Heading into the USA tomorrow.

We’ve spent almost a week in Kelowna visiting with family, shopping and getting ready for the next leg of the journey. 

I saw my rheumatologist on Tuesday for a check-up and that will be the last time I’ll see him unless bad things happen again.  I came off prednisone over the summer and am now without any type of anti-inflammatory drugs.  I had been on prednisone for almost two years for polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis.  My blood tests are okay and the only symptoms I have are not related to the original problems.  I have been very sore and tired over the past few months but hopefully some of that will improve as my body gets used to being prednisone free.  Coming off prednisone is not a fun thing to do as the body really likes it and gets very dependant.  I now also have the added problem of Barrett’s esophagus – see following link http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/barretts/ which was discovered on a routine upper G.I. scope which I had done while I was having a routine colonoscopy.  Following the scope I developed horrible esophagitis which I am still struggling with.  I never had any reflux disease that I was aware of before but the prednisone and other anti-inflammatory drugs that I took may have contributed to the problem.  So….long story short I must continue on Nexium (proton pump inhibitor for acid suppression) and am not not able to take much of the drugs like ibuprofen that help me with pain.  Swell!  I thought Dr. Shojania would have been more helpful about my pain level but since I don’t have arthritis I guess I’m on my own.   End of health update! Hopefully warm weather, walking and sunshine will help. 

We will cross the border at Osoyoos tomorrow and make our usual first night stop in Othello, Washington at the Wal-Mart.  The weather looks okay and hopefully the snow in the Ely, Nevada area will be gone by the time we get there in the middle of next week.  Once we are down the big hill (7000 ft.) at Ely it will warm up and the possibility of snow will vanish. 

The weather here in Kelowna hasn’t been great but it hasn’t been horrible either. Eric has been riding his bicycle and I have been shopping. I also got to spend a day with my sister Anne so that was nice.  We have enjoyed our stay but it is time to hit the road!