Noticed some concern about my current condition so now that I can sit at the computer for a bit and do more that just glance at the few interesting posts, I'll recount my crappy winter/spring.
It all began in January when I thought I injured my shoulders on the BowFlex exercise machine and my hips on the PaceMaster treadmill.

I let things go a bit thinking that laying off for a couple of weeks would remedy the problem.
Then I complained to my family doctor who didn't take it very serious at first either.
By the time early April arrived I was getting to rock bottom with very painful and stiff shoulder, wrist and knee joints accompanied by extreme weakness, lack of energy and appetite. In fact I lost about 38 pounds over the 2 months period.
Doctor sent in a request for me to see a Rheumathoid Specialist, but couldn't say when I would get an appointment. It was wait until they contact me.
A week later our next door neighbour, a cancer specialist, walked over to my wife and offered to intervene and use her contacts to get me into a Rheumathoid Specialist within the week.
In the meantime my doctor became alarmed seeing my condition and decided to start me on morning doses of Prednizone. This helped for about 17 hrs a day. When I saw the Specialist, she upped the Steriods by another 5mg and spaced them out at breakfast and supper...what a difference.. 24 hour relief.
She decided that I had Polymyalgia Rheumatica or PMR.

Anyway, I'm much better now and trying to regain most of my former strength.. Just yesterday I upped all my resistances on my BowFlex exercises by another 10 pounds.
My treadmill program routine is just one intensity level down from before my problems.

At this rate I should be ready for our boating season, which will begin for me around mid June this year.

BTW..the specialist says I will probably be stuck with this disease for a year or a year and a half during which time they'll be weaning me down on the steriods a bit at a time.

To top it all off I become a senior citizen this summer... ah, the Golden Years!