It's nice to meet you. I'm the Dude With Sjogrens.

Here’s some information about Sjogrens Sydrome and how to get in touch.

My story
Dude with Sjogrens

My name is Randy Klein. I am a man living with Sjogrens Syndrome, as well as several other health conditions.

I've created this page to share my experiences and collection of research on Sjogrens Syndrome from multiple sources.

Sjogrens Syndrome can affect a person of either gender, and can affect a person of any age.

If you are here looking for answers on Sjogrens Syndrome, then I will do my best to pass on the information and ideas that I have been able to assemble.

Sjogrens Syndrome is a Syndrome, or a collection of multiple symptoms across the body. The articles supplied are not just specific to Sjogrens Syndrome alone. The issues affect many groups of people.

I have broken out all of the articles into the "Blog posts" and the "Articles" section for ease of reading.

Sjogrens Syndrome - Dude with Sjogrens
Blog Posts
 Additonal Articles can also be found under the articles link 

  • 2020 and coping with mental illness
    June 22, 2020 at 4:00 AM

    One thing about living in the year 2020: the learning curve has changed on what living with mental health issues really looks like. It just took a series of events that were beyond anyone's control.

    It is a challenge living with mental illnes...

  • 10 things that successful people do: Something for the rest of us
    June 7, 2020 at 3:00 AM

    What defines a successful person and what makes for a successful life? I think it’s the motivation, the ability to overcome adversity, and the ability to influence and have an impact on those around us.

    I’ve been successful. That doesn’t make me...

  • Getting organized and shifting priorities : Getting it done
    April 12, 2020 at 8:00 PM

    For many of us, it is a daily struggle to get things done because of a lack of organizational skills, or constantly shifting tasks or workloads.

    There is hope.

    Struggling to be organized, and to set and manage priorities, also affects people...

  • Living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety
    March 29, 2020 at 10:00 PM

    There is a stigma that often comes with mental illness. Many people have grown up with their only exposure to OCD being what they have seen in movies

  • Children with Sjogren's Syndrome: The New Generation of Sjogren’s Patients.
    February 14, 2020 at 3:30 AM

    Sjogren’s Syndrome also affects children and teens. This is the story of these children and the parents that support them.

  • Dealing with a diagnosis of "Controversy" - The unbelieved or yet to be named diagnosis.
    March 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM

    Every disease starts as an unknown until it is recognised by symptoms, is researched, named, and hopefully both recognised and treated.

  • What does it mean to treat someone with kid gloves? How do we help people to succeed?
    February 17, 2020 at 8:30 PM

    At times, it's possible to prevent people from reaching their potential. This article is about helping people to reach their potential.

  • Making sense of "Do it yourself medical treatment"
    February 8, 2020 at 10:30 PM

    There are several types of health disorders that can take many years to be diagnosed, or can be very difficult to treat. This often leads to a "Do it yourself" medical treatment.

  • "Dude with Sjogrens" Podcast interview with Sjogen's Strong
    January 17, 2019 at 12:00 AM

    In January 2019, I was interviewed for a podcast on Sjogrens Strong. This is the podcast.

    ...
  • Men with Sjogren's Syndrome - We exist!
    December 31, 2018 at 12:00 AM

    I have lived with the symptoms of Sjögren’s Syndrome since I was a child. It took a lot of time and

    ...
  • Going Through a Culture Change: How medical issues change things
    January 24, 2020 at 10:00 PM

    Developing a major health condition changes things.

  • Fighting a diagnosis of being old, fat, or crazy
    September 4, 2019 at 4:00 AM

    I want to make sure that I start this article on a serious note: this is not meant to make fun to be to insulting to anyone.

  • "Running" a marathon every day - Part 1.
    Systemic diseases and effort and its effects on the body 
    January 23, 2019 at 12:00 AM

     I've told people for many years that I run a marathon a day. This can seem like a very odd statement

    ...
  • "Running" a Marathon every day - Part 2
    Effective strategies for attaining success 
    January 30, 2019 at 3:30 AM

    What strategies can atheletes and people living with disease learn from each other about successful strategies?

    ...
  • What is Sjogren's Syndrome?
    January 10, 2019 at 12:00 AM

    The purpose of this article is to give a good understanding of what Sjögren’s Syndrome is in common language. It is a starting point. 

