THREE OLD SISTERS ...
Three old sisters--92, 94, and 96 years old, respectively all
lived together. One day the oldest drew a bath. She put one foot in the
water,
paused, then called downstairs to her sisters, "Am I getting in the tub
or out of the tub?"

The middle sister started up the stairs to help, then paused and
called back downstairs, "Was I going up or coming down?"

The youngest sister, who was sitting at the kitchen table having
tea, said, "I guess I'll have to help. I hope I never get that forgetful!"
and knocked on wood. She got up then, paused, and called, "I'll come up as
soon as I see who's at the door!"

They say you're o.k. if you forget where you parked your car.But you're in trouble if you can't remember what it's for.

Why does the article here on DM not state that actual muscle loss occurs in the form of muscle atrophy? Jan is my friend. Her dx is PM and she also has extreme muscle atrophy.

I love the beautiful cards but not happy to hear of your continuing health problems.

The less muscle you have the more disuse atrophy you experience,at least for me.It's a viscious circle.You have to try and keep moving and exercising what muscle you have left to keep disuse atrophy from adding to the problem."Use it or lose it" but the falls made me unable to keep walking and doing the exercises that help the most.

Fatigue is also a factor in a exercise program.No muscle,no energy.We just have to push ourselves to exercise.It helps to have a physical therapist or someone to cheerlead us along.But the reality is some of us are alone or the family is busy or don't grasp how important support and encouragement can be.Just a little push to get us going.

Anyway,this is my push.Everyone get up or do it sitting but exercise today,if the doctor has given you the green light.

Hugs to my friend Susan and everyone.Getting off my exercise bandwagon.

I think anything we can do helps.I have a small bicycle exerciser gathering dust.I'm getting it out today.I set it on a table and exercise my arms on it and then with help,my legs.It's very mild exercise.Susan you might be able to do it but slowly at first.You can buy a small bike exercise anywhere for less than twenty dollars.But as always ask the rheumy 1st.It helps me a lot,although I'm sore at first.

I have taken a tough stance against this disease now and will probably be a "problem patient" because of it, but after all, when you are near death seven times, man is so small compared to God. I was 16 years old when I began work in Medical Transcription at our hospital here, and the doctors were "gods"; whatever they wanted, they got. We were not allowed to disagree or agree to disagree; that is part of the problem of how I got in this fix in the first place. After the drug reactions and being born again, I would sit at my computer and try to devise a way to go into business for myself, holding seminars for office personnel (and physicians) to train them in the way a patient should be treated. Even the "new attitude of patients being "customers" hasn't helped.