A Cold Summer

Summer's have always been far worse for me than winter. The extreme's of inside and outside just kill me.

Over the weekend, I went to see my sister. Mom drove the fun 40 minutes away, mostly  through country roads. It was nice to sit back in the passenger seat and just take in the view. On the way back home, we planned to stop at the grocery store. It was mid afternoon and almost 80 degrees. I'm already thinking if we think 80 is hot, we're really in for it when we hit the triple digits. My mom is always more warm blooded than I am. I was snuggled on the couch at my sisters, I was cuddled in a blanket. The AC was on high in the car for the drive to the grocery store. I usually try to balance it by putting the window down to get some heat. I was tired from my couch cuddling and didn't think about it. By the time we got to the grocery store, my bones were frozen stiff. I could barely walk. My mom couldn't really understand how it happened so fast. Mom and the cart took off in the store while I hobbled behind. It was so hard to walk. I haven't been the same since. I'm still pretty stiff. 

I had to come home from work early today because I was so stiff and achy. Thank goodness for couches and blankets. 

What Is My RA Future?

My RA sucks.  Well, I suppose everyone's does. But, lately I've been really thinking about what the future is going to hold for me and this disease. It's scary.

I've been really pushing myself at work just to stay afloat. I have FMLA and can miss up to 3 days a week. I really try not to because then I get behind. I'm still expected to complete the workload if I'm gone. And, my boss is really mean to me if I miss time. The other day, I said that I was going to FMLA and only work 6 hours that day. Nobody would talk to me the rest of the day. So, usually, I try to push myself to work 8 hours because I hate that type of treatment.

I'm home today. It's raining outside and I'm under the electric blanket. I don't know what to do next. I can't keep up this pace. I won't survive.

Rain Brings Flares

I feel a flare coming on. The weather is slightly changing, it's supposed to rain on Wednesday. My body aches, I feel like I'm sick. My knees are not happy. Fatigue has set in. I have a low grade temp. Now, I guess I just sit back and brace myself and wait for it to pass? No. As I get older, I try my hardest to live as normal of a life as I can. "Normal". What is normal to a RA'er anyway? I guess I try not to be like a sick person. BUT, I know my limits. When it gets to a certain point, I have to stop and take care of myself. Normally, putting myself to bed. I try really hard to not miss any work. I'll have to wait until morning to see how I feel to determine that! Sometime, I'll compromise and work 6hrs instead of 8 or just shorten my day somehow to make me feel good for working and also know that I'm getting rest. My bed is now calling me, and its dinner time. Who wants dinner when fatigue yells louder?!