    ...
  • Sjogren's Syndrome: It's more than dry eyes and mouth?
    May 23, 2018 at 1:30 AM

    Sjogren's Syndrome is a disease primarily of dry eyes and dry mouth. Ever wonder what primarily means? 

    ...
  • Getting your confidence back
    August 13, 2019 at 10:00 PM

    Confidence is the ability to feel sure of your actions in the things that you do. It's not a super power: being confident is a healthy thing.

  • Hope as a system 

    What an odd name for an article! You either have hope or you don't, right? 

    ...
  • Getting through the diagnostic stages of a complex disease 
    November 11, 2018 at 3:00 AM

    No diagnosis yet, what do I do in the meantime? 

    ...
  • Building a support group - Sometimes it takes a team
    July 12, 2019 at 2:00 AM

    Facing difficult situations alone can be unbearable. It's worse when it seems like nobody else understands.

    ...
  • Finding different types of help.
    Understanding the role of Nonprofits  

    There seems to be some confusion on what a charitable organization is and what their role is

    ...
  • Making every moment count
    How perspective changes things 
    December 4, 2018 at 12:30 AM

    How do I make every moment count? 

    ...
  • Coping with Change
    March 7, 2018 at 10:30 PM

    It can be a real struggle to keep up with things, especially when your ability to adapt or to control the rate of change is reduced.

    ...
  • When the pieces don't all fit, and healthcare issues are puzzling.
    June 9, 2019 at 3:30 AM

    In many cases, figuring out our health issues can be similar to putting a puzzle together.   

    ...
  • What is Recovery?
    December 27, 2019 at 3:00 AM

    Recovery does not always look like we expect.

  • Medication Shortages
    May 27, 2019 at 10:30 PM

    My exeperience recently with a series of drug shortages. This is the most recent one.

    ...
  • What is a pain scale? Rating your pain on a scale of 1 to 10 .
    September 12, 2019 at 5:00 PM

    It can be confusing to a doctor when someone says that their pain is a 6 when they are sitting with a broken leg, or a serious puncture or gunshot wound

    ...
  • adult-art-body-922436.jpg
    What is Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis? 
    February 4, 2019 at 3:00 AM

    Psoriasis is a heavyweight autoimmune disease. What is it, and what possible crossover is there with Sjogren's Syndrome?

    ...
  • What is a radio frequency ablation? 
    May 21, 2019 at 10:00 PM

    This article will focus on Radio Frequency Ablation for dealing with nerve and back pain. 

    ...
  • Getting more done with less effort.
    November 12, 2018 at 2:30 AM

    How do I get more done when I have a disease that limits my movement, energy, or ability to stay focused?   

    ...
  • Simplifying your System. Taking the complex and making it simple.
    April 26, 2019 at 12:00 AM

    Systems can be simple or complex. The success of a system is in its complexity.

    ...
  • Accomplishment through systems and time management. 
    November 11, 2018 at 1:00 AM

    So, a little disclosure here: I am a business consultant, with a strong communications and technology background

    ...
  • How come I am so disorganized and unable to do even simple tasks?  
    September 23, 2018 at 4:00 PM

    Why do we struggle with getting things organized

    ...
  • Weighing the risks:. Do the benefits justify the consequences?
    July 21, 2019 at 2:30 AM

    Sometimes, desperate situations call for desperate measures, but do the benefits outweigh the consequences?

    ...
  • What are overlapping health disorders?
    Can there be more than one? 
    April 2, 2018 at 11:30 PM

    Overlapping disorders occur when two or more health issues share common traits  

    ...
  • My eyes burn! A different understanding of dry eyes.
    June 25, 2019 at 2:30 AM

    This article will focus on treating the symptoms with different eye drops. Not all eye drops are created equal.

    ...
  • What can I do when everyone else is getting help but me? 
    April 7, 2019 at 2:30 PM

    We see other people who have the same disease who are doing well, and so we assume that they obviously don’t have it as badly as we do. 

    ...
  • Negotiating Better Health Care
    How to deal with Cookie Cutter medicine.
    October 4, 2019 at 3:00 AM

    For a person who is needing more than a cookie cutter solution, there needs to be a way of getting different health care.

    ...
  • What does the future hold for me? Living with the reality of a long term disease 
    August 6, 2018 at 12:30 AM

    People always struggle with the cause of their medical condition. 

