Drop it like it's hot (second taper)

I went down to 80mg on Wednesday, and I'm doing okay!!

No re-flare up (YAY!)

Yesterday was a bitch.  I was hot, sweaty (moreso than normal prednisone issues), had heart palpitations, was shaky/jittery, had a headache, felt nauseated, and did not get out of bed (except to eat and use the washroom) until like 5pm... and only because I absolutely had to.

Today... is better.   I got out of bed at 9:30.  I did two presentations, got some work done, got my blood work done, did some grocery shopping, dishes and laundry... I felt hot and clammy all day (my temperature is fine though)... but it was also unseasonably hot out, and my normal tiredness and muscle soreness... and some raging... but I feel... better than I've felt in a long time.  (Still not "well" or "good" but... less shitty?)

I'll take less shitty.

I will also take all the hell that tapering has, is, and is going to cause, if it means getting the heck of prednisone faster, and returning to my normal.

I drop down to 60mg next week, and then get reassessed the week after (I also see the Internal Medicine doctor next week).

I've actually been able to do things... like read assignments, and work on my Honours thesis project (I found out since I'm distributing it across Canada I need to have a French version, so I've been working on that... and need to start my Ethics proposal soon).  School work makes me ridiculously happy.  It gives me a sense of normalcy and productivity... ummm... and I can do the readings in bed.

As much as I resisted it at first, it was a really good idea to only do 2 courses and my Honours (I was originally going to take 4 and my Honours- which is 2 course credits, so 6 courses).  I think I would have broken.  My Honours is very flexible, but this week keeping up with my two courses was a bit of a struggle (well... I skipped them both on Thursday because I couldn't get out of bed... so if I had missed 4, that would be even more stuff to catch up on... although thankfully all I missed was discussion and a lecture, I had read what I needed to for the week).

So everyone was right and I'm glad I listened to everyone else and not to my stubbornness.

I've already decided on my next tattoo (once I'm off of the prednisone for long enough that I start healing normally again and my skin is normal)

crossed out (It's the chemical structure for Carbamazepine).  I was debating between it or C15H12N2O crossed out which is the molecular formula for it... but I think the picture works better for where I want it (on my forearm, I have a multipolar neuron on my other forearm).  

Months to go... things to look forward to (maybe I'll be able to get it at Christmas when I go back to Ontario!) 

Stay healthy, 

Elyse