Proximal Muscle Weakness

What?  This is an unusual side effect if prednisone.  I mentioned it at the bottom of my last blog entry, and it's going to take some explaining.  Not to worry.  I am highly educated and am more than willing to share my overwhelming knowledge with you.  The topic is much too complicated to approach without the support of my colleagues.

According to www.rightdiagnosis.com, proximal muscle weakness is "weakness of the proximal muscles".  Well, alrighty then.  THAT was extremely helpful.  Don't the editors of the website know that you aren't supposed to use the words in the definition.  I don't think that adding "of" and "the" made the definition clear in any way.

Proximal Muscle Weakness (PMW) is insidious in that it comes on slowly and almost without realizing it.  AND, when you have RA, it's really easy to think that you're having a flare rather than a side effect. Mom noticed that she was having trouble getting up from a seated position, climbing stairs and washing her hair (arms overhead).  It affects lesser used muscles that oppose strong muscles.  For example, Mom has strong quads from walking, but her hamstring is weak.  Strong biceps, weak triceps.  Apparently, this is brought on by long-term and high doses of steroids.  Since she can't take any meds for her RA other than prednisone, this presents a dilemma.  Cutting back on the steroids is the best cure for PMW, however, doing that could bring on a serious flare. SIgh...it's always something.

PMW is really tiring.  It adds another layer of fatigue to an already tired condition.  Plus add PT three days a week and KABLAM!  Mom is pooped.  I've always been able to beat her up the stairs (it's the four-legged advantage), but now she uses both bannisters to get up the stairs and it takes ages.  I've even noticed that she surveys the stairs and plots her ascent.  She and Mom Z call those 13 stairs "Mt. Everest".  (I personally think if they grew two more legs, they wouldn't have any problem at all.)

Our days are getting really boring again.  Get up, eat breakfast, kiss Dad goodbye, take a nap, and then we get to go for a walk with Lauren -the cutest dog walker in the world.  Mom is going to let her take us walking three days a week since she can't even do a short walk with us.  When she's alert, Mom works hard on Operation Save Hepsi...sending letter and email, making phone calls, reviewing letters and making long range plans for fundraisers.  Throw in making a nice dinner for all of us and she's done.

Thank goodness there's Phillies games on every night!  There's nothing like curling up with her and Dad and watching the Phillies swing their way into the Playoffs and the World Series!

GO PHILLIES!

(and Go MOM, too)