Marginally better today, emphasis on marginally. And only because the yuckier side effects of taking the plaquenil appear to be passing as my body becomes used to it. I don’t get the wicked headaches, anyway. I still get an upset stomach (although it’s not as bad), and less nausea. I do get super tired, and COLD! Also – heartburn. Gah! Now I’m just waiting for those good effects of plaquenil I keep hearing about 
Joint pain was pretty terrible yesterday and it doesn’t look like today is going to be any better. All the same pains, so I won’t reiterate, but I am noticing that the hip pain is spreading to my right side as well. It feels like it’s been whacked with something. Looks like that cane is going to continue to be my friend for a bit.
Walks yesterday, as well as some heavily modified yoga. It’s good to keep trying to work on my upper back – although it still gets cranky, especially in the bendier poses; there’s not much flexibility there at all anymore. The exercise, while necessary, has been especially hard on my hands/wrists, toes, shoulders and hips. It’s important to keep them moving but holy crap does it hurt sometimes! – Okay, all of the time.My shoulders are still keeping me from putting voltaren on my back – or, putting it on my back WELL might be a better way to put it. In addition to my shoulder locking up, my wrist doesn’t like to turn either. It’s been increasingly awkward. If I hadn’t had the shots back there, I don’t know what I’d do right now.
As good as it feels, I’m likely going to have to stop using my heating pad for a while, as my back is all mottled again. That always freaks people out. It would likely freak me out if I could see back there more often.
Cold. Toes. Holy crap! Cold fingers too, but the toes are the worst of it. I can’t seem to get them warm.
And have I mentioned the heartburn? yarrgh! I’m having a real juggle on my hands trying to sort that out without going back to a steady diet of gaviscon – something I had to resort to last night. Okay, not a ‘steady diet’, more like ‘two’, but still.
Memory is causing me serious issues. Just this morning I forgot – very briefly, fortunately – how to send an email, something I’ve been doing without thought for a hell of a long time. For some reason I hit a blank wall at the idea of tab-enter. More and more moments like that, it’s starting to have me worried.
yesterday: 300mg plaquenil, 2x naproxen, 8x tylenol, 8x voltaren/tigerbalm, 2x gaviscon. Also, I’ve been drinking ginger/honey/lemon, hoping to deal with nausea that way.
Chronic pain will screw with your memory and it seems that taking anything beyond OTC pain meds componds the problem. I hate it, I feel like I have dementia sometimes. *gentle squish*
I hate when I’m trying to remember something and am standing there, stammering like an idiot – gah!