Latest Checkup

I mentioned yelling at God on the trail a few weeks back and being frustrated at hearing silence in return. Well, He yelled back in a big way this week. The rheumatologist looked me and stated verabtim, "Your liver tests are almost normal. Your CK readings are normal. This is a miracle. There is a higher power at work here." I am corrected and humbled. I am so blessed and fortunate to be doing so well.

I am running a few miles at a time, I'd like to get some power back into the equation and start running some "strong" miles. I am still lifting weights, and am at about 60%-80% of what I was lifting prior to disease. I still have more noticable deficiencies in certain muscle groups, especially those closer to the core of my body. It remains difficult and awkward for me to get up off of the floor. I still have quite a bit of stiffness and some arthritis in certain joints. However, I am certainly bouncier and more perky. Prednisone continues to bother me and make me unlike myself at times, both physically and emotionally. But good reports mean that I can continue to taper. I started 30 mgs daily and will drop to 20 in a few weeks. I continue to feel an increased sense of normalcy in everyday life.

I still wonder and worry about what kind of cycle this "up" phase is part of. It's easy to get cocky and start taking this feeling for granted. I also acknowledge that I am still on heavy Prednisone, and am cycling through emotional highs and lows. My last checkup was a major high, and I will get frustrated and sad again when it wears off, focusing more on the deficiencies again rather than the gains. What an experience, all of it.