Since I had a stomach virus last week and now some kind of illness with a headache, fatigue, sore throat and coughing, my Rheumatologist would not allow me to have my Humira shot. When you feel this sick, not getting pain relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis is not in any way, shape or form, fun.
This