Rheumy just called me & that was scary because it's a first. :-D He says
my blood tests were "boringly normal", and I can taper down the pred
dosage faster. If the nausea is still killing me, I can just quit the
stuff altogether.  YA-HOOO!

He also said the lumbar-sacral x-rays were "pretty OK", a little sign of
Arthur, but no big deal.

Then he asked me about hip and knee x-rays - did they take any?  I told
him no, they didn't. He wanted them done, and I double checked with the
Tech who wasn't taking them ;-). She insisted that he hadn't ordered
any, and that anything wrong with hips & knees would be caused by
whatever in the spine.

Umm... no.

Rheumy is sending me the scrip for hips & knees films, and I'll go get
zapped in a few days when that arrives. I'm *so* glad, because (a)
Rheumy noticed & 'cared', and (b) right knee is a hurting puppy.

I should have told him to *print neatly*. :-D

But mostly I'm SOOOO glad to be quit of pred sooner!  Talk about making
ya crazy! I'm tearing up from Happy at not having to do this so long! :-)

Thanks for your tips & encouragement, gang. I'm taking my ginger ale &
heading back to bed. Mega-condolences to those who have to take stuff to
feel crummy to feel better!

Beth