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.
I was scrolling through facebook today and saw a post for "walk 50 miles with your dog this month" for XYZ charity. I looked at my dog and said, "When this new medication makes me feel better, we can do this." A friend asked me to go to a large mall in the area, and... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking time to focus on getting healthier. My pain levels have been excruciating. So much so, that I requested an x-ray to make sure nothing is wrong inside (other than what I know is already wrong). I'm hoping to get that done next week. Until then, I thought... Continue Reading →
I used to joke that if I ever woke up without pain, I'd think I was dead. I should clarify that I often wake up without pain, but as soon as I attempt to move... YOWZA This past summer, my diagnosis changed from rheumatoid arthritis to non-radiographic ankylosing spondylitis. My back has been killing me... Continue Reading →
I've lived with Chronic illness for over 20 years. During that time, I admit, I haven't always been good at communicating what I needed from friends and family. Over the years, I've learned how to set boundaries and ask for what I need. The issue is, I've become more discerning of whom I choose to... Continue Reading →
In 2019, I finished out my school year, and traveled to visit my dad for father's day. I was very run down and felt horrible, but attributed it to an autoimmune arthritis flare. I became deathly ill with vomiting/diarrhea and a high fever. I had pneumonia. Fast forward to my first day of school (with... Continue Reading →
I started my new biosimilar infusions to treat my autoimmune arthritis in May 2022. Everyone asked me, "Is it working?" Honestly, it's hard to tell. I was cautiously optimistic. Slowly, I noticed I could walk my dog for longer periods, walk upstairs to use the bathroom at the end of the day (instead of crawling... Continue Reading →
I've been riding a low wave lately. I'm coming up on the year anniversary of losing my dad to COVID19. I continue to have feelings of anger, heartache, disbelief, and utter grief. Honestly, most days, I struggle to get out of bed. I took a huge chunk of 2021 off to work on myself. To... Continue Reading →
Photo credit: Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images I am very angry and have been for a very long time. I'm angry that in my dogs final days I spent more than 75% of the time sitting in the car waiting for her instead of being able to hold and comfort her due to COVId-19.... Continue Reading →
Photo credit: gfpeck I was determined to write about something that didn't have to do with depression. I couldn't do it. I lost so much in 2020, that somedays it feels unimaginable that I will be able to pull myself out. Ironically, social media has "memories" that pop up on your feed that highlight things... Continue Reading →
A year ago the world shut down. I remember sitting in my little office with two students and my high school intern. I was getting annoyed because the intern kept checking her phone. Suddenly she looks up and says, "My mom said we are closed for two weeks!" You can image the reaction of the... Continue Reading →