Time to Taper off Prednisone. Again.

(J in his 'Emotion Bowl We lost- 8-0)
My how time flies when you are on prednisone! Before you know it, you are crippled by the drug and, whether your body likes it or not, you must come down and off the peak of prednisone.

 

As any seasoned hiker knows- going up hill is tough. Heck, it's heavy. But at least you can set your own pace. Coming down, not so much. You and your blistered feet are relieved, no they are OVERJOYED to get back to the place you parked your car so you can soak your feet in a cold stream somewhere in all the horseflies.

 

The creek is shallow- which is sad because after coming down hill at 5o miles an hour your knees really need an ice pack too. Submerging your whole body in the cold creek would be a good idea but with all the rocks....

 

You get my point. I am on the Hunkering Down Eve of my urgent and VERY FAST taper off prednisone. In fact, there was some confusion about the whole thing. My GI thought he'd told me to start tapering with the Entyvio infusion numero UNO. (hey, we played that card game in our tents on hiking trips after a day hike or if it was raining.... where was I?)

 

Thankfully I had Padre with me on that appt.. and I took notes. Wasn't given the explicit instuctions.

So GREAT! What did that mean? More susceptible to a reaction (not a true allergy, but a Prednisone induced allergy. Whatever in the heck that means. You still have the same dreaded outcome.)

 

So it was a good thing I called and complained and then my nurse said:

 "Wait- you are still on prednisone?"
uh-oh.

 

It was a question that made my heart sink into my foot. It was as if she didn't realize I'd just completed a marathon and was asked to run it again cause the jumbo TV or whatever was malfunctioning. Either way, she was under the impression I was off.

??

 

Readers, Prednisone Fellow Readers, I have tapered in the past 2.5 a week and gotten down to around 3.5 and been bed ridden. But I did have mono in there. And I did fall a couple times and suffer concussions. So who knows what was what? All I know is it was painful.

 

Like all the pics I am putting up through out this post of J. playing our rival. Man, was that a chore to finish. And NOW we have two whole weeks of straight football. That's right. Gut punching, finish til the end and hope you peak at the right moment, football.

 

 

Due to the bye this week, my job is to get him through a whole week of hard practices, homework first, and cram reading in before bed. Oh, and tonights family home evening actually took place this after noon on a mini-walk with my nephew.

 

Lacking a stroller we grabbed my walker for good measure and he sat on the seat. It was pretty fun pointing out the fall colors, he picked some weeds out of the side walk for me and stowed them away in the seat, and then we had to head back so J. could suit up and fly to practice.

 

It was a gorgeous day in I.F. Each night I have tucked in certain flowers. Moved them up next to the house so they can stay warm and look pretty for as long as possible.

 

Why do I over do it?

 

I have even found myself in craft stores with a lot of other women getting ready to hunker down with enough crafts to last them through the cold weather ahead.

 

wah ha hahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have at least five different projects going at the same time in order to "get a feel" for what the theme for this year will be.

Chic Paper had a cute drawer liner that made me think of citrusy fruits mixed in with fresh boughs and enterwined around sliced logs from the birch tree.

 

Yes, it's only October. It will take me from now til then to do these crafts.

Sigh..... and anyway I want to take my time. I want to slow down. Heck, this taper may tell me to STOP! altogether.

I will need to listen. I am ready to read ideas of things to make from Susan Branch's blog.

I am ready to sit down and write in my journal. I want to make dinners that smell good all day and then fill up a kid who is so tuckered out from practice, and trying hard in school.

 

All this cooking makes me wonder how my apron will fit with the body change.

Anyway, I am ready for some cozy-ness.

No running around town doing needless errands!

 

Just STAY HOME!

 

*thank you FED-EX, UPS, etc. that make this possible.

I want to take pictures again, upload them here, and share with you.

I know I have mentioned this before but Norman Rockwell is a favorite artist and person of mine.

He was said to have painted things in a way he wished they truly were.

he captured looks and expression so well... but he added a twist of something.

 

Like Susan's blog I want this to be a comfortable place to land. for myself as well. But also you Readers. Long gone are the times when people sat in a chair and read the paper.

Now we can turn to columns that we like. Google or Pint some information to help us learn.

I am all about that when I feel good.

*Learning.

 

My goals are to learn to sew better. After we get passed this pred. taper. I am keeping it simple right now for my brain. heck, I have a bruise just from wrapping yarn around letters and wreaths.

Not a good sign.

 

One of the doctors told me to Stop doing something that was causing pain or bruising.

I guess I need to just watch some TV.

Or flip threw some channels.

 

OH! the other day J. and I watched a Utes game. by the half I'd used up too much adrenaline!

Wouldn't that just be awesome to take in an NFL game right there?

Actually I saw one of the CEO's posh seating and there was an upstairs along with Tvs everywhere. A big kitchen. I'm sure a bathroom is handy. That's how I'd like to take in the game.

 

Football. Basketball. Heck, baseball. Especially if there was a really nice couch you could sit on with your afghan and fall asleep if needed. I bet they let ya have sleepovers if there is an upstairs and downstairs.

 

 

I don't want the next wave of germs to hit! Rumor spread there is now some stomach flu going around. Some kids are still coughing on desks and pencils and their noses are running out, but rest assured, they are getting new strains daily.

 

Laundry alone has been quite the ordeal.

Which reminds of a cute little sentence Susan Branch has on one of her cute note pads:

"Cleaning, when done correctly, can kill you."

 

Isn't that so true?

 

Especially if your immune system acts like a beligerant tween??

 

What are you Readers doing to keep your families happy?

Any good recipes or movies you could suggest for the dangerous haul down off prednisone?