[Clayart] Info about Temporal Arteritis FYI

[Robert Santerre]

Hello Carolyn,  I want to qualify what I'm about to say by stating emphatically that I'm not an MD doctor and I know next to nothing about Temporal Arteritis.  I do know something about the side effects of long-term use of powerful corticosteroids like prednisone from personal experience in my family.  [this from Google internet:  Prednisone is a corticosteroid medicine used to decrease inflammation and keep your immune system in check, if it is overactive. Prednisone is used to treat allergic disorders, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and many more conditions (like nerve injuries).]  In my son's case, his cervical spinal cord was badly injured and he was on a corticosteroid (methylprednisone) for well over a year, close to two!  The nerve recovery was quite successful, however over the course of that treatment he experienced MAJOR bone loss and eventually had to have both hips replaced - long-term use of corticosteroids blocks bone formation!  I'm not suggesting that you should avoid the use of prednisone, your condition is obviously VERY serious and your doctors are doing what they know best to treat your disease.  I do however, strongly advise that you have a VERY serious discussion with someone knowledgeable in bone disease and corticosteroids - and have a bone scan done PRIOR to going on long-term use of prednisone.  Prednisone has many other side-effects.  If you haven't already, you should look it up on the internet and be prepared to deal with some of those side-effects that you may experience.          
I'm sorry and deeply concerned to learn of your disease - sometimes life is just not fair!  Hang in there and I do hope for your swift and complete recovery.  Bob
 Robert Santerre
 Arrowsic Island Pottery
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-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart <clayart-bounces at lists.clayartworld.com> On Behalf Of Carolyn Curran
Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2022 12:09 PM
To: Clayart international pottery discussion forum <clayart at lists.clayartworld.com>
Subject: [Clayart] Info about Temporal Arteritis FYI

Firstly,  Happy New Year  and crossing fingers for a creative  2023.  Then info to share:  Wednesday I ended up at hospital checking out blurry eye and a few minor short lived headaches I had been having....neighbor more proactive than I  and had urged immediate attention to symptoms.
Tentative  and almost certain diagnosis was  this Temporal Arteritis which can cause blindness very quickly!  Put on strong steroid IV but after a day was  allowed to go home for  family  Christmas,  and I'm probably to get biopsy today to confirm.  Meanwhile taking big deal doses of prednisone, and I may be on that  med  for a year or so.  So---condition hits mostly women over 50,  Scandinavians in particular,  and  that's me for sure.
While this TA is not that common an occurrence,  you are all forewarned
just in case.  Just thought I would pass on the info.    Happy 2023,
 Carolyn Curran
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