David,
First, sending good thoughts that you continue to show that pnuemonia who is boss!
And, totally agree with you about the vaccinations. Until I got PN - the sickest I ever got in my life was every few years with the flu - after starting getting shots (worked in administration at a hospital and they kinda made us get them) - found I went for years without getting sick when I got my shots every year - they seemed to really help.

Also had a pneumonia vaccine once after we lost a family member in 5 days from complications of the flu that turned into severe pnuemonia - and I had a bad reaction to it for a couple of days - red swollen armband - but - I feel protected now and glad I did it....

I know lots of people think that the shots give you the disease - but its not true of course (side-affects maybe).... I hope all that can get vacinated! (now that I'm on IVIG no shots - they IVIG "juice" takes the place of the shots)

Hoping you feel better and stronger each day.....

MrsD,

I think you're right, it was Luke who had GBScaused by a flu innocualation, not RSD. I hope he's doing better.

My memory is as bad as anybody's in my family. The difference is that I know it. I think that all of our perceptions and memories are personal constructs that have at best a very weak correspondence to "objective" reality.

What I have looks nothing like sarcoidosis. The upper lobe of my right lung has (or had, I hope) one large coherent lesion right in the middle that looks a bit like an octopus, about 5 cm at the widest point. It is surrounded by what looks like emphasema in the CT scans. A thin needle biopsy and a broncheospcopy failed to nab an actual piece of the lesion. The PET scan was then ordered to see if an open chest biopsy was called for.

While there is increased metabolic activity around the lesion, the elevated metabolic level is consistant with the white blood cells the biopsies turned up in the area rather than with cancer. I feel confident that its not cancer because of the moderate activity level in the area, the absence of cancer cells in the biopsies (one cell was "questionable for adenocarcinoma", but only one cell), and the fact the the lesion is shrinking rather than growing.

My PN has been very aggrevated by all this, but isn't nearly as incredibly painful as during the first two years of having it. Another painful thing is wasting months of prescious time just vegging. I didn't have the energy to walk, work, cook, or even participate in the OBT forum during that period. Things are better now, but nowhere near 100%. Its funny how we focus on one thing, like PN, and get blind sided with something else that was totally unexpected.

connected, we just never learn the how's or when's till later, don't even ask about the WHY's!

So, anxiety levels are raised? No brainer. So, there may be connections? No brainer. Can you prove anything? Absolute NO BRAIN-er! As you have taught many, and well, get to that acceptance point and simply 'Go and do the things that need to be Done' [Garrison Kellior]. Can I make you some PHC Powdermilk Biscuits to help ya thru?

That and a couple of pain-free moments? - Good thoughts always, j

BTW Don't put all your trust in all the testing, your instincts are more fine tuned than most people they get...don't let them blast you off if you call their call w/the 'What Abouts?'.
I can say that what I call 'PetScan-Land' is a big fat fuzzy blanket that may or may not help-don't want to put salt in a raw area, but I've my doubts both pro and con?