Lazarus Drug

My past 6 months have been an especially tough run with lupus and Sjögren's Syndrome. They cause arthritis and a painful neuropathy that make daily tasks difficult and tiring. The Rituxan infusions, which deplete B cells that make antibodies, and immune globulin don't seem to keep it under control at high doses. Although I have been off steroids for over a year, I finally had to break down and agree to 3 steroid infusions this week.

I wear a Fitbit pedometer all day, every day. It syncs with my computer so that I can keep track of my exercise. It has been wonderful to see the increase in my exercise since adopting Cleo. But it is always sobering to see the nosedives when I am not feeling well. Normally, I am at 8-13,000 steps a day. For the last 3 weeks, I was lucky to make it to 6,000.

I received the steroid infusions Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Today, I felt like Lazarus rising. I bought lots of plants at the Desert Botanical Garden sale, helped with Cleo's final dog training lesson, cooked dinner, did some desk work, and some garden work. Prior to the steroids, I would have only been able to handle 1 or 2 of those tasks in a given day without having to rest for hours to alleviate pain. I am very grateful for my steroid treatment and I hope it lasts until my next Rituxan in a few weeks.