Well, if my evening last night were ever to be depicted in this comic book art form, let me just say that it would include a lot of these sound bubbles…including one final kapow!

Fight scenes are rarely pretty. They are even more ugly when the superhero seems to lose. But Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy has gotten beat up before, and he continues to learn how to pick himself back up after episodes such as these.

The weapons that I encountered, while they were somewhat familiar, seemed to be much more potent than anything I have previously come across.

My left hand continued to curl inwards, forming an almost closed fist. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it seems like some “Tim Burton” magic dust was added to the spell, making my fingers look like the bare crooked branches that have become a visual trademark of that director.

Simultaneously, my right shoulder was being attacked like never before. Close inspection revealed a wide, bright red swath of inflammation that was completely wrapped around my shoulder. Talk about searing pain!

Then, both ankles and my right wrist decided that they, too, would jump on the bandwagon.

All I could muster, at that moment, was a blank stare into nothingness.

Ka-pow!

But then the punches finally stopped landing, and the pain slowly started to subside. Within an hour, I was back to “normal”.

I wonder what sound bubbles might appear next time?

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

Yesterday, I took some sick leave and left after the first half of class. My department head filled in for me during the second half of class. Who would have known? The first time that I actually took some sick time and it had absolutely nothing to do with my rheumatoid arthritis.

I am feeling better today, after getting some much needed rest yesterday. I look forward to getting more rest this weekend. Unfortunately, there is a factor outside of my control that is aggravating my respiratory problems. Wild fires are raging out of control in my part of the world, and even though they are quite distant from where I live, my city is still getting smothered with smoke. The sky is hazy all day long, and for more than a week the current conditions on my web browser’s weather gadget have actually been “smoke”.

So while these current conditions can’t be helping either my cold or my rheumatoid arthritis, I am looking forward to getting some additional rest this weekend. I hope that clean, fresh smoke-free air follows soon after.

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

I had a beer.

Celebrating with a beer? Wasn’t I supposed to completely eliminate alcohol from my diet?

The answer to both of those questions continues to be “yes”. The beer I had today was an alcohol-free beer…and it was actually quite good! It is brewed in Germany by Erdinger.

So I’d like to make a Saturday night “cheers” to all of my readers, friends, and family. Thanks for all of the support that you gave me earlier this week. (Just a quick update: I had some low-medium pain over the past few days, but nothing even close to the episode that I had on Wednesday.)

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

Earlier today, I thought to myself “this never ends, does it?” (I can’t even count how many times I have asked myself this question in the past.) Usually, it’s right around this point when I start getting depressed. Feelings of failure once again enter my mind. “If I had only done this” or “if only I had not done that.”

Today, however, my response was different. I actually had an answer to my question. No, it doesn’t end. And ready or not, my rheumatoid arthritis is once again coming back. I can continue to fight against this, or I can get ready.

So I am getting ready, as best I can.

I had my “RA talk” with my students today. I always find it easier to explain things up front, should my crutches or cane once again come out of the corner, than have to respond to multiple inquiries regarding my drastic change in physical condition. After I finished explaining things, I looked around and saw each student had diligently copied all of my notes and sketches on the board into their notebook. (I always tell my students that anything I write on the board is fair game for a test or quiz.) I told them that they would not be tested on anything I had just covered.

I went to the gym this afternoon, and immediately cut my planned workout in half. My mind wanted to do much more than my body. In the past, my mind always won. Today, I stood up for my body.

And as I sit here at my desk, typing, I have a batch of paraffin wax melting nearby in an electric warmer. Although the wax dips do not provide any long-term relief, they do provide excellent momentary relief.

So yes, the pain is coming back, and the tears are once again falling. But I remind myself that things will be okay…and I keep moving forward.

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

Hi! I’ve been considering responding to your blog for a while now (actually a year-ish while…)! I was born in South-Africa and still find myself here. Lovely country, and among other amazingly strange facts, we have 11 official languages! I was diagnosed with RA 8yrs ago, and at a point in 2009 when my sense of humor totally deserted me, I came across a poster of your 60 Sec Guide to RA behind the restroom door at my rheumatologist’s rooms. (Fortunately it was a copy of an original, imagine that same guide in all 11 languages). I couldn’t stop grinning all the way home-imagining the logical way to explain to people why I’m younger than their grannies that have the “same disease” that I have!? Thank you so much for that: not only can I now explain the DIS-ease of the disease, but I can also encourage other people living with RA to count their blessings. I live with an altered perseption of what it means to be blessed and that makes the day-to-day surprises when living with RA a unique adventure at a special pace. Like living in Africa. God Bless! God Bless!

