Hi, hello, and welcome - I'm AlienDog

[AlienDog]

Research Reporter, Chat Technical Director, Chat Coordinator, Staff Trainer, and Board of Directors Member.

I live in Midwest USA with a cat, Loka Jakk. Because of a job injury, I am unable to work, so we are able to spend lots of time together. I do a lot of gardening - veggies, fruits, herbs, perennials, and a few annuals - reading, and creative pastimes like painting, jewelry making, and writing.

As for me, I am described as creative, funny, and energetic. I grew up in a home where humor was a part of life. Though my folks taught us kids to be responsible, honest, hardworking, and obedient, the thing I learned the best, is humor. When I was a therapist, humor was a large part of my treatment modality. My clients who could laugh and have fun were able to recover and move on with life much faster than those who resisted it. I also discovered that they were also able to handle future traumas and problems with minimal or no professional intervention.

I use humor to deal with my own life and the problems I encounter with Sjogren's Disease. Like most of us with "strange" illnesses, it took a while for me to be diagnosed. In July of 2000, I started getting fevers every day. My temperature started out sub-normal in the morning, and increased throughout the day until, by evening, I was feverish. After a month of this, I went to my doctor who put me through a series of tests. Blood results came back indicating something was amiss, but he had no clue what it could be. He did diagnose me with Raynaud's Syndrome, but knew the fever was unrelated, and much more serious. After different antibiotics failed to make a difference, and I began getting more weird symptoms, he put me through a host of other tests and sent me to many specialists.

Eventually, I was sent to an infectious disease specialist who diagnosed Systemic Scleroderma and, in August (after a full year of daily fevers), sent me to a rheumatologist who concurred with his diagnoses and added Sjogren's Syndrome, cranial neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, connective tissue disorder, and FUO (fever of unknown origin). After my blood tests came back with a negative Rheumatoid Factor, he recounted his original dx and said he couldn't treat me unless I had rheumatoid arthritis.

So, in December 2001 I went to another rheumy who diagnosed all the same things the other guy had, and then ran even more blood tests. I've since been diagnosed with Myofascia Pain, fibromyalgia, Poly Myalgia Rheumatica, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, fatigue, light sensitivity, GERD, and then breast cancer in 2024. My Rheumatologist had me taking Plaquenil and though it helped with some of the symptoms and the fatigue, I had to stop using it in December 2024 because it was causing irreversible retinal damage. We are now experimenting with vitamins and supplements to combat the cramping, pain, and fatigue, but noting is working, so far. We will keep trying!

I joined the Sjogren's World Staff in 2001 as a chat host and have met so many friends with Sjogrens Disease throughout the world. Sjogren's is different for each person, but there are still so many similarities that we can all relate to one another. I learn as much about dealing with Sjogren's from the chatters as they learn from me.

If you need info, support, ideas, or just a laugh, come join us in chat. We can discuss the reality of Sjogren's Disease and its effect on our lives. We are here, live, on Thursdays from 7 PM to 9 PM Central Time (and often later). Check the Chat Schedule to see when that will be where you live! We will love to see you!


Go forth, have fun, laugh, and visit us in chat!
AlienDog