Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group a million questions....& not even sure how to ask

Hi Jaye. I am new too, I haven't been diagnosed yet but I think I have Rhematoid Arthritis {RA} and AS.

I wanted to share a little with you about my eye. I'll try to make a long story short. My first attack was Dec 2004, I woke up and my eye was very red, sore, painful, and sensitive to light--I ended up at the opthamologist and he said I had iritis gave me drops, I used the drops for about 2 months, the opthamologist sent me to get a steroid injection in the eye [ahhhhh!!! I hate needles!!!]well I guess that worked somewhat as I could see and the eye wasn't too painful. However, I still had the iritis in the eye it was just kinda dormant [I thought it was gone!]. This july I had another attack of iritis [but it wasn't painful, I just recognized the symptoms] I went to my optician to get an eye test done, she wouldn't give me a prescription she wanted me to go immediately to the opthamologist. Well, I didn't, I went to my GP first, then he told me to go immediatley to the opthamologist! Well I couldn't! I had to go to Children's Hosp. with my almost 3 year old daugther for testing [related to another matter!!] for a week. So long story short, I finally made it to the opthamologist yestereday! More drops, etc. However, he said to me with how my eye looks to him I should be in a lot of pain! That is why I am replying to you. I have iritis but it is not painful!!! Did your doc say you have iritis? It is quite common with AS [from what I can gather in my research] and can be very serious! Just because it isn't painful to you that doesn't mean it isn't doing damage! Make sure you are taking care of it.

Also, the steroid drops you need to put in your eye can cause cataracts over time that may or may not need to be operated on. BUT, steroid use does NOT cause AS!!! Go to a different doc!

From what I can see/research there are lots of women with AS perhaps our 'higher pain tolerance' is a factor in diagnoses!!??? After all we do manage child birth!

On another note, I am 39, and have three children as well James, 11, and Adrian, 9, and my daughter Elisabeth, almost 3 [Sept 7]. I also homeschool, kinda crazy, hey??? but I wouldn't have it any other way!

I am currently not on any meds [besides the eye drops and ibuprofen]. I don't have any real pain, just what I would call discomfort!

I hope you get lots of replies and that the replies help you to feel easier and to be able to cope with your daily duties as wife/mother!! Do you work outside the home? I will assume not as you are homeschooling!

Anyways, hope you have a good day today!
Rita

https://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=231403&page=&fpart=1&vc=1

https://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=203614&an=0&page=2#203614


AS exercises

https://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=201342&an=0&page=1#201342

Here you are jaye - Promised to post the AS exercises. Cindy, a forum member and a physiotherapist, very kindly put em together for us. They are excellent. Now there are other exercises and when I have a stretch (!) of time to dig em out of my opencast filing system I will post the links to em here.

Just wanted to mention that your doctor must be a first class prize prat to state that AS comes from STDs... That just really beats the band. (Can't wait to relay that one to my GP - he'll fall off of his chair with amazement, and roars of laughter! ) Has to be the best in a good number of years! Help... What I suggest you do is check around and get the fella a nice booklet on AS - they are available. Present it to him with your very best regards then dump him pdq

Heart palpatations. Yes. Mine has periods of going wild. Thrumps around all over the place, wakes me up, stops me going to sleep, makes a darn nuisance of itself. Wore a thinggie for 24 hours, nowt! Go figga. Yes. I do drink coffee. And certainly have a glass of wine every night. For the past couple of months it has behaved itself, until this past 48 hours. Think it could be stress levels, dunno.

But if you are concerned, you can get it checked out. Will have to wear this contraption for 24 hrs - yr kiddoes will find that quite amusing...can't operate a microwave whilst wearing it BTW, otherwise you'll strip the input clean! Oh yes, what do they feel like? Thruuump-thrump tthhhruuump-thru-uumph-thrump thhhrummmph-th-rum-ppp thrump thrump t-rr-th-rump etc. IOW uneven and someimes like your heart is literally in your mouth or dancing a rather wild Irish jig Weird, but everyone will be different.

Hope this has helped a tad - but above all, get some you R&R time. Veryeee important. Cyber hugs from across the ole puddle -

Molly
Keeping on Keeping on (s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g ya)

SOME CLARIFICATION!!!!!!
it wasnt my gp it was my husbands...I guess i didnt make that paragraph very clear. My husband went in to HIS GP to ask to be tested for AS, HE was told that it could be caused by std's...so when he got home and told me that I didnt laugh i was FURIOUS! How dare someone who obviously knows nothing tell someone a line of crap like that! About his wife....Needless to say I had to go through all the disease info again and that no one knows what causes it...but these are possiblities...but NONE of the possibilities are stds...and i dont have one and never have...
I put that paragraph in two fold...1)as a question if i should have my husband get tested by my rheumy (his aunt has A.S. and he has had hip pain since he was 13) and 2)
I like to laugh at things and figured you all could use a good laugh too...I dont think that dr. is going to be a popular one...
Jaye

Hi Jaye - Your poor husband he must have felt devastated: Hmmm, reckon he could possibly sue that doctor for saying that, should have got it in writing from him Not happy for you either having to counter such an allegation...ho-hum. But the other side of the coin is sheer hilarity. The guy needs some educating methinks. Get that booklet, available from - http://www.spondylitis.org/ Go present it to him personally with a note to advise that he's VERY lucky not to find himself with a court case around his neck!

Hope you found the info on the stretches useful. Take care -

Molly
Keeping on Keeping on (s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g)

Howdy and welcome !
So glad you found a good doc, that's part of the battle
I too suffer form palpitations, mine are extra upper chamber heartbeats, and I have had them since I started having problems which eventually led to my diagnosis.

Docs aren't worried about them, so I won't either... I have enough on my plate, just wanted to let you know you're not the only one !~

hugs,
fishy

Hi Jaye

I would also add, with regard to your homeschooling, it's a good idea to get your kids to take a break every 20 minutes and stand up, wriggle round and have a shake - this is something they suggest with training days and I use it with my adult learners. It actually helps them concentrating. You can have a good old move, wriggle, stretch yourself at the same time. Then, before everyone sits down, you can get each person to ask a question of someone else about what they have just been learning.

And get your kids involved with your care - I only have the one son, he's now 19 and I'd had AS for 11 years before he was born. If I was really hurting on my neck or shoulders or rib cage, even as a little boy he would give my back/neck/shoulders a little rub with his tiny little hands to help it and you know, it did - I just think it was the love that helped. Good luck, Louise