Greetings All 
Just a quick-ish update from Benjski Mansions. 'MB...Quick-ish...?!' I can hear you groaning already... 
Ok, here goes (Disclaimer: Do Not Try This at Home):
It's exactly 4 weeks since my ambitious (or as some of you might say, reckless) reduction from 4mgpd Preds to Zero by a cunning strategy of progressively delaying my Pred 'fixes' with a cautious 'see how it goes' approach, day by day.
The good-ish news: So far, so good with my provisional / probationary membership of PCZ (Pred Club Zero). First, I am still alive and have not succumbed to an Adrenal Crisis (NOT advised) nor endured any significant Pred withdrawal effects other than those that many of Us Lot typically report, at whatever stage in the tapering process from 20mgpd to even 2mgpd.
Yep, some usual but tolerable low-level morning pain and stiffness and fatigue which must mean that the PMR inflammatory stuff is still lurking around. Boo... :-(. But not so much of the Deathly Fatigue, and feeling incrementally better at Zero, day by day. Still the daily Snakes and Ladders oscillation energy-wise (+/-), but with fewer highs and lows (if you get my drift?).
My Conclusion? I can now cope / function reasonably well at Zero Pred (at last - after 3 long years!). And, although far from 'recovered' from PMR / it having gone into remission, it's encouraging to think that I'm not dependent on the Preds - for now at least. Psychologically, that's a massive boost to the 'system', as I'm sure you will understand.
That said, my main message to You / Us Lot is:
Although I've pushed the boundaries / broken the Rules around the best recommended Pred tapering regimens and got away with it (Ha - Story of my Life!), this is only my experience. Please don't follow my lead unless you are confident about doing so and / or with the (hopefully trusted) advice of your Medics - and in your own Health Context and Circumstances.
I still concur with the Aunties and other experts here that SLOW Pred tapering (e.g. DSNS or its equivalents) is the Best Advice so as to avoid or at least minimise the nasty side-effects of reducing the Preds by too much and / or too quickly. So, Caution should always Rule in the PMR / GCA / Pred reduction equation, for many of us.
On the Positive Side:
Yes, many of us CAN and probably will reach the Goal of the elusive Pred Club Zero-ish with patience and care. But, as I well-know, we have to give it time and learn to roll-with the tough bits along the way.
But, probably the more important Goal is to emotionally survive and cope on the long and often unpredictable Journey either to Pred Club Zero and / or Remission from these truly nasty and Life Changing illnesses. And, if not recovering or likely to recover fully, we still have to learn to survive and cope with whatever Life and Illness throws at us. That's my 'take' on things, for better or worse.
Now, where's Teddy (Tedski)..? Ah, yes, he's out-on-the-town having borrowed my treasured Limo to impress his new girlfriend 'Olesia'. I wish them well, so long as I get the Limo back intact at the end of the evening. We'll see.. 
Try to keep smiling on the PMR / GCA / Pred Journey
'Uncle' MB
