The Girl With Arthritis

When I first began treatment for juvenile arthritis, I was put on a roller coaster: Mentally, emotionally and physically. I would say the first two years were the most wild, but there have been plenty of loops, hills and spirals along the way. Chronic illnesses tend to put people on roller coaster journeys. Nothing is set in stone, which means whilst things could go wrong, things could also go well. We're all at different parts of the ride, of which is completely different for everyone. But I think there are about four types of coasters we've all been on at some time. The Wooden Coaster: The wooden coaster is generally predictably since you can see the front of the track. The thing about it is that it's not a smooth ride: Wooden tracks are rickety and although you know where you're going, it can feel like it can change at any moment. This track can instantly turn into one of the following. The Steel Coaster: Typically very fast and unpredictable. Sure, you're ...

It is glaringly obvious I have not been writing regularly. Lately there is a day or two between posts. Honestly, I did this at first because I began to worry posts everyday are annoying. Now, it's because I haven't much time to write. And I am sorry for that. Believe me when I say I very much enjoy writing and it hurts to be away so much (even more than Arthur). I'm not going to sit here and write excuses for you. That's rather boring. But I am going to be very busy for about two or three more weeks. Please excuse me in advance if I don't get to write much or if my posts don't appear like my normal ones. It's an extremely stressful time right now, but fortunately it will get better. It just takes time. Hopefully Arthur will cooperate to help. So I leave you here for right now. This isn't an excuse post for me to forget you for two weeks. It's an apology post in advance for having too little time and too much stress. Please bare with me: I'm t...

A recent trend around YouTube has been to do something called "Draw My Life," which is when people draw... Well, their life. The drawings are usually little stick figures and such, which is great because it helps you focus a little bit more on the story. Whilst people draw, they tell you their story. What amazes me is that people are very Open with their stories and you find most people have had more challenges than what you'd imagine. I love watching "Draw My Life" videos because I like learning more about other people and finding that we often have the same experiences that we wouldn't know otherwise. Whilst I think it would be cool to do a Draw My Life video too, I have already done this in my blog. So, I drew a quick sketch of my life right now: A coffee, some art, one blog and lots of great people I've met through it. :) Just a quick sketch.

It's not uncommon to hear others say 'I want to help people,' but that always made me wonder when the individual is cared for. Does it only matter when a whole population of people are hurt by an event or had their lives dramatically changed- not an individual? When do we rebuild not just the people , but the person ? Why doesn't it matter when a person is hurt by an event or had their lives flipped upside down? Because it doesn't affect everyone? No. Because it happens every single day. Maybe at one time these things did affect everyone but presently since it happens so often, we're used to it. We've been built up to so much than one casualty is no longer a big deal: It cannot penetrate our shield. People go on and live their lives with the strength we've built to move on. Meanwhile, an individual is trying to pick up the pieces and wearing a mask that protects everyone from their emotions and stories as if censoring their lives. But of course, the ...

Avoiding your problems doesn't fix them, and hiding from them doesn't make them go away. I know, when there is just too much stress it's very tempting to just stay home and sleep in. And when there's a conflict at work, avoiding it completely seems to be the  best fix. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. Like our fears and emotions, we have to face our problems, and even fix them if possible. Even if we're tired, stressed and just feeling broken: We can't let our problems dominate our lives and how we run them. I cannot ignore Arthur. I cannot hide from Arthur. I cannot run from Arthur. Arthritis is demanding! I've had to face him day after day! He's a part of me, and even if I tried to ignore him, it would only make him worse! He's already a pain in the joint as it is, I don't need to encourage him. If I didn't care for him, I'd most likely be in the worse flair of my life and I'd probably begin having a lot of trouble gettti...