Newbie and What the Heck Is Going On With Me?

[DeadGirl75]

Hi Shelly,

I'm in NC too, and though I haven't had the body aches and pains, I was hit with horrid dryness in July, spent two weeks of little sleep and food (and lots of water and internet searches for remedies) until my fourth ER trip led to an IV dose of steroids, then a prednisone pack. I too had a long wait for a rheumy appointment (on the coast), but as my condition didn't get better my primary care doc found an earlier availability with a highly rated rheumy in Chapel Hill.

Depending where you are in NC, you might find an earlier appointment with a rheumy in a larger city, but the downside can be it may will require travel (the travel was scary for me, as my appointment was still two months after my initial attack, and I was afraid to risk an overnight stay somewhere other than my familiar and well-stocked-for-dryness-remedies home).

Glad the steroids are working, and good luck to you. The one thing I learned is that even though Sjogren's isn't well known, there are some great resources (here and several blogs) that have a wealth of information. I used those sleepless nights to search the web and stock up on supplies for the dryness. Keep positive and have someone to talk with - and if you haven't found out yet, even with the driest of eyes tears still come up pretty quickly (though it came with a strange feeling in my eyes/tear ducts for me) - and as a bonus, when I did let go and cry my nose became runny, too (a welcome relief for a short moment to help with the dryness and give me an idea that my body still worked right sometimes!).

Pete

Thanks Pete.

I'm near Fayetteville and Chapel Hill is about an hour and a half away from me.  There are A LOT of medical facilities in this area, I think because of the nearness of Ft. Bragg. I carry my eyedrops with me everywhere and have lotion, but I'm shedding dry skin like a lizard. It's not pretty. Yes, you're so right about tears coming freely, it's a temporary relief but welcomed indeed.