More questions and answers. Thank you, Karen, for asking so many great questions!

Can you ever drink to much Diet Coke? No. Never. If you’re worried the caffeine will keep you awake at night, well that’s what God made Caffeine Free Diet Coke for. It’s in the gold can.

Why was David diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis instead of say Rheumatoid Arthritis? Was he misdiagnosed at first? David has seen two rheumatologists and they both agree that David has Psoriatic Arthritis. In high school and college David experienced back pain, and he was always given stretches and muscle relaxers. The doctors just assumed the pain was from playing sports.

So I guess you could say that he was misdiagnosed, but I’ve never really thought of it that way. As soon as a doctor took an x-ray of his back and did blood work they sent him to a rheumatologist. The other doctors were just being minimally invasive and David seemed so healthy. They really had no reason to think the back pain was arthritis unless they were looking back through his chart seeing how often David was complaining of back pain, but even then, they still probably would have thought it was a torn ligament or something more common.

David has psoriasis on his scalp, and he did have patches of psoriasis on his knees once just before his worst flare up ever. After the blood work, x-rays and bone scan were done, the presence of Psoriasis, and the absence of the rheumatoid factor is what led doctors to diagnose David with Psoriatic Arthritis, although I have learned that David could develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Where does David have Psoriatic Arthritis? In every joint in his body, except his shoulders. His ribs and collar bone are also affected. The arthritis is most severe in David’s spine.

When does New Moon come out on DVD? Saturday, March 20. When Twilight came out on DVD, I sent David to Wal-Mart at midnight thinking there would be hoards of screaming girls just like the movie premiere and that stores would sell out quickly. They didn’t. In fact, Wal-Mart hadn’t even put the Blu-Rays out yet. So David went back a few hours later and then watched it with me. What a great husband!

Does your TMJ Disorder cause pain anywhere besides your jaw? Yes. Some TMJD sufferers get migranes. Thankfully, I do not. I do experience pain in my occipital lobe (the base of the skull just above the neck). Occasionally the jaw pain makes it feel as if I have an ear infection. Sometimes the pain in my jaw shoots down into my neck, but praise God, my jaw really is so much better than it was a few years ago. My TMJD specialist and my chiropractor have worked miracles on my jaw.

Are you guys moving? It depends on where David’s next job takes us. We would love to stay right here in Dallas with our family and friends, but Arizona would be a better climate for David’s joints, and since David has been out of work for two and a half months, he’d take a job pretty much anywhere at this point. He is actually interviewing in New Jersey today, so we’ll see where the Lord leads us.

What’s the best thing for David when he flares? David soaks in a hot bath with epsom salts every day. When he flares, he takes additional hot baths. Sometimes he will use a heating pad or Therma Heat patches. Often when he flares the doctor will give him an injection of arthritis medication directly into his back. There’s really not a whole lot we can do except wait it out. David has tried acupuncture, but it is a bit expensive, although it does provide considerable relief.

What helps your jaw when it’s hurting? Rest and relaxation. I try to eat soft foods like mashed potatoes and yogurt when my jaw hurts, so that my jaw can rest. Relaxation through exercise, massage therapy, playing the piano, etc. helps quite a bit. When my jaw pain was very bad a few years ago, I would sometimes drink hot beverages to relax my muscles. I wish you could have seen me with my mouth full of Chai Tea Latte leaning to one side to hold the hot liquid where I wanted it.

Why don’t you have a smart phone? First, money. It’s more expensive than my low tech phone. Second, the internet is so widely available, I really don’t need to have it on my phone. I can check email practically every where I go, and if I happen to be somewhere without internet access and I desperately need to blog or task a satelliete, well, that’s what David’s for.

Thanks for all the great questions and keep them coming!

Love,
A Young Wife

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Chronic illness is expensive. Financial advisors and money gurus will tell you to set aside an “emergency fund.”

Um, yeah, we had an emergency fund that was drained three times in two years for my TMJ Disorder, not to mention putting thousands on a Care Credit card (Which we were able to pay off before the interest kicked in. Yay!) the last time I bit my night guard in half.

As I was doing our taxes this year, I tallied up all of our medical expenses for 2009. We spent $12,000. And we didn’t even have any surgeries or hospitalizations.

Suffice it to say, we’ve never been able to go beyond an emergency fund to a savings account with three months of living expenses. Sorry Suze.

It’s not like we don’t budget for doctor’s visits and prescriptions. We do. And it’s not like we live extravagantly. My car door was jammed shut for three months before I had it fixed. We don’t have cable. I don’t get manicures. I pack our lunches. Heck, I’ve been making my own laundry detergent and cleaning products!

Chronic illness is a drain on your finances. I really don’t know of any solution to that problem. Just know that if you have medical bills, I feel your pain.

The only advice I have is…

1. Tell your doctor and his staff what your insurance won’t cover. Most of our doctors have worked with us to find alternatives when insurance won’t cover things.
2. Make sure the receptionist verifies your benefits before you see the doctor. Ask how much you will need to pay before you arrive for your appointment.
3. Try alternative medicine. Massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, etc. may be covered by your insurance. For us a massage is MUCH cheaper than a visit to the rheumatologist or my TMJD specialist.
4. Preventative care. This doesn’t apply to every chronic condition, but for some people, maintaining a healthy weight may help prevent flares. For some people who suffer from migraines, they can avoid trigger foods. For my TMJ Disorder, I try to avoid stress, and if I know I’m stressed out, I try to exercise or play the piano to relieve stress so that I’m not clenching and grinding in my sleep.

And please do share if you have any advice!

Love,
A Young Wife

Remember, I’m not a doctor! I’m not giving you medical advice.

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