Under a cloud...................

I'm having a health issue. I detest having to explain my absence here due to illness. Sometimes life throws you a curve and you wake up one day knowing something is wrong with your body. This apparently happens more often as we age............and no matter how hard we try to do the right things to protect our good health, sometimes we still get slammed.

A couple days prior to flying off to Australia last month, the sudden onset of severe pains in both arms from shoulders to wrists and hands, with a loss of use especially in my right hand, and pain and stiffness in both thighs, especially at night and on trying to get out of bed in the mornings, had me dash to the pharmacy for pain medicine. Two days prior I'd had my annual physical, top to toe, with great results for all tests, scans etc. So off I went to the other side of the planet armed with Tylenol, Aleve, and later Panadol which I had to purchase in OZ when I ran out. My thoughts were I'd worked too hard in the garden or was just a bit stressed from all the travel preparations. Taking the pain relievers helped somewhat. I was able to enjoy the trip despite the exertion required to hop in and out of the Zodiac boats, but passed on some walking and climbing. The last couple of days I just couldn't join in the climbs to view Aboriginal rock paintings in 106 degrees, I was feeling pretty awful by then. I was so thankful that the almost 30 hours flying to get back to SFO was in Business Class - thanks Paula - and I could sleep lying flat for several hours, only problem being I could hardly get back up on my feet until I popped those darned pain pills!  

I dislike taking any medicines however it now looks like I will have to for some time. The only treatment is Prednisone - yes, that nasty steroid which often has side effects. Along with that I'm on other new meds to help with sleep, gastric distress, and to lower blood pressure. Long story short, after two doctor appointments in the last three days, I've been diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)- click to read more. Thankfully not life threatening, not curable, usually manageable, but sometimes a year or more on meds to hit remission. This illness has no known definite cause and often arrives without notice overnight, as did mine. It targets mostly women over 50, and more often closer to 70......I qualified!

I plan to get on with life......travel awaits and I leave again in three weeks time to visit a place long at the top of my wish list, beautiful Venice - more on this trip later. Then I fly home to England for Christmas. My fingers, although painful, are crossed and I hope for better days soon. Sleep disruption is slowing me down but I hope to get back here soon with more lovely pics from the Australian expedition. Be patient with me please, forgive me if I can't always comment but know I'm reading your posts. I do not want to shut down my blog! My posts may be sporadic for a while as I adjust to the meds and my pain is managed. 

Old bottles on the sill of the Durack Homestead, Kununurra, Western Australia.