My Miracle (Shhhh...we don't want to jinx it!)

     One Small Pill=Giant Difference

On August 14, 2013, my life changed for the better. That is the day I went to see my family doctor. If she were here right now, I think I would kiss her. She did something, actually two things: a) she listened; and b) she prescribed something that finally worked on my arthritis.

Almost three years ago I began having painful hands. Then painful feet, shoulders, wrists and elbows. On top of a bad back, somewhere along the line I developed a bad neck.  Some of this stuff I assume starts happening as we age. I am in my mid 40's. But why do I feel like I'm in my mid 80's? My Dad was 86 when he died and he stayed active his whole life. I don't know how he did it.

After a few appointments, my doctor thought perhaps it was Rheumatoid Arthritis. The pain was symmetrical, it went away when I went on prednisone and I had low grade fevers.  I've been through three Rheumys and several different meds to relieve symptoms. Plaquenil, prednisone, methotrexate, cymbalta and tramadol. Some made me sick, some did nothing and the tramadol actually takes the edge off. Blood tests and X-rays reveal nothing. Docs tell me that some people don't test positive for the RH factor (seronegative). It still means we don't really know what I have.  The past few months I have been bothered mostly by the fatigue. I work in a law office and I began taking two hour lunches so I could go home and sleep. I was falling asleep at work.

After complaining to one of my friends about not being able to clean my house or go to any social events on the weekends because I was so exhausted and in pain from working all week, she gave me a pill. She said it would help me have some energy to get some things done. Its name: Vyvanse. She took it for ADHD.  I am not advocating sharing prescription medications, but I was desperate. Desperate people do desperate things. I took the pill and it did what she said it would. I had the energy to do my housework I had neglected for so long. After about two hours, I noticed something. I. had. NO. pain. Zero. Zilch. Nada. For the first time in almost three years, I was pain free. Well, I thought it was a fluke. A couple weeks go by and I am feeling worse and more fatigued than ever. I go to see my GP and talk to her about my meds. I am hesitant to tell her about what I discovered for fear she would think I was a drug seeker. I had nothing to lose, so I told her. She said she was going to prescribe something for the fatigue anyway, so why not try it.

I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but so far I have been not only virtually pain free but the fatigue is gone. I do wake up with sore stiff hands. I eat breakfast and take two tramadol and one Vyvanse and within an hour the pain/stiffness is gone.  Pain is gone from wrists, shoulders and elbows. I still have pain in the balls of my feet if I am on them for any length of time. I still need to wear my Sketcher Shape-ups to work. I was taking six tramadol a day and now I am taking three.

I can't tell you how excited I am! I just hope it lasts. There are some side effects.  Loss of appetite. I don't know why this is a problem...I am at least 30lbs over weight, so another bonus. Also, I have been compulsively chewing the inside of my lips. I can deal with it.  One pill lasts all day, so much so that I have to take a melatonin to get to sleep.  I no longer need to take a nap in the middle of the day.  What I am trying to say is I AM ME AGAIN. I am the me before arthritis stole so many things.

I will write about my progress or lack thereof. I hope you will come on this journey with me. Discovery is so much more when it is shared.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. I know I will enjoy mine :)

Goodbyes

Lady

Saying Goodbye

Life is full of good-byes, and I've had more than my share for sure.  I said goodbye to my mom when I was 17, my sister when I was 36 and my dad at 38.  On June 27th, we said goodbye to a beloved family pet.  Her name was Lady and she was a part of our family for 16 years.  She was more than a good dog, she was the best.  Smart, playful, obedient and patient...she was all those things and more.  She will be missed by everyone who knew her, especially by our other dog Josie. Josie is lost without her and is not the same dog as she was before. Time will heal her as it will us. We will never forget her, she gave us many good years and much love.

Living with RA (if that is even what I have) has forced me to say many good-byes.  I have had to say goodbye to my lifestyle.  I used to like to get together with friends on the weekends with my hubby and have a few drinks and even more laughs.  Now, I am so exhausted from working all week that all I end up doing on the weekend is sleeping mostly.  I've had to say goodbye to keeping my house clean, which really bugs the crap out of me.  I still do a lot around here, but nothing like I used to.  For the first time this year I did not take my curtains down and wash them or get all the windows washed.  I'm sure most of you can identify with that.  I know a lot of people have it much worse than me and are unable to work at all.  I am lucky, but sometimes I must admit I have a pity party for one and let the tears fall.  

Basically I've had to say goodbye to who I was.  It sucks.  I used to be a fun person and now I just want to stay home and rest all the time.  My hubby and I barely do anything together any more.  I just don't feel up to going anywhere most of the time.  He has had to say goodbye to who is wife was.  Hopefully, the doctors will find the right meds for me and I will begin again to resemble the person I once was.

