Let It Snow?

Oh the weather outside is frightful (as “springtime” usually is in Minnesota), but my joints feel so delightful. Well…maybe not delightful, but I’ve noticed that they’re definitely a lot happier and manageable during cold, dry weather. The heat and especially the humidity of summer greatly increases my pain, swelling, and, well, RA discomfort and misery. I know that I’m probably a bit of a weirdo and in the minority for preferring cold weather instead of warm/hot weather for my RA, but I can’t be the only one–right?

Here’s a link to my latest article for RheumatoidArthritis.net about this:

“Let It Snow?”

I’m really sick of seeing snow and especially in April. Yes, we still have snow here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota; I’m looking at the disgusting stuff right now through the window as I write this. I desperately want sunshine and green grass and no more cold, gray, and snowy days. I just wish my RA liked summery, warm weather too.

You Can Start Where You Are

 

This is something I often struggle with: That I can’t go back and change the beginning–getting a painful and debilitating chronic illness when I was 18. Or any other “beginnings” in my life that I wish I could change. But! C.S. Lewis reminds me that all is not lost and I do have the power to try to change those bad beginnings into something positive and good, no matter where I am in my life.

It’s never too late to start again, right?

Why Don’t You Just…?

Why don’t you just give up gluten? Why don’t you just stop eating sugar? Why don’t you just go to the gym? Why don’t you just start taking probiotics? Why don’t you just lose weight? Why don’t you just stick to your diet?

Do any of these why-don’t-you-just questions sound familiar? Are there any others that you hear? Here’s my latest article for RheumatoidArthritis.net that goes a bit into this peeve of mine.

“Why Don’t You Just…?”

One thing I’ve definitely learned from living with RA for 20 years is this:  Nothing that involves RA is easy. It’s all difficult and complicated and confusing. There is no “just do this” or “just do that.” The word “just” implies that what you’re about to do or you’re going to tell someone to do is easy, simple, convenient, accessible, fast.

I’ll say it again and I’ll say it a million times over and over for the rest of my life: RA is not easy. It just isn’t.

Hope you like the article!

Lose It!

Great news! I had an appointment at my pain clinic this morning and according to their scale, I’ve lost two pounds in the last week/week and a half. YES! As you probably already know, I’ve been trying so hard to lose weight AND while still taking prednisone, which often feels impossible. So this really made my day today! I also just started tracking my food and calories again (Tuesday), but this time trying a new app on my phone–Lose It! I already think I like it better than Spark People, which is what I’ve used in the past.

So anyway, I’m ecstatically happy about losing these two little pounds. I’m ready, more than ready, to LOSE IT! A lot of it. :)

New RA Instagram!

I just decided to create an Instagram page/account, @inflamed_ra, as another companion to this blog. I’ll be posting RA, chronic illness, chronic pain, and health-related posts on this new page. Please follow me if you like!

Good Morning

12.13.17 – Fridley, Minnesota

It was snowing heavily on my way to work this morning, yet despite the traffic and stress and headaches it caused, it was really beautiful.

Peace, beauty, relief, contentment–they’re not so hard to find sometimes, I think.

Just Say No?

Self-portrait, circa 2012

If only it were that easy to “just say no” to bread, pasta, bagels, donuts, pastries, sweets, SUGAR–all of the delicious carbs that steroid medication (prednisone) makes you crave.

If only I could “just say no” to my doctor when he advises that I increase my prednisone dosage (once again) to help get a flare-up under control.

The prednisone/steroid battle is a tough one, as many of you already know, because despite its nasty side effects, it’s hard to say “no” to a treatment that is very effective and fast at reducing inflammation and pain.