Hi Jaye,
I am fairly new to this site too. I am sure you will get alot of answers here and find it very helpful.
I too have been dxd with AS & Fibro. AS 13 yrs ago & Fibro 4 yrs ago. I struggle w/ my weight as well. I am 5'7" & am barely able to maintain 110lbs. I started the low starch diet today. Although, I read here that most people lose weight on this diet & I was worried about that as well, I am going against the odds & just believing that I will gain weight because I will feel so much better. I will be posting about that as I go along.
I am really inept when it comes to computer stuff so I don't know how to post a link to a uveitis site, but I'm confident someone will. I can tell you my experience & beliefs. For me, uveitis was painful. I knew right away when I had it because it would hurt quite bad even before it turned red. I too get the blurry vision to the point where I have trouble driving-I have always thought that was from fibro as well as the light sensitivity. However, light sensitivity is also a symptom of uveitis but I never had it w/o pain. There may be those who have.
Although there are some who would argue this point, I think in general Fibro is not considered a disease which causes inflamation. It is not progressive or degenerative. AS is all of those!!!! Fibro tends to have a long list of strange symptoms-most of which I have. A good place to get that list is from the arthritis foundation or google (
).STARLANYL I suggest that you try to make the time to educate yourself about your disease-it will empower you.
I am a woman & I can bet that AS has affected me worse than some men here. What I have read & been told by Rheumies is that fusion of the spine occurs less in women than in men-women seem to have more problems w/other joints. But, I knew a mother & daughter at my doc's office that both had fused necks? So, every case is different I think.
I can't candy coat it for you Jaye. It's a hard road dealing with all of this when you have so many responsibilities & people that depend on you. I can only say here that you must find time to take care of yourself. A little R&R when you can fit it in-alittle pampering. If you don't it could make things alot worse.
Hope to see you around KA. Tapping in to all the wisdom that is here may help you cope.
Peace, Tam
