Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Women Only Message Board [Sticky] Women Only Forum

Hi All,

This forum is for women. Although these are public forums, we asked that you respect the nature of this forum.

That said...I am not here.

Regards,

Chris

I'm not sure if you get this a lot, but how do I just post something where anyone can reply? I was recently diagnosed with AS and would like to hear about other's stories. Please help.
Thanks
Becki

go to the general message board and click 'new topic'

Becki, the general message board is here:
http://forums.spondylitis.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1

Or you can start a topic here in Women's as winelover described. "New Topic" is a button with blue text at the upper left above the threads/topics.

The root name of my physical pain has been a mystery for years. I didn't even know there was one until this past Wed(Nov. 10). My doctor has been working with me for 18 mo. (the age of my youngest) and reviewed my case again this week.
My symptoms: so so tierd all the time, foggy head, unable to do 2 simple things at once, pain in my spine, shoulders, low back, SI joints, the dry eyes, nausea, and vomiting (pain related)
The Dr. said they all point to "Spondylitis" and diagnosed me with "Seronegative Arthritis". Then suggested I look them up online at the Mayo Clinic [i]and The Arthritis foundation[/i]. I had no idea...he could have handled that with more tack. Frankly, it has been an emotional coaster seeing all the different types and now knowing if I have AS or USpA or something else I have not yet read.
I have family support and a fantastic husband- I am so glad they don't know 1st hand what this feels like! I do feel the need to find someone who does understand. Guess that is why I am here.
I know God will see me through this and that relationship is undoubtedly the one thing keeping me from being completely depressed. My kids are not even in school yet and at by mid-week I need a break because I am so spent physically and in such pain it keeps me on the couch and my babies go to Grandma and Grandpa's till Daddy gets home. It just makes me cry and pray we have finally found out WHY! I am hopeful that I have seen some treatments beyond just narcotics. My heart goes out to all who have this. We all just take it one moment at a time. God Bless.

Hi there, oh man i feel your pain! Sorry you are suffering, my lack of support at home brought me here and i am glad i did cause there's tons of helpful folks on this site. Some history on me, 1 miscarriage due to cervical cancer, 2 surgery to correct cancer, another miscarriage, 2 premature live births, ovarian cysts, and irregular periods. Currently periods are every 3 weeks and my paps come back normal and so does my blood work except for the high inflammation levels in my blood. I worry that my heart is being squeezed to death cause of the missed beats i get when taking a deep breath. I also feel like i am in a fog and simple tasks sometimes make me cry. The big issue for me is my 225 lb body, i am 5'-10 and boobs are 36ddd! Nursing i was at a bra size of fff. These things are pulling me to the ground. I started an eating regiment yesterday and trying to walk more, i will hope this helps me. I will keep everyone posted on that. Good luck to you i am sure you will find someone here with the same issues.

Welcome to our group. The best way to get involved with our forum is to post an introduction on the main page. That is where most people go to. Just click on the "New Post" on the upper left side of the page.

You will find that SAA is one of the best, most supportive sites there is. Take you time and read a bunch of the folders. You will learn so much. May God bless you as you search for answers to your problems.

Crazed mom,

If you are trying to safely loose weight with diet and low impact exercise check out "clean eating" Tosca Reno is the author, but in addition to the book there is a magazine, and a web site. it's not a fad diet, it's not an "exclusionary" diet like atkins, but it is a very clean simple way of eating that works very well. I have lost over 50 pounds since I started having the AS pain and I eat clean, do yoga, pilates, and cardio on a stationary bike or "run" on an elliptical, as well as using my wii fit.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you want any other info.

Thanks for the info asgirl, I will check it out. I just like to eat a lot of crappy snacks that aren't good for me. I am hiking and bike riding for exercise. Do you know if drinking 2 tbsp of olive oil every day will help with the inflammation?

I have not heard anything about drinking olive oil. That doesn't mean it won't help. I was a junk food junkie myself until I started seeing results. Suddenly I became very okay with turning in my candy bars for Kashi granola bars, and my ice cream for full fruit smoothies I made at home. My starbuck carmel macchiato became a soy latte no syrup, and a gallon+ of water a day became my norm. I have noticed a difference in how I felt, because I began expelling the toxic junk from my body, and replacing it with things that could help me. I also found that the amount of weight I carried (I'm 5'2 and weighed nearly 200 pounds)in excess was a big trigger for inflamation. The following website has a list of foods that help reduce inflamation. You might find things on here to trade out for your current faves.

www.metabolismadvice.com

Good luck!