So you have Rheumatoid Arthritis and your life has changed forever and so has everyone around you. Their feelings for you have changed, the way they look at you has changed and the way they treat you has changed. Most of these changes haven’t been for the best and you’re wondering what have you done wrong. All that you’ve done is gotten a disease that you didn’t ask for. You are not responsible for the changes that are made in your life, Rheumatoid Arthritis is. What they don’t seem to understand, “you’re not your disease”, you have a disease. No one sets out to become ill with a chronic disease that will change them forever but it has happened and you’re suffering the consequences in ways you never knew possible. Continue reading “Having Rheumatoid Arthritis-I Am Not My Disease”→
Fellow warriors, how are you all doing? My hope is that you’re doing alright. That being said, by having Rheumatoid Arthritis it is such a trying thing and is filled with so much uncertainty, pain and confusion. Do you ever find yourself working beyond your limit. Trying to fill in the gaps that you feel have been left because you were unable to do as much. At some point in your illness do you want to just throw up your hands because of your frustration.
Being people with Rheumatoid Arthritis we know there are things that we go through every day. We suffer from aches and pains, headaches, colds, sinus infections, lung infections, stomach problems just to name a few but with all that’s going on today, are you feeling “Overwhelmed,Uncertain and Unsure” because these symptoms aren’t just the symptoms that we’ve been so accustom to having and knowing what they are, now we’re worried they could mean so much more than they every could.
I have to say this has truly been a trying time for me. With Covid19 I’m sure we’re all going through our emotional times. Some of us are afraid to go out or have people around especially since our condition and medication put us at higher risk. There are those of us who wear our mask religiously, wash our hands, disinfect and do all that we can and then more but we’re still overwhelmed. How do we cope with this disease and our new normal.
No one wants to be stressed every day wondering if they’re doing the right things and staying safe or neglecting doctors appointments in an effort at being stay safe. We feel so vulnerable just knowing we can be vulnerable but our resolve is to be strong and do what we can to keep ourselves as safe as possible. But I have to admit, it can be difficult. I am at that age and I have RA and I have a 15 year old in the house. Try telling a healthy athletic young man he can’t play basketball at school because you’re afraid. Thank God school is virtual but what about sports. My husband still works for the post office and he’s being as safe as he can but that can be trying on its own. In so aspects, our lives have to go on.
How do I cope with it all. I am trying meditation and calming myself when I have that uncertain pain or cough or headache or anything that I really didn’t think much off before. I have been praying a lot more for sure. So being overwhelmed and unsure I’m sure is taking its toll on many of us. The stress too is not good for us. It makes our disease even more difficult to handle and makes us feel even worse physically and mentally. So we have to work to find a common ground and that can be a task we have to work on.
For those of you who are feeling overwhelmed at this time, know that you’re not alone. We have so much to deal with just having Rheumatoid Arthritis and all that it does to us each day but now having to worry about a different enemy is very scary. This is a fight for everyone especially for those with compromised immune systems but we can be alright. We can be scared but we must help ourselves through it with the help of others if we have too. Though it’s difficult, let us please try not to let being overwhelmed and unsure take over our peace. If you need someone, reach out even if it’s through a forum because we do understand each other how it is for each other!
Yes, our daily lives with RA can be overwhelming and full of uncertainty but we will do what we can to make it through our days. Thank you for stopping by.
Be quiet, don’t talk. No one hears you. Is this how you feel sometimes when you need to reach out to someone to talk about what you’re going through but instead you keep quiet, say nothing and suffer in silence.
When you find yourself in so much pain, maybe alone and not knowing what to or who to turn to at a time when you need someone the most, how do you get through this difficult time and how do you make another one of those tough episodes that you’ve become accustomed to but never use to.
Having Rheumatoid Arthritis is something that we as sufferers will never get use to having but because it has become a part of our lives causing pain, fatigue and frustration and it is something that is never the same day to day. There are days it may be manageable but days where we are barely able to move. This leaves us filled with uncertainty and our lives filled with turmoil bringing on that needed strength that many never, ever know we are forced to come by.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a very complicated disease to say the least. It strikes us in ways that are unexpected and devastating as we suffer from short term affects as well as long term affects. Ones that put us down for days at a time or months at a time and in some cases years. But when we are doing okay in general there are those times when our bodies just can’t seem to get going because it is just overwhelmed with fatigue. Fatigue is one of our main enemies that hangs on and ravish our bodies like crazy. It lingers and wages war like pain from the moment we try getting out of bed until we fall back in bed at night and that’s if we’re lucky enough to make it out of bed at the beginning of our day. You see for us there is no simplicity to this disease. It is so complicated and so misunderstood by many and honestly we know that the understanding we need will never happen but we have to forge on in spite of that.
