As My Joints Turn: my autoimmune soap opera
Autoimmune Arthritis isn't the end of the world, it's just another way of living in the world.
IFAA just put out the 2nd part of our first episode of Rheumy Rounds™, a breakout series from our ArthritisVoices360 podcast. In this episode we talk about the doctor/patient relationship. We also touched on what a patient expects to accomplish during visit as opposed to what a rheumatologist expect to accomplish during a visit. It's... Continue Reading →
I recently started a foray into podcasting with my IFAA cofounder Tiffany. She is the brains behind the project, in which patients co-host a podcast to discuss issues impacting patients in the autoimmune/autoinflammatory arthritis community. Our latest series is called "Rheumy Rounds". Personally, I think it is ground breaking. How many of us (patients) have... Continue Reading →
Christmas is in 4 days. Are my gifts wrapped? No. Am I packed? No. My decorations are minimal....and so is my Christmas spirit. My 2019 was extra crappy. Here is a little recap.... January: I started the year with a broken foot/non-weight bearing. On January 2, my cat tripped me and I ended up tearing... Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago, I started with a dry cough. After my bout with pneumonia, I watched it closely. By the middle of the week, I felt wrecked. Body aches, stuffy nose, sore throat, ear ache, etc. I called my doctor but they had no appointments until the following day. My goal was to return to... Continue Reading →
I just recently started to feel like my new medication is working. It's kind of shocking. My pain level is so much more tolerable. I still have pain, but I can make it all day without taking extra meds. My swelling is also getting better. I still swell when I overdo it, but for the... Continue Reading →
I've not taken a proper vacation since my dog was diagnosed with diabetes. I refused to leave her for over two years until this past September, when I traveled to Washington DC for 2 nights for a patient advocacy trip. I admit that I was a wreck until I had her back in my arms.... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since I had time to blog. So much to write about. Working full-time Patient Advocacy A milestone birthday So let's start in September. I had spent the majority of my summer with serious gastroenteritis. I swear I have never experienced stomach issues like that in my life. I went through test... Continue Reading →
****I'm updating the story: I started with symptoms on a Tuesday. Wednesday spiked a fever. By Saturday, my fever was 102 and I broke down to see a doctor. I woke up early Sunday morning to take care of Georgia's insulin and meds. Ate some toast and went back to bed to rest. Woke up... Continue Reading →
I recently read an article called: "Chronic inflammation removes motivation by reducing dopamine in the brain." Reading the article was one of those "OMG this is me!!!" moments. For the past few years, I just could not figure out where my motivation went. Granted, I'm exhausted and in pain....but I have ZERO motivation for things... Continue Reading →
This past week, I've been dealing with one of the worst flare ups of my disease in years. I say the word "disease" because honestly, no one seems to know for sure what I have. Sometimes I'm told I have rheumatoid arthritis. Other times, I'm told I have psoriatic arthritis or spondyloarthopathy. All I know....is... Continue Reading →