Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Buggie checking in..

Hi everyone!
Buggy here...Ladybug is still around! LOL....
Thought I would check in! Just had a huge post...lost it! argh!!

All is well as best can be! Pain is still with me 24/7...on my back nonstop..whats new? lol. But I'm still doing the KMaga and I have gotten so much better with less stress and frustration. I am able to get rid of it. They tell us to leave it at the bag...I sure do! LOL. I still struggle every single day but I figure I wont let this AS monster break my spirit..ever..that's mine!

On the plus side..I've lost 20 lbs and am down to my fighting 121lbs! I've lost 4" off my waist! Wahoo!
I was not heavy to begin with but had lost a tremendous amount of muscle due to my lammenctomy surgery/recovery and the constant AS monster on my back fulltime for the last 9 1/2 years. Its not easy. But then nothing with AS ever is. I still tuck and roll outta bed. Still drag in the mornings..still want to cry at night..sometimes I do. Still shuffle along..but I'm chuggin along. I take things one day at a time. Some rougher than others..usually rougher!

On the other plus side ..Spring is here! 'Cept for this front that blew in last night and gave us heaps of rain AND hail!! Lost alot of plants this winter. Texas never gets much of a winter..not this time! So Art has planted some Jasmine, and a peach tree, and bouganville [sp?] and some summer broom bushes next...they are beautiful..and evergreen..a plus !

Last but not least..got a Boxer pup named "Bubba"..he's 8 mos old and 58lbs of pure trouble. Fits right in with my kiddos. Always in some kind of mischief or mayhem! lol

Rheumy visit is next month to see what next plan is...still on just Soma and Norco for now. Hate the norco but gotta have it ...still tuck and roll out of bed..still drag in the mornings...and evenings. Still get up at all hours...but I'm used to it.

Kids are good...miss Gianna just turned 16 and is a sophomore...Sofie is in 3rd grade and 9, and little man Alessandro is 6 and 1st grade! Time sure flies...cant believe how BIG this place is!! Hello to all the new members! I remember how small the group was back in 2001!!

Hugs from the Bug

Hey Ladybuggie - wondered where you were. Saw you mentioned in an old post and it reminded me that I had just started to get to know you and you disappeared.

Wow - with the weight loss - good for you. Prednisone has made me gain a whole lot and my clothes don't fit properly. It's amazing how that takes away self-confidence. I've made several efforts to lose it and managed to get rid of about 5lbs but then had to increase my prednisone and it all came back and more! Boo hoo!

Just got to go hungry I guess.

Glad you popped in.

Hi Wendy! I remember you very well!
Sorry I've been MIA...usually can find me on facebook...other than that with 3 kiddos running rampant it's really difficult to check in as often as I used to. I miss this place.

Aww..sorry to hear about the Preddy...I never had that happen to me...it did give me mood swings within a few days years ago..but now when I take a Medrol pack i'm fine. I've heard the steroids do that. My daughters friend has severe asthma and has to be on preddy but it's caused her to gain 20 lbs or so. I certainly can relate how hard it can be. I LOVE food. But once I hit 40 almost a couple years ago...my metabolism shut down...literally.

The great thing about the KravMaga is it doesnt irritate my back. I know my limits. They are drill seargeants but if u let them know ahead of time..they are very accomodating. I've come quite a long way. Slowly though..lol!

your pal buggy

long time, no see!
good to see you again!

your yard, all those wonderful plants, must be just beautiful. my husband is the one with the time (and body) around here, so does most of the garden. and over time has planted so many different things. but its too cold here for jasmine or bougainvillea......i'm jealous!

you sound so good, glad you are enjoying the exercise and that its helping you so much.

Love the determination way to go. I just picked two Leopard cur puppies a couple of weeks ago, they are holy terrors. They keep me busy and my mind off me.
ETTE.
Darrel.

Hey Bug, good to see you! Glad to hear that things are, in general, going well.

As the king of the monster posts--and a once-too-frequent victim of lost posts as well--I offer you this small bit of advice: If you have a feeling that the post you're about to write is going to be a big one, you should write it using your word processing software instead, then cut and paste it into a KA reply window. That way, you can hit "save" as often as you like, and, even if you forget to do that, the autosave function will save what you've written every X minutes (depends on your setting), which usually means at least a chunk of your work is saved.

Alternately, if you use Outlook Express or any other non-web-based software for your email, you can open up a "new message" and write your post there. That way, you can't accidentally close the window without being asked if you want to save your email to your Drafts folder. And, just like the autosave feature in word processing software, if the mail program completely crashes, you should find a copy of what you were writing automatically saved in the Drafts folder.

Just a couple ideas from someone who has wanted to throw his computer out the window on more than one occasion when it ate a huge post I had nearly finished.

Again, glad you popped in, and glad you're doing so well right now.

Brad

Hi Bugs - Great to see you. You are such a positive person, and always so cheerful. Gianna now a sophomore! - still playing footer? Time flies. Great about the weight loss, I could do with loosing a few pounds...

Good luck with the rheumy visit.

Take care me dear -

Molly C (France)
Keeping on Keeping on (as we do!)

Boxer pup!! How cute. I love them.
Im new here and this is my first reply, hope it ends up in the right spot! i hit quick reply to the first post...here goes

Hello Buggie,

Good to see you checking in and keep kicking. Hopefully AS monster treats you better moving forward.

Is Miss Gianna still playing soccer.

Mateo turned 2 in Feb, so he is growing up just like your 3.

Jasmine is extremely popular here in Argentina.

Take care,

Tim

Hi Ladybug, Nice to meet you. I had to google KravMaga to see what you are doing. I'm impressed. Are you in a flare? How do you pace yourself with it so you don't overdo it?

You and your children are lovely. Is that a tiara in that one pic?