The Girl With Arthritis

Some nights I go to bed and promise myself that in the morning I am going to get up and go out and get things done. But I often break that promise. There are mornings on my days off that I do nothing but lie in bed. It feels very lazy, and sometimes I feel guilty. But it's also very peaceful. I can hear the day starting all around me. I feel my joints gently throb. Pain isn't always something that makes you suffer. In fact, it can be the only thing that lets you know you are alive when the world is cold and numb. From my bed I can look out the window and see the world go by. It doesn't go by without me, though it can feel it. I'm still a part of it, but today I choice to watch peacefully as I rest so later I can join outside. People often call me a homebody. However, this is far from true: I really love to be out and about. There are times I dread coming home, wishing I had time for one last adventure. But it would be no fair to my body to overwork it. I need to rest....

Where have I been? Right here! I've never left, I've just been less active. I haven't participated in social media nearly as much or even written comments on some of my favourite blogs. If you emailed me, I still responded like usual. But I'm not up for communication at the moment. I haven't for a long time. I'm not tired of all the lovely people on and off the internet. In fact, I miss them a lot. I just haven't felt up to writing. I haven't even been texting with my best friends as often. Even to type is tiring and all I want to do is lie down and stare at the screen. But this isn't even bringing my energy back. I force myself to take a long walk at least once a week (but usually more) but it hasn't helped (nor made it worse so I continue to get out for a minute). I really enjoy being out too, I wander through stores and bring home coffee for my mum and I. But afterward, I need to relax and I end up lying down for the rest of the day and so...

To Students Pursuing Medicine (be it nursing, doctoring or otherwise), I think the choice to go into this field is great- you must really have dedication and care for others. That's wonderful, and I say that very lovingly, not sarcastically. I'm even a little envious of you because I fancied the idea of becoming a medical professional when I was younger and still have a medical sweet tooth- I love the reality shows set in hospitals. I know you can do it, and you will be great in what you pursue. But, as a professional patient, I ask for you to learn some things and try others. I want you to try and put yourself in your patient's shoes. Think of how you would react in certain situations- and no, you would probably not be as calm as you imagine. I know it's easier to separate yourself from your patients, but do this at least to understand the way your patient reacts to your words. There are tears, held back sorrow and anger, frustration, guilt, confusion and feeling l...

I try to stay very active in the community of fellow autoimmune disease owners. I'm actually part of a group on Facebook (My Immune System Hates Me) for young people who own autoimmune diseases. I really love being a part of it: Even though I'm not very active on it, I've really gotten to know everyone and I really care about them. My heart breaks for them, too. As just the other day, my heart was torn in two for one. Though I won't say who for privacy reasons, this person talked about graduating university just the previous year with hopes of going on to a bright future. However, she is now struggling a lot with her health and it's so hard for her to get by day to day. It's amazing how fast your life can flip. Scratch that, it's scary how fast your life can flip. Especially when you're only so young. Life doesn't get to be put on pause until you can feel better- time keeps ticking and dreams collect dust. I think it's funny how our brains are...

I haven't been very active on the blog lately, even my Twitter and Facebook have suffered. I'm terribly sorry about that: I've been here the whole time, I just haven't been posting. I've even been writing, but I just haven't posted. I've felt immensely guilty about not posting either, but as of recently  I've found myself busy and wrapped up in other things. Like sleeping. Or eating. The past week I was invited to work on a project that has required me to sit on the floor and paint. I like the painting part but not so much sitting on the floor to do it. I'm very much like a baby because I can't sit up by myself so I've had to hold myself with one arm or sit in a way that kills my legs. I've been coming home very sore. But even through that, I've been taking very long walks afterward. I know how important it is that I keep moving, so after a day of sitting uncomfortably a walk seems as though it would be smart. Unfortunately after I ...

Updated October 2022 Lately, I've spent a lot of time reading articles online. One of my favourite places is All Women Stalk: I like the beauty and hair advice, and I really like the name. Last night I was on All Women Stalk and one article was very interesting to me: 7 Skin Problems That Are So Easy to Treat. I expected this article would talk about things like dry skin, but I was proved very wrong. One of the problems that are so easy to treat is psoriasis. Psoriasis?! Easy to treat?! Over my dead body it's easy to treat. The article states that the number six easiest skin problem to treat is psoriasis. This is what the website says: "You might not realize how common psoriasis is. In fact, it’s one of the most common skin conditions that affect adults. It produces red, scaly, dry patches of skin and can appear most anywhere on the body. There are several types of psoriasis, and some require nothing more than taking a prescription pill. As long as you remember to t...

I love shoes. Shoes can really dress up or down and outfit, just the way you want! Having arthritis, or just chronic pain, can make finding good shoes really difficult. It's taken years, but I've finally found ways of coping. Years of wearing ugly, clunky shoes that are so comfortable or pretty shoes that hurt like no tomorrow have gave way to finding great shoes. It just takes a little effort, but here are my shoe rules. 1. If you are able to, invest in your work and dress shoes. This is most important for women, as the two types of shoes can often be one of the same. Heels may not be possible for everyone, but some women actually can: They just need a very thick, small heel and a well made shoe. Consider saving for a quality pair of shoes that will last, give your feet support and most importantly give you confidence. 2 . Get proper shoe equipment. Get arches if your doctor recommends them, especially if your feet are flat. You don't need to spend a fortune on gettin...