services (911 here in the States) to tell them "I have fallen into the kitty litter and I can't get out!"...then, yes, you might have PMR.
If you've ever googled "tilt-a-bed" imagining a bed that will roll side to side, gently helping you to roll out of bed in the morning, only to find that "tilt-a-beds" are the beds that are wired to spring back into a secret wall cubby in the morning, and find the imagery of yourself stuck in that bed absolutely terrifying...then...that's a sign you have PMR.
Upon the pharmacy tech telling you that your refill is limited to 10 tablets because they are running low on prednisone, if you stand there in quiet shock, all while imagining yourself leaping across the counter, grabbing them by the shoulders and yelling "Don't you understand what that MEANS????"...then you very well could have PMR.
If you've ever addressed your bottle of little white prednisone tablets with "Come to Mommy my little preeeeettyyyy!"...well that's quite decent sign you have PMR.
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Rosedail
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....or after 20mins of struggling in vain to get out of the bath wondered which one of your friends, neighbours or even the fire service would you contact for the indignity of removing you from said bath.... then vowing never again (until diagnosis and the magical pred then the whole bathroom became a playground and not a place of torture)
Haha, my wife always says "take a hot bath with some Epsom salts, it will feel great"...it does too, except for the half hour spent trying to get up and out of it, by that time I need another one or a pain pill..
that's why I never take the risk,shower it is.and even then I'm making sure someone is in the house just incase my body decides to re-enact Swan lake🧚♀️
If you've ever, however briefly, considered calling emergency services (911 here in the States) to tell them "I have fallen into the kitty litter and I can't get out!"...then, yes, you might have PMR.
I'm very sorry Rosedail, but I giggled far too much at this!
If you've ever left a terrible movie playing on the TV because reaching for the remote just wasn't worth it...
If you've ever sipped brandy through a straw to get that nice warm glow without having to lift the snifter...
If you've ever wanted to use your walking stick to beat some young chicklet bounding up the stairs two at a time...
If you've ever come home from the pharmacy and opened your prescription bag only to find that you have a child-proof bottle of pred you can't open...
If you've taken to wearing clothes without buttons or zippers...
If you've ever had to struggle further with your hair because you can't reach up to put on a hat, or worn your socks from the gym to bed because you can't get them off...
Have you ever started carrying bandaids and antibiotic ointment in your purse, and maybe a tweezer because your skin has become so delicate that almost any rough or pointy object can pierce it? Yesterday, in the visor mirror, I realized that the scratch on my neck was really a splinter from some old wood I'd moved the day before. At the next light, the sun illuminated the splinter perfectly, with my handy tweezer I withdrew the splinter, and applied some antibiotic ointment. It was a long light.
I would have to add.... If you walk the same path and find yourself looking for a place to sit down and think.... this seemed much shorter an hour ago.... Then you just may have PMR
When the air turns blue as you shout obscenities at the ridiculous, repetitive 'news' on tv - my steroid tongue is surprisingly creative... (I do live on my own!)
Add to that - Getting something out the bottom of the fridge, then having to crawl out of the kitchen and into the lounge to drag yourself up on a chair to standing position.
I have had to change my separate fridge and freezer for a combined fridge/freezer or we would have starved by now. Hubby has problems with back too.
Susanspurs At my lowest point, I did exactly that, for about 3 weeks! Slept sitting up on settee with cushions under feet because footstool was too high 😰 Too sore to lie back in bed. Hope those days are long gone.
Throwing yourself on the couch when you think you are unable to take one more step, and you realize you don't have the remote control, phone or Kindle in reach but are too bushed to get up for it , so you just lie, looking up at the ceiling needing to pee, to boot.
When you think you took your steroids but then you second-guess yourself and imagine yourself dropping dead because you overdosed or thinking you didn’t take them at all and imagine yourself not being able to get out of bed because you actually didn’t take them!
If you have ever paid your bills online three times because of the fog brain and overdrawn your bank account, them you probably have PMR. If you have ever found your uncooked pasta in the silverware drawer or your purse in the refrigerator then you probably have PMR.
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If medications work, how do you know when you've got rid of PMR
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PMR Voices Survey. Please participate if you have the time and inclination.
Some vacation, thank you PMR
