About the Methotrexate:  It is an immunosuppressant, which means it weakens
the immune system.  So is Prednisone, but it has other beneficial properties
as well.  So I went on and off the Methotrexate since before Christmas... I
was sort of up and down back then, and hoping I was getting over this @#$%
bug.  But by the first week in January, it was apparent that I was going to
stay sick, so I stopped the Methotrexate.  I still felt like the north end
of south-bound chicken, and the thing was obviously going into my chest.  I
told my rheumie all this and he gave me antibiotics (Zithromax "Z-pack), and
did a whole slew of bloodwork, and then I was coughing up technicolor for
about a week.  I called him up 10 days later to find out the scoop on the
bloodwork.  He said I have an elevated CPK.  He interprets this as my having
myositis, which he said yes, could make me feel like the nether regions of
domestic poultry.  He told me to stay off the Methotrexate for at least
another week, that it has a very short half-life, and it really is out of
the body when you quit taking it temporarily.  He told me to increase my
Pred 1.mg, so that I am back up to 7.5.  He said to me "do ya think ya can
do that?"--cause I had told him I was not going to keep taking pred simply
for fatigue and joint pain, but that I would take it for some kind of organ
involvement.  Since the myositis (at least to this degree) is new territory,
I conceded the millogram of prednisone to him.

Some of you know that I have this adorable calico cat named Twyla, whom I
took in last April.  She is for the most part very enchanting and such a
great source of love.  She has staked out my favorite old sweater, and how
it is *her* favorite old sweater, which I have put up on the bed beside me,
and she plays there, kneads the sweater and falls asleep.

Anyway, Twyla has these tiny little paws, and she steps up onto me when she
wants something.  this hurts sooo bad and I guess it is the myositis along
with the fibromyalgia that makes this hurt so much.  The one thing I was
noticing is that she would put her weight on her paw, just about anywhere on
my body, and it felt like she was hitting a fibro trigger point.  Cats
always find their ways of making themselves known.  Another good one that
Twyla learned very quickly, is in order to get me up in the morning, stand
on the woman's lower abdomen until she emits loud growls and goes into that
little room with the watertoy in it. Food will soon be served, but the
waitress won't be working for a tip.

So, yeah, amidst all my ramblings here.... I seem to be getting over the
cold, but have this other thing, which is why, though so many of you have
exhorted me to go to my PCP doc, I just haven't done it.  I just lie here
like a rotting vegetable most of the day.

This letter has been my major accomplisment for today.  I think it is time
for me to go back and find that rut I'm making in my mattress.

Love to you all,

Mair

And yes, Bev, I know you were down very long too.  I'm glad you are feeling
better, sewing curtains and having visitors and all.

Twyla has now got her face wedged between the desktop and the pull-out
keyboard thingy.  I think she wants attention.  <sigh>

Mair