Finding our strength takes more than the physical. It takes every bit of mental focus that we have. Though we struggle day after day and find it hard putting one foot in front of the other, our mental strength kicks in giving us that push we often need to fall back on. Yet we are often beaten down in both aspects. This disease is so draining on us physically and mentally leaving us tied down to a life of chaos that many just don’t see. We have learned along the way to hide what we feel and struggle with only to be ignored if even it’s seen and known. We have learned what they fail to realize or opt not to accept is out of our control so we live our lives fighting for ourselves with the little strength we have.
Where do we find strength when we are at our weakest! From the depths of our being. The place that we dig deep within when there is no other place but our inner self. We are full of strength as warriors of Rheumatoid Arthritis and no one knows how strong you have to be to survive with an auto immune disease and all that comes with it. We are constantly fighting a battle that always brewing in our bodies and minds from this disease and the medication to help us so this is how we have gained strength.
Though our strength may wane, we know we can never give up. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
You have Rheumatoid Arthritis and many don’t even know what it is. Well, it’s an auto immune disorder that affects so many it’s a shame that everyone don’t know what it is. It affects the joints but other parts of the body which can include the organs. Guess what, with all of that, it leaves us all vulnerable to emotional breakdowns as well. So here we are, the beginning of our lives with a world of chronic everything. Continue reading “RA-Do You Feel You’re Defending Yourself Too Much For Having Rheumatoid Arthritis”→
I hope this post finds each of you doing well considering what we are all going through at this time. I know this is a very trying and difficult time for those of us with RA or any other auto immune and along with the average person because our lives have been turned upside down. You see this has been one of the most difficult times I have seen in quite a while for many reasons.
While I have found that my anxiety has been truly high I have not dealt well with it on some occasions but I have found comfort in working in the yard as best I can which has caused issues with my RA. I find myself hurting more but it keeps my mind off of being shut up in the house and being afraid to go out. Getting out in the yard has been my saving grace along with prayer and reading my bible. I tell you if it weren’t for those things, my mind would be everywhere. I suffer along with the aches and pains because it gives me something else to think about and let me know that there is still some normalcy which is my RA. Sad to say but it is the truth. Umm for reality.
I guess a lot of us having Rheumatoid Arthritis finds it extra stressful because of our immune system due to our disease and our medication taking its toll and we’re worrying even more about our safety. Wondering if that trip to the store, pharmacy or doctor is a safe one. I know for me most of my appointments were canceled. I guess those that weren’t essential which I found to be okay because if they thought it was safer not to do it, then I had no problem either. I’ve finally just started venturing out a little bit and that’s only if the parking lots are almost empty and the stores are scarce. I don’t mean to be so paranoid but it is a very scary time for us all. Some people are braver than others I must say though but I hope and pray this will all end for us soon.
One last thing, I haven’t had the best of luck getting my medication, hydroxychloroquine because of what’s going on but I hope that works itself out soon but I’m sure I’m not the only one. I just hope this works out for everyone however it is suppose too. I will be trying again later this week to get my refill and see what happens at that time. In the meantime, I hope since my last post everyone is doing well and keeping safe as well as your families. I hope your RA isn’t getting the best of you in this difficult time when you might need care the most. Thanks for stopping by.
If I could remove this disease
I would do it a breeze
If I could take back my life
I would gladly let go of this strife
I would wipe away RA
The disease that hurts me every day
I would take back my life as I knew it
Full of spunk, laughter and fit
No more daily fatigue, sadness and pain
Nor fear of the cold, damp or rain
I would be on the go without fear
Never wondering if a chair or bench was near
If I could wipe out being chronic
I would without another pill, shot, infusion or any kind of tonic
If I could end all of the painful years
It would stop the tears and the constant fears
I would chase away chronic everything
And a calmer, simpler, pain-free life I would definitely bring!
Be Blessed.
As sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis, we do all that we can to stop the pain we endure every day but there are those times when the pain get so bad we need help getting through our days. There are the flares that make our pain unbearable so we look for what makes it easier through those tough times and for many of us it’s prednisone. Continue reading “RA-Rheumatoid Arthritis-Fighting To Get Better-What We May Not See”→
RA AND THE FAMILY FIT 