    ...
  • When you have a diagnosis but are still left with questions. 
    August 9, 2018 at 4:00 PM

     Why would I want another diagnosis? The obvious answer is that I don't

    ...
  • Getting past the cynicism and moving forward
    Finding a better way 
    April 16, 2018 at 12:30 AM

    People try to say positive things to us, but they always seem to come out negatively  

    ...
  • Recognizing Good Medical Treatment: Avoiding the Snake Oil Salesman

    One of the biggest struggles for people who live with a chronic health condition is recognizing legitimate health treatments

    ...
  • Surviving a nervous breakdown and coming back stronger 
    June 14, 2018 at 11:00 PM

    It can be a very difficult thing looking over the edge of a cliff and then ending up on the edge hanging on by your fingernails. 

    ...
  • Much like learning to walk again.
    September 23, 2018 at 11:00 PM

    I'm able to really feel emotions for the first time in my life after many years of living with a disorder called cataplexy.  

    ...
  • What is involved with getting a Mast Cell Activation Syndrome diagnosis
    September 7, 2018 at 10:00 PM

    I was asked by a contact about how I was diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Here's my story 

    ...
  • Mast Cell Activation Syndrome - It got better and then it seemed to get worse Why does this happen and what can I do?
    December 29, 2018 at 12:00 AM

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  • Blacked out: Why did I black out or feel like I was going to? Real medical reasons for loss of time or passing out 

    Being on the border of blacking out several times a day is a terrifying place to be 

    ...
  • Struggling with Addiction and Chronic Disease
    Building on 25 successful years  
    August 28, 2018 at 11:00 PM

    This article is an anniversary that I celebrate as a major recovery. I have been sober for twenty-five years. 

    ...
  • Sjogren's Syndrome Questionnaire Part 1
    By: Randy Klein

    A questionnaire designed to help better educate all of us on Sjogren's Syndrome.

    ...
  • What is coincidence and what is related?
    Getting effective medical treatment  
    January 28, 2019 at 5:00 AM

    There is always a chance that things may intersect but not really be related. What does this look like in health 

    ...
  • Why do doctors keep repeating the same tests over and over again?
    What is a baseline? 
    October 28, 2018 at 11:00 PM

    One very common term that is used in both medical and in the technical circles is a "baseline."  

    ...
  • Do I really need to be re-diagnosed? When your disease remains the same but the criteria changes.

    Research drives knowledge. This often evolves into a better understanding of what diseases can look like, and what kind of treatments are likely to work.

    ...
  • When everything looks like something else
    Getting past an incorrect diagnosis 
    March 20, 2018 at 12:00 AM

     There have been several times that I have mistaken a person for somebody else. I tend to recognize them because something about them is familiar. 

    ...
  • Paralyzed on the operating table. What is Cataplexy?
    February 5, 2019 at 12:30 AM

    I lay on an operating table, and then my whole body was paralyzed. It was not the result of anesthetic or freezing

    ...
  • My name is Randy Klein. I am a man living with Sjogren's Syndrome.
    June 26, 2017 at 12:00 AM

    Sjogrens Syndrome can affect a person of either gender, and

    ...
  • Can I be disabled if I can still work?
    Having unity with others who live with disability. 
    February 17, 2019 at 3:00 AM

    I often see a look of surprise on some people's faces when they find out that I am still employed. I qualified for long term disability many years ago. 

    ...
  • The Change: When your life becomes your bucket list
    December 17, 2018 at 6:00 PM

    Many people talk about their bucket lists. Many don't do

    ...
  • Valley of Fires
    Long distance travel: Being prepared
    August 26, 2019 at 2:00 AM

    Traveling with medical conditions or with children can make things more difficult. Is it possible?

    ...
  • The evolution of the Dude with Sjogrens page
    February 17, 2019 at 9:00 PM

    I found that I was frequently getting asked the same questions about health issues, so I set up a Facebook page called the "Dude with Sjogrens"

    ...
  • Coping with Change
    March 7, 2018 at 10:30 PM

    It can be a real struggle to keep up with things, especially when your ability to adapt or to control the rate of change is reduced.

    ...
  • More articles written by the "Dude with Sjogrens"

    A collection of the many other articles that I have written

    ...
  • Improving your Outlook: How helping others will change your perspective
    December 23, 2019 at 3:00 AM

    We are raised to do "The right thing" without understanding the mechanics of it: how does this work?

    ...

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