The Girl With Arthritis

There are a lot of reasons one can feel like a stranger at family gatherings. I think the most common reason is because families tend to be strangers to each other. Some families drift over time or after the death of a grandparent. Others are just distant. I can't speak for everyone of course. Being strangers isn't what hurts you though: It's when they don't know you. It's a stab in the back when the people who held you as a baby cannot remember that you're just a bit too old for a necklace sized for a five year old child. By more than a decade. There's this one person I never connected with. I suppose it's because we are seemingly polar opposites, but I think it's a downright shame I've never had a proper conversation with him. You see, our relation implies we are very close but our actual relationship implies otherwise. We barely acknowledge each other at all. I've always assumed he never thought of me at all, which hurts considering ...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I certainly did. I've had the pleasure of being surrounded by family for the past few days. Although sarcastic by nature, I don't mean it sarcastically: it was actually nice to see my family again. Mostly.    There was one event in particular that stands bright in my memory. It was towards the end of the night and only a few were left. My younger cousins were playing nicely when the inevitable happened- a crash and some crying. An object that wouldn't be heavy to an adult but very heavy to a very petite eight year old fell on said child's foot. Even though we're still questioning if it really "just fell" or "if he threw it at me," one thing I can't question is that the child was really hurting. What I thought was interesting was the reactions of three people. The first person had a wonderful time with the child, however it was quite miserable for the child. He really enjoyed jokingly telling ...

Waking up isn't so hard, it's the getting up part. In the morning my back is killing me and more recently it's extended to my ribs. They're just so achy in the morning, like I got punched there or something. It's odd and I don't like that. But it is a quite common symptom in autoimmune arthritis- of course bring it up with your rheumatologist if you are experiencing this. I think wake up pain and late night pain is the worst kind of pain because your focus tends to only be then pain, rather than other things. It hits you at a time when your most vulnerable, mentally and physically. I once read that although we may experience pain in a different body part, pain always comes from our brain. It is best to keep our minds busy when we're in pain. It also explains brain fog.  I try not to dwell on pain, but it's not always possible. So today I decorated my Chrismtas tree. It's a small, white little thing and it's all dressed up in red- it's warm ...

As it is now December and officially time to start our Advent calendars, I think it's time for the dreaded C word. No, novt cortisone; Chrismtas! 'Tis the season for festivities and fun! I can't think of any time of year I love more, except perhaps the summer when I can actually move. Anyway, people are beginning to come up with present ideas for their friends and families. I can completely sympathise if you are struggling because there are quite a few people on my list giving me a run for my money (you know who you are). I am a firm believer in the thought being what counts the most- I'd rather recieve nothing but told how much they thought of me than something that was obviously bought in haste without a thought to who I am. That said, I think it's sometimes hard to come up gift ideas for those of us with chronic illnesses. Since most people aren't millionaires, my wish of a hot tub won't be on my list, but there are small things that are very appreciated....

Last night was yet another party, and I had a wonderful time at that. I am very much thankful for having a wonderful family and great friends, especially at this time of the year. Overall, I've been having a wonderful Christmas time with limited arthritis pain. The first least painful Christmas I've had in a while. I find this reason to celebrate! After Christmas I'm going back to hospital for a few tests and visits, which I will talk about after the holiday. However for right now, I feel no need in causing worry, sadness or anything of the such. So in the festive spirit, I'd like to forget the pain, medicine, hospitals and needles and say Happy Christmas!

Last night's party was a success! Everyone had a jolly time, and one boy acted as Father Christmas to hand out presents at our gift swap. I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed it. On to other things, I wanted to give you a bit of a peek at my Christmas list. This year for Christmas I would love new coloured pencils, new clothes and some books. This year Arthur is asking for a hot tub (to relax sore joints), Enbrel in pill form, extremely comfortable shoes and some hand warmers. Also I'd just like to say thanks for reading the adventures of Arthur Itis and I!

Most kids my age tell me that it's wrong to say 'Merry Christmas' so I should say 'Happy Holidays' instead. Most adults say 'Merry Christmas,' in fact a poll taken in one state of America said only 2% of people like 'Happy Holidays' and 98% like 'Merry Christmas.' This poll had many people of many different faiths. I can understand where the kids come from though: In school we learned to sing "We Wish You a Swinging Holiday," made 'winter trees,' and one year in middle school when a Jewish friend of mine brought in a dreidel so he could teach us how to play at lunch, he got scolded and it got taken away. I'm not going to agree or disagree with any of this just to keep the point of this status clear. So, this year I decided to split the difference between the ages: I say 'Happy Christmas.' :)