I saw the rheumie today. My new bloodwork was no better. His thinking is that the flare of the rheumatoid arthritis/spondylarthropathy/sjogren's and whatever the heck the rest of the stuff is, is causing my anemia. He has raised my methotrexate back to the level that it was when I was at Mayo, 20 mg.

If I'm not feeling better in two weeks, he's going to put me on a daily dose of 7.5 mg. of prednisone for a few months to bring the inflammation down. But we are both hoping that the methotrexate will bring it down. I am just in a lot of pain. All the joints,.. but primarily the sacro/sacroilliac joint, hip area. The swelling is causing me a lot of pain too in my ankles. And the neuropathy is out of sight!!

If the bloodwork doesn't come down with the inflammation relief in 4 weeks, then he is sending me to a hematologist and will get another rheumatology opinion. I can tell he's frustrated. He says he has me on methotrexate and Humira which European studies have said for years is the best for my diseases. But then I'm getting no better, only worse. The prednisone is not good because of my bones but he says the inflammation isn't good either. Kind of a d*mned if you don't and a d*mned if you do situation.

Anyway, that's the plan.

EDIT: OOps! quick change. The testwork he thought he was looking at just came in this afternoon. Hemo. and Hemocrit is dangerously low. He's hospitalizing me and giving me blood. I'll know more in a day or two. And....I'VE GOT MY LAPTOP for when I can use it.

Billye