Hi!
When I read this forum I am constantly amazed at how different everyone is in terms of their symtoms and yet there is this overriding commonality as well - so thanks for sharing your experiences David. I have a tentative diagnosis of AS (I am HLA-B27+), as I do not yet have the "diagnostic radiographic changes" in my SI joint and lower spine. I do, however, have persistant inflammation in both these areas and in my neck as well and fortunately have a rheumatologist who knows that AS isn't always straight forward to diagnose. I get inflammation over my whole body when I'm in a bad flare. Ribs, right ankle and left knee are particularly problematic. I luckily found this forum very quickly, and hopefully will never sustain the damage that so many here suffer with.
Hi Stacey - to answer your questions I have been following either a NSD or LSD for two years now. I tend to go low starch when I'm 'good' and go no starch when I'm in a flare to get me out of it. I had chronic pain in my lower back for about a year before that, and in the months before diagnosis and finding this forum I was in severe pain in my lower and mid back, right hip and neck. I now look back and realise that I also had flare about 10 years ago that lasted about nine months.
Hey, one more thing for those who suffer with GORD - I had it severely - I mean chronically - I was taking medication like an old bloke and I was a woman in my early thirties! It has virtually 100% gone with the NSD/LSD. Just one more success. It makes me smile everytime I realise this. Reflux is horrible!!!!!!!!!
Keep fighting!
Kylie