I hope everyone had a terrific Fourth of July! I did go down to our park and watch the fireworks.  They were absolutely fantastic.  My hometown usually doesn't disappoint in that area. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some beauty this summer.

Gentle Hugs!

        

RA: One Woman's Battle

RA/RD How I Keep the Disease From Taking Over

      A wonderful woman who also happens to have Rheumatoid Disease (Arthritis) writes a very informative, enlightening blog called rawarrior.com.  It is a community of fellow RA/RD sufferers who want to vent, scream, cry and help one another. Kelly Young facilitates this blog and she is nothing short of amazing. Anyway, she wanted us to write a little something regarding our journey with this disease and how we cope.

      People who aren't afflicted with this disease would probably be surprised by how much most of us suffer. They would be surprised because most of us don't like to complain. For the most part, we are silent sufferers. It is one of the reasons why Kelly's site is so wonderful. We can bitch and complain as much as we want to one another and know that everyone gets it. It is such a relief to know that you aren't alone, because that's how most of us feel. We feel like people don't understand and quite honestly, most don't. So, what do I do when my feet, hands, shoulders, neck and/or back are making me want to scream and cry?  Well...

Buns for Easter

      If I'm not feeling too fatigued, I like to cook. I put my kitchen radio on, get out my cook book and get busy.  I have to make sure I have taken something for pain otherwise my hands don't do well with chopping. Hopefully, there is a good tune on (I'm currently enjoying Will.i.a.m. and Britney's "Scream and Shout") and I will turn it up and move a little while I'm prepping the food. Cooking for my family always makes me feel better. I guess because I'm good at it and it makes me feel great when I see them enjoying what I've prepared.  In the past few months I have started eating healthier so I have been experimenting with different foods.

      I crotchet.  I'm not terribly good...or fast for that matter, but I love to do it. It's good for my hands up to a point. I can only do it for short periods of time like maybe an hour. I feel so accomplished when I finish a project, which usually takes me about a year to do an afghan. I can't blame it all on the RA either; I am a HUGE procrastinator. Good out of the gate but then I lose interest and stop working on it for awhile. I'm currently working on an afghan for my oldest son. Hopefully I finish it before he turns 30 (he's 27 now).

      I take my medication and try to eat as healthy as I can. This is still a learning process for me and I'm not saying I don't ever eat junk, because I do occasionally.  I quit smoking after 30 years. It's been about 6 months and I am very proud of myself for doing it finally. I try to stay ahead of my pain if at all possible so it doesn't become unmanageable. I have to because I work in a law office 37 hours a week and I need to show up and be ready to deal with clients.

     I play with my dogs. It is probably better for me than it is for them. I have two labs and they are wonderful. When I'm really hurting and just want to lay on the couch, sometimes I can't stand looking at their cute little doggie eyes that say, "throw the ball for me mom."  Okay. Just this once.

       One of the best things that I do to keep RA from taking over my life and defining who I am is going to the RA Warriors site. It is such a lifesaver sometimes to be able to vent and share our stories with one another. Thank you Kelly for all you do. I think everyone appreciates you probably more than you know.

       These are some of the things that I do to keep this disease from owning me. As long as I can, I will. I think that will be my new mantra. I hope I never give up or give in to it. I am a strong woman and I refuse to let it define me.

It's Not Easy Being Me

Another week sped by like a comet across the sky, and I am totally exhausted. My joints have been screaming constantly, especially my neck.  My rheumy (rheumatologist) put me on plaquenil again and it is going to take at least four weeks for them to kick in. I could take steroids but I refuse to take them unless I'm absolutely dying.  They make me bloated, puffy and crabby. Sooo not worth it to me. I get down enough without having to get bummed by gaining weight and feeling fat & ugly. I have body issues. I've never, ever liked my body and it doesn't help that I love, love, love to eat.

Speaking of eating, I currently have two addictions.  One is Noosa Yoghurt (and yes, that's the way they spell it).  If you haven't tried it, I can't suggest it strongly enough.  For me, it's like crack. I. have. to. have. it. every. day. Before Noosa, I ate yogurt because I don't eat a lot of fruit and I figured it was good for me. Now I eat it because it is a dreamy, creamy delight and it comes in delicious flavors like strawberry-rhubarb. There are, however, a couple of drawbacks. a) it comes in an 8 oz. container that holds two servings. Really? Two?  Do you think I can stop at half the container??  and b) it is a little pricey at around $2.70/container.  Which I guess isn't terrible if you consider it has two servings (at least for some). My second addiction is rice pudding. I haven't eaten rice pudding since I was a kid. My grandmother used to make it all the time for us. All of a sudden, I'm practically dreaming of the stuff. I had to find some. Lucky for me, they had some at the grocery store right next to the Noosa Yoghurt. Maybe I am craving sweet stuff because I quit smoking five months ago. Wow. I can't believe it's been five months. I'm really not counting days because I have quit so many times I don't want to jinx it. After smoking for 30 years, I'm so glad I've gotten that monkey off my back.  So for those of you out there who are struggling with that addiction, hang in there. Never quit quitting. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. Eventually it will stick. I promise.