Might I be accused of lurking, though?

Healing My Rheumatoid Arthritis with Functional Medicine

I am a 32-year-old mother of three children (ages 12, 9, and 7).  I am happily married and a teacher by profession, although I don’t work in the system currently because I am educating my own children at home.   My mother and my paternal grandmother both have or have had rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

My symptoms began when I was nine years old but were largely dismissed as “growing pains” by doctors.  By seventh grade, I was wrapping my joints in bandages and forging notes from home to get out of PE because I was in pain.  By 15 I was self medicating with prescription pain killers intended for menstrual cramps.  My mother suspected juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but the doctors continued to just dismiss it.  I took a lot of pills, missed a lot of school, but was able to pretty much get by.  Honestly, I thought I was normal.  Besides, if I hurt, I could just pop some pills, sleep it off, and be fresh in the morning.  This was how I managed until one fateful day when I was 26.  While lifting chicken out of the oven, my wrist popped.  At the time, it was no big deal; I was used to my joints popping and causing pain.  This time however, the pain did not go away no matter what I did.

Read More: http://flareandbackagain.wordpress.com/

And last week, I covered for another professor who was out. Four hours for my class, followed by four hours for her class. Needless to say, at the end of the day my feet were not happy campers.

But I made it through the week. On a couple of evenings, I even made it to the gym.

This timing of returning to a busy schedule was quite nice in a way, because it prevented me from dwelling on the news that I recently received regarding my elevated liver enzymes. Sure, I had the whirlwind of different emotions in the days following, but then I’ve resolved to continue to do the best that I can to take care of myself.

And while I’ve had a few aches and pains here and there (isn’t it wonderful to be able to refer to rheumatoid arthritis in the way?), particularly in my hands and feet, the day after tomorrow will be exactly one month since my last full blown flare/extremely painful episode. My crutches and my canes have also been resting in the corner next to the entrance door since the beginning of June.

However long this lasts, I do not know. What I do know is that I will continue to make to most of every new day, no matter what level my pain might be at.

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

For the longest time, each time I went in for my laboratory tests I always expected the worst results. They always came back normal, though, and I continued to move forward with my treatment plan of Arava, Plaquenil, and Prolertus.

So when I went in for my laboratory tests last week, I finally told myself not to worry (first time I did so!)…everything had gone well in the past, and I was sure it would continue to go well in the future.

Until today.

The results indicate that my transaminases are way out of range. They are right below the 3x level, which means that I can continue with the Arava – although we are immediately cutting the dosage in half. Alcoholic beverages are now an absolute no-no, and the hope is that in the coming months my liver enzymes will return to normal. If they don’t lower, obviously I will have to stop my current medicines.

The funny thing is that the FDA warning earlier this month about Arava and liver damage prompted me to call my rheumatologist in order to schedule this recent laboratory test. Who would have known?

Stay tuned…for the next adventure of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy!

This summer, Eugene residents Lanier Lobdell and Flaxen will embark upon a cross-country journey to raise awareness about Rheumatoid Arthritis and spread their message of hope and inspiration for people living with this chronic disease.

Lanier will be chronicling their trip with video and photo updates on “The Extra Mile Tour” Facebook Fan Page. We invite you to follow them as they make their way across the country and back again by becoming a fan today!

More Info: http://www.facebook.com/extramiletour?v=wall

A sick girl’s quest for normalcy.

About

Sometimes the blog will be about nothing.

Sometimes it will be about heavy stuff.

Sometimes it will be a true story I made up.

Stick around and find out.

The blog’s URL comes from a Ray Bradbury quote:

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.

About, redux

So. That other “About” page doesn’t really tell that much about me or about why I’m blogging. Still, it’s a link to a former blog, and in a way, a former self; the self that was too self-conscious and still too isolated to blog about my chronic illness. It’s a good reminder of where I used to be; hence. why it’s still up.

But, a little more about me now. I am a twenty-something reporter/copy editor/photographer/jill-of-all-journo trades living with (and sometimes dealing with) psoriatic arthritis, often referred to as PSA. At least by me, anyway. I’ve been working in the business for about 5 years and living with the symptoms of PSA for at least that long. (Coincidence? Hmph.)

I am married, with two furbabies — and don’t ask me if/when I’ll be having kid. It’s a pet peeve of mine.

I hope you enjoy what you read here, but I won’t be offended if you don’t. Being a journo has thickened my skin.

Read More: http://cupsquietlybeingfilled.wordpress.com/