Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Even More Thankful for the Good Days

I know having RA flare up creates a great deal of obstacles which I have faced over the past 15 years. One big obstacle for during an Rheumatoid Arthritis flare-up is I have trouble walking up stairs, trouble opening bags or using hands at times, issues with repetitive motions. I know when I was 19 years old it was my first year of college. I know everything started out great until January when I started noticing little issues with pain in my knees and stiffness. I know the college had this long stair way to get into the college and one day I new for sure their was an issue. I could not walk all the way up the stair way without being in a great deal of pain. I was exhausted and irritable. I know I was noticing how much effort it was taking me to just get up the stairs that I used to fly up and now I had to stop several times before I would make it to the top of the stairs. I know back then I was really scared as to why this could be happening. I did tell my mom right away and she took me to her Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with RA after some tests and examinations. I know my mother like me had RA and my great grandmother also had RA. Here RA was so bad that her fingers curved to the sides because of the joint damage.

Thankfully my joints all look normal but I also know when I have a flare up that it is doing damage to my joints. I am really thankful that most of the time my RA does not seem to affect my blood sugars much except when on steroids but hopefully I can get off of them quickly and get back to my normal energy levels soon. Having RA really makes me appreciate the times when my body is functioning at a a normal levels. When it is not it become really frustrating and creates issues for me a work and home. I know currently I am very thankful for each day that is pain free for my joints and I know the days that are not our a great reminder of why I should be thankful for all the good days I do have. I try my best to keep things in perspective but this time my RA caught me off guard and I have struggled a great deal more with the feelings of anger and resentment because of my lack of energy. Thankfully I know feel like I am in a better place because I realized that I also need to be a little nicer to myself during a flare up and allow myself the time to rest.

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