The Girl With Arthritis

 Autoimmune diseases. They're pretty self explanatory: the immune system attacks the body and causes problems. It's pretty obvious that the best way to help ourselves is to try and care for the immune system. A lot of time this can mean taking immunosuppressant medicines. But even when one isn't taking those, it's still important to prevent getting sick since that can make you flare. Lots of people will suggest things you can do to not become sick. My rheumatologist's absolute favourite is getting the flu jab (no, I've still yet to get it). Others will recommend bathing in hand sanitiser, avoiding contact with people completely and living in your house until spring. However, I have one tip that will absolutely guarantee that you won't get sick: Don't order lemon. When you're out to eat and you ask for a glass of water,  make sure to ask for no lemon. Lemon wedges are notorious for being one of the bacteria filled things you can find in a rest...

I have the worst time at the eye doctors. All things about the eyes just creep me out- I can barely think about contact lenses. Unfortunately, autoimmune arthritis has a tendency to affect the eyes, especially in children. Lots of us have to do full eye exams at least once a year, if not twice or possibly more. Yay. I've had a heck of a time through the years with my eye exams. I used to have to go twice a year but after switching to a new eye doctor last year, it was determined I could go once a year. But no matter how often I go, I never get used to it. Eye drops? Those are a struggle. Want me to look into the light? Yeah, we'll see about that. And don't even talk to me about glaucoma tests. I may not like them at all, but I do have ways of getting through them. If you can't seem to keep your eye open for drops, there is a way that could make it easier. Tilt your head back onto the head of the chair, that way you can push your head into the chair and you won...

Stress is a huge part of what makes autoimmune diseases flare. I love how everytime I read something on controlling autoimmune arthritis, it tends to say something along the lines of 'learn to control stress.' I feel as if that should be more of an instruction for bosses, teachers, and anyone else who seems to cause more stress in our lives. It might be up to us how we deal with it, but I can only do so much. We always say our health should come before anything else, and though it should, it won't always. At least for me. Maybe I'm burning myself out, but I've been pushing past a lot of pain and fatigue to get work and projects done. I'm a young person: I'm working to pursue my dreams. Maybe it's my age, but achieving dreams triumphs a lot right now. My rooms a mess, my Enbrel is off schedule by a day (not a big deal: I don't let that become a problem), I'm tired beyond belief and sore. Right now, so much is taking my priority. It will for a fe...

When I was younger, I had dental braces. And I was adorable. Little Brace-Face Elizabeth, walking around smiling with a mouth full of metal. I used to get pink and purple bands on them. It was precious. Well, except when they were tightened and I was in a lot of pain. That wasn't really fun for anyone. Anyway, I got them taken off quite a number of years ago and I now have straight teeth. Now that I have the perfect teeth, can I please have a perfect jaw? Preferably a less painful jaw. Lately, I've been under a terrible about of stress and that results in clenching my jaw. Clenching my teeth makes my jaw extremely painful. So I've had to be creative in finding ways to relieve this pain, and I would like to pass this knowledge onto you. If you have jaw pain, or even just clench your teeth a lot from stress, you might find these tips helpful. 1. Drink something cold. No, the cold won't numb the pain. However you have to open your mouth to drink, and it will help put l...

I've been taking Enbrel for about five months now. I wish we had known how wonderfully it would work for me so I could've switched earlier. I think the biggest thing about Enbrel that most people don't like is that you have to get it through a shot. I know I didn't like this at first, as I read it burnt and stung terribly. However, five months in, I can't see life without it. I now present some of my wisdom. 1. When you are washing your hands before, make sure to run them under warm water for a minute. It's not only hygenic, but cold hands pinching some skin on your stomach or thigh is not comfortable at all. 2. If you use the pen and recieve a lot of pain from it, consider switching to the regular syringe. That way, you can control what force the needle goes in and how quickly the medicine is injected. Believe me, it's not that hard to learn to do correctly. 3. Remember, you don't have to rush. If you feel burning or stinging while injecting the...