RA Drains Me

I was waiting until this morning to decide if I would stay home from work or not. My body decided for me. I have zero energy, my head is killing me and I just feel achy all over. I've slept all day, yet I still can't get out of bed. I did manage to get up to brush my teeth and get some caffeine.

It's funny, we have a little chihuahua. She's a quiet little dog, but I feel like she always senses when I don't feel good because she'll come and lay with me. I guess animals are just smart.

Tomorrow is my busy day at work. Every Wednesday, we see patients all day long. I'm on my feet all day. I look forward to it because I love my patients. Right now, I have no idea how that's going to happen. I don't even have the energy to drive to work.

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?!

Blogs

I'm finding that I'm getting more and more views on my blog. Yet no comments or emails. It would be so helpful to know what people think of what I'm going through. I love feedback.

If anyone has questions about RA or my experience, please feel free to ask. I have had RA since I was 5 and I'll be 37 this year. I've had my share of doctors, medication, and testing.

arthritisgirl@gmail.com

Living A Scared Life

I received my last gel injection on 9/30/14. But, I started feeling better on 9/20/14-just 2 days after the first injection. I am so grateful for this type of treatment. Yet, I'm laying in bed watching movies on a Saturday. I don't know how to NOT live a sick life. Not only that, I also fear that if I do too much, because I feel well, I'll start hurting again. That pain was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. And, I thought about dating again. Dating is so hard with RA. I rarely drink, if I do, it's usually special occasions. And, going out to dinner is hard because I try to get to bed between 7-8 during the week.

I'm going to work on trying to be "normal" as I feel better. It's so hard. It's also scary. I fear the future. I don't know what this disease holds.

Air conditioning and RA, they just cannot be friends.

I am always cold. Even in the summer, I would rather be warm, then have the AC blowing on me. The cold just hurts way too much.

Why is it that hospitals are always so cold? I don't understand why they need to keep the thermostat set SO low. I work in a hospital. Luckily, if I'm flaring, I can wrap myself in my snuggy and close my office door.

Today I went to the eye doctor, it reminded me that doctors offices are always cold. I was even wearing a sweater. I almost got up and left when it started to really ache my bones. Unfortunately, when you have RA and have been on tons of meds, they want to do ALL the eye testing. So, I was there forever.

Restaurants. Totally a given, everyone knows this. But, why is it always cold? Sometimes I'm so cold and uncomfortable, I don't want to eat.

I would never survive somewhere like Alaska. It looks so beautiful there too.

48 hours post injection

Less than 48 hours since my first injection and I feel amazing. Seriously. I cannot tell you how night and day this has been. I have been so depressed about being in constant pain. To wake up this morning and feel nothing, I mean NOTHING, is pretty incredible. And I still have 2 more injections!

I strongly recommend this therapy to anyone that is close to needing a knee replacement. Or, near bone on bone. Or, just have tried every therapy for knee pain for OA. It's called viscosupplementation. The gel that they injected was called Euflexxa. I'm so excited. I'm walking without my usual limp today. I feel "normal".

Dreamcicle

I had this dream last night that I was running around, almost gliding. We were kind of like sliding down a hill of some sort. I would run up the stairs to do it again. All I kept thinking was that I was invincible. I could do anything. I was pain free. It was amazing.

Then, of course, my alarm goes off and my knee is gnawing on itself.

Today was my first Euflexxa injection. I had wanted to do a video, but I was completely wiped out yesterday and just didn't plan well. They numbed the site pretty well. The needle for the actual gel is pretty big and a little intimidating. It actually felt just like getting a cortisone injection. They said I might stiffen up or swell the first 2 days.