Corticosteroids & other stuff

"Corticosteroids are a family of drugs that include cortisol—an adrenal hormone found naturally in the body—as well as synthetic drugs. Though natural and synthetic corticosteroids are both potent anti-inflammatory compounds, the synthetics exert a stronger effect. Oral forms of corticosteroids are used to treat numerous autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including asthma, bursitis, Crohn’s disease, skin disorders, tendinitis, ulcerative colitis, and others. They are also used to treat severe allergic reactions and to prevent rejection after organ transplant.
Corticosteroids are available for inhalation by mouth to treat asthma and other conditions of restricted breathing, as well as by nose to treat symptoms of nasal allergies. Topical forms are available to treat skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, insect bites, and hives. Some topical products contain combinations of corticosteroids and antibiotics, and are used to treat ear, eye, and skin infections."

An ode to steroids. A partial list of the problems that the powerful steroids can address and fix. Unfortunately, they also carry side effects like brittle bones, cataracts and elevated blood sugar - particularly if they are taken in high doses or for long periods of time. Not to mention weight gain. Major weight gain. So from the minute you goes on steroids, you want to get off them. It becomes a goal, like finishing college or deciding where you'll be living next month. That's pretty much like I've done with my life. I know I blogged about waiting for something to happen for my life to begin.

Well, I'm nearly off steroids, just taking a little bit and damned if I'm not being hit with some old familiar stuff. Haven't been to exercise in over a week now. Took me long enough to say it, didn't it? But I got there. For Catholics, confession was never an easy thing, not even when we made up sins -- which of course we had to do because first we were little kids and not at all sinful and then we were teenagers and every thought was sinful but you couldn't say that out loud especially to a priest. So we just made up sins. I'm not making this up. I haven't exercised in over a week. Gout & fibromyalgia. Again. My GP says there's a new med for gout on the market in Canada which is going to be approved soon by the FDA, one that won't be a problem for my lungs. But he's trying to get it from Canada for me now. Gotta love this guy. And he lives in Texas, not Maryland!!

But as I go down on steroids, I'm having to go up on Topomax which is the epilepsy medication. I have had 2 seizures in the 3 months since seeing the neurologist last so she wants to up the dosage a bit. I don't mind because they are fabulous appetite suppressants. I get full really fast. I've even lost some weight. Not gobs but the scale is going in the right direction. Hooray.

I've been selling selling selling. Ebay mostly but I had this particular fabric that I must tell you about. I had 2 yards of all 60 colorways of this fabric. I loved it. Here's a quilt made with some of this fabric: http://www.creativequiltideas.com/phc.htm and http://www.lvcm.com/ht/nova.html and http://www.flamewerks.com/images/quilts/quilt.jpg and http://cloudnine.freeservers.com/gallery_2a_art_quilts.html (scroll down - it's the one called "Cyberplaid). I loved this fabric. Obviously. I had 120 yards of it. I found a buyer by joining an art quilt online forum and just asking if anyone in that group knew where I might sell it. I was thrilled that it went to a good home (www.elizabethpoole.com). And this morning someone from the Quilters' Guild of Dallas picked up 14 (FOURTEEN) boxes of fabric. She will make packets that will be used by the guild members to make quilts for AIDS babies and Ronald MacDonald House kids. It makes me feel great that all this fabric will be used to cuddle babies and little kids. It takes away a part of my guilt, too. Isn't it ironic that we get this big tax write-off at a time when we have nothing to write it off against. Damn.

As the old saying goes, "Write if you get work." In my case, I just write here -- work or no. It helps.