y'all are so resourceful...thanks so much for the links and info.
well, it sounds like i must have the pre-AS thing, or "undifferentiated spondyloarthrapy". i think that's probably where my generic "arthritis" diagnosis comes in to play.
something tells me, though, that after this pregnancy, once they take the films, they'll see a whole lot of damage done. this has definitely been hard on my body, and i'm having all the classic AS symptoms now, whereas before i didn't.
it is interesting, though, that i don't respond so well to NSAIDS. i mean, it's not like they don't work at all...but they just barely take the edge off the pain. and at night, when i've been awakened at 2 or 3 am with intense pain, they don't work much at all....but nothing does. i think sometimes the pain is just too intense for the NSAIDS, vicodin, and muscle relaxers.
the pain feels like it comes from the muscle and fascia in the area where my lumbar spine and sacrum meet. it's like there's all this inflammation that causes muscle spasms and trigger points in there, which then pull on all the surrounding muscles and tissues, causing tightness all up and down my right side of my back and down into my leg. ugh. i've tried to describe this to different health care providers, but nothing has ever worked well except for the cortisone shot. but even that, which i had done 2.5 weeks ago, has seemed to stop working. usually it lasts 2-3 months.
but yeah, dragonslayer, you are right. after my baby is born, if this guy doesn't act more aggressive in treating this, i will find a different rheumy. he told me last year that if i have AS then it's pretty mild. well, maybe he's right. but it sure doesn't FEEL mild, you know? it hurts like hell and has for 2.5 years. and i'm really tired of it...i want to be able to care for my baby without focusing on my pain. i want to go to nursing school. i have all these dreams, and all these docs seem to think it's okay to hurt all the time. no more! i'm so done with that attitude!
