The Girl With Arthritis

People with arthritis often talk about how they 'pay' for being too active one day with a lot of pain the next day. I can completely relate: there have been plenty of times when I accidentally overdid it while having a fun day out and about. The overexertion aggravates my psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and this pattern makes it hard to balance my need for social interaction with my need to take care of my body.  View the full article at HealthGrades.com.

I've understood that people are not supposed to experience pain for a long time. I knew the concept at the age of eight, and understood completely by age ten. I know that sounds a bit impossible, but I've had arthritis since I was a baby and I grew up in pain. I didn't know that wasn't right. It's not that I wasn't in pain, it's that I assumed everyone felt the same. When no one else complained or talked about it, I assumed I wasn't supposed to either. Despite being stiff and limping, no one really asked me if I was in pain. I just thought it was completely normal until I flared when I was eight. All of a sudden, it was okay if I didn't want to run about like the others. The adults would tell the children, "Elizabeth's hips hurt," and I would get to sit and play my own games. It was amazing, but I didn't truly think my pain was out of the ordinary until I got a bit older. To this day, I still forget. I still assume everyone on the...

I don't know why, but it's been a rather quiet day. It's been a uninspirational day as well: I abandoned about three projects in one hour. But that has seemed to be a trend with everyone, not just me. Today I would like to share some of my favourite quotes to inspire a happier, more productive tomorrow. "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney "Despite everything you've been told, you can be bold beyond what others believe you to be. So see in yourself what you wish others to see. Be brave in a way that others may never know. Live like the under-tow that catches and keeps stars spread across the night. Shine in the dark places. Lend the world your light." -"Shine" by Shane Kozycan “Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting ...

I don't feel like pouring my emotions into a post today. Today, I don't want to talk about my arthritis. In fact, I'm not even in the mood to complain about homework today. No, today I'm just going to tell you about a fun time I had. The other night my guy friend came over for dinner, and after dinner some of my family came over. While he and I tried to watch a Harry Potter movie, my young cousin decided she must ask us a "silly question and you're going to laugh."  She asked if we were boyfriend and girlfriend, to which we replied no. Then she proceeded to ask our favourite Disney Characters. And some how we we're actors in her play of Hercules and Cinderella falling in love and getting married. Of course, Hercules and Cinderella with odd acents because you must distort your voice when acting in a child's play. I think the best part of this was that we got this on film. She very much enjoyed that she "Got to direct (and be the narrato...

People say all the time 'you don't realise this is the best time of your life, and when it's gone it's gone forever.' What people don't realise is that I know this is the best time of my life and I never want it to end. People say all the time 'graduation was one of the happiest and saddest days of my life.' What people don't know is that all my life, even before I started school, I feared for the day I graduate school. Honestly, I do want to grow up one day and have a husband and children. But I don't want it to happen too fast either. I'm afraid of a lot of things: I'm afraid of the respondsibility, the danger of not having my mum, driving a car, and just being alone. I'm most afraid of money though. I'm afraid of how I will pay for college: I can't work many jobs due to my arthritis. I'm afraid of never having enough money and needing my parents for a long time just as I have seen many people do into their late twe...

Now that I've told you the truth about Methotrexate, I think it's clear how clueless everyone is about it. Through no fault of their own, of course. When I first started it again (orally this time) I was in Disney World with my parents and other family members. I had only been taking it two or three weeks before the trip. I didn't realise how sick I would get. The worse thing was the mood swings. I won't specify but there was a lot of tension that week. My depression and mood swings were not the best thing to mix with stress. I cried a lot. Also, my jaw hurt an awful lot that whole week. I was tired all the time as well, and though we use a wheelchair in there anyway, I was literally stuck in it except for getting on and off rides. AND my mum had made reservations to all my favourite restaurants but I had lost my appetite that week and forced myself just to taste all my Disney favourite foods. I got nauseous too, and thank God I never got sick. The worse part of thi...

Updated October 2022 Truth is, I take powerful medications to treat Arthur. It's called Methotrexate and in much high doses it is used to treat cancer. In small doses it is used to treat arthritis - it is not considered chemotherapy when used for arthritis. We use it to treat arthritis because it suppresses your immune system, which does not work properly in many arthritis cases, except in the case of Osteoarthritis (arthritis you get due to wear and tear). Though I take it in small doses once a week in pills (people with cancer can take it in pills too), it does not mean I do not get the side effects. Sure, it's much less worse than a person taking it in high doses but no doubt it's still there. I've lost some hair (most people won't lose all their hair), especially eyelashes much to my annoyance. I get mouth sores too and whilst they don't hurt, I do get that odd taste in my mouth. I get nausea too, as most people do. Fatigue happens too. In fact, when I fir...