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.
For years, I battled with my weight, but in 2020, things escalated beyond my control. I gained an alarming amount of weight, and no matter what I tried, the scale seemed determined to move in the wrong direction. And believe me, I tried EVERYTHING. I enrolled in a medically supervised weight-loss program that consisted of... Continue Reading →
People keep asking me how things are going since I retired. I usually say, “It’s okay.” The truth is, it’s completely overwhelming. The disability paperwork alone feels like a full-time job—an especially cruel irony when you’re filling it out to prove you’re incapable of working full-time. Every question makes me wonder if I’m answering it... Continue Reading →
Life has been a little... chaotic since starting hospice care for my mom. And by “a little chaotic,” I mean I now live in a sleep-deprivation experiment sponsored by Alexa, arthritis, and appliance failure. Mom has developed a habit of waking me up throughout the night because she can’t work the remote, needs help getting... Continue Reading →
Living with chronic illness for almost 30 years gives one a thick skin. I've met so many people who love to give me free advice. For the most part, it's all good intended suggestions, but I often feel stumped on how to respond. Today someone said, "My friend says those infusions you take are bad,... Continue Reading →
Wow, my fingers feel rusty. It's been a hot minute since I've blogged. I took what I haven't allowed myself to take in a long time.....a break (sort of). My health has been horrible over the past three years. In addition to my autoimmune arthritis, I've had to deal with grief, depression, pneumonia, multiple bouts... Continue Reading →
Someone recently asked me if I wrote an "advice blog". The answer is NOPE. As My Joints turn is more of a journal of living with chronic illness and debilitating pain. I share my experience with doctors, medication, treatments, and daily life. I am not a medical professional, so any "advice" I give would be... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
A year ago, I wrote a book about my dog, Georgia Grace. Georgia is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who lives with multiple, serious chronic illnesses including the top 3: Syringomyelia, Chronic Valvular Heart Disease, and Diabetes. I was told her life expectancy was three years. Today, she is 10 years, 6 months and... Continue Reading →