To satisfy my new rice pudding crave, I found a very simple yet delicious recipe.

Dreamy, Creamy Rice Pudding

1/2 gallon milk (=8C)
1 C sugar
1 C long grain uncooked rice (I just used Arborio, and it was wonderful)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 C milk
1/4 t salt
2 t vanilla
ground cinnamon to taste

In a large sauce pan over med-low heat, combine 1/2 gallon milk (use whatever milk you like, if you want to go less calories, use 1% or if you want to go all out, use whole), sugar and rice.  Simmer covered for one hour, stirring frequently (it is labor-intensive, but so worth it).  Remove pan from heat and let rest 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine eggs, 1/4 C milk, salt and vanilla.  Stir into rice mixture and return pot to low heat, stirring constantly for two minutes.  Pour into 9x13 inch pan (I used a glass cake pan) and cover with plastic wrap, folding back the corners to allow the steam to escape.

When pudding has cooled to room temp., remove plastic wrap and sprinkle w/cinnamon and wrap tightly with fresh wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

If you are like me, you wont be able to wait. Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm the only one who eats this in my house (my husband and step son won't even try it-their loss), and yet I believe this dish was empty in 5 days. Geez, I can't understand why I'm gaining weight!

Something to Say

Well, this is it. I am going to write. About what, I have absolutely no idea, but I am ready. My name is Marti and I am a 45 year old mother of three boys; two are adults and one is 15 (what a fun age...ugh!). I am married for the second (and last) time. I live in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We are fondly known as "Yoopers."  We are closer to rednecks than hillbillies, but we truly are our own breed. We are hard working, kind, unsophisticated and sometimes a little small minded (I am trying to get people to see things from a better perspective...baby steps though, one at a time). This is a picture of me with two of my boys, David and Jesse. My third son, Tristan is my step son who came to live with his father and I almost two years ago when his mother died. It has been a rough road, but we are coming along.

I have rheumatoid arthritis and I love to cook.  So I am hoping this blog will be a place to find information on arthritis and some good recipes. Whenever I find a good article regarding RA, I will post a link, and I will also try to fill this board with as many delicious recipes as I possibly can!  I have recently gone gluten free (to see if it would help with inflammation) and I am forever on a quest to find good tasting gluten free recipes. If you have one that you would like to share, please contact me.

One of the first places I found when researching RA, is RA Warriors. The author of this blog, Kelly Young is amazing and very informative. Go to this site: http://rawarrior.com/  to learn more. I have found tons of good information and advice there. I was diagnosed about a year and a half ago and since then I have decided to become as proactive in my own health as I can.  I quit smoking last October (that was a tough one as I was a professional quitter and smoked for 30 years), became gluten free two months ago and have recently taken aspartame out of my diet. I'm trying to do whatever I can to feel better on my own because a good rheumatologist is hard to find. In fact, I still haven't found one that I am comfortable with.  Living in the U.P. of Michigan does have some draw backs. One of them is the lack of good doctors. We usually have to travel two hours away to Green Bay, Wisconsin to find a good one. That is a story for another day.

Going gluten free hasn't really helped my pain, but it has made my tummy issues better. No more bloating, constipation and gas. All of these things I thought were just a part of getting older, but not so much I guess. Let me be perfectly honest here, after the first six weeks of absolutely no gluten and not seeing any relief in the pain, I decided that I am not going to be 100% gluten free all of the time.  If this girl wants a regular piece of pizza occasionally, she is going to have it.   That said, let me share with you one of the more delicious things that I have made that is completely gluten free. I came up with this Breakfast Smoothie because I feel like I don't get enough fruit in my diet and it really fills me up and keeps me satisfied while I'm at work until lunch time.   Here it is (the measurements are approximate, as I always just eyeball it):

• 2/3 C muskmelon
• 1/2-3/4 C strawberries (I use frozen in the winter)
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 a container (single serving) Greek yogurt (for the protein factor)
• 3/4-1C vanilla Silk almond 
• 1/4 t vanilla
• one small squeeze of honey (maybe 1/2 t)

Throw all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until it is thoroughly mixed. This is super delicious...I don't mean to brag (okay, I do!), but for someone who doesn't really like fruit this is an awesome way to get some in your diet.

Until next time, eat healthy, pray a lot and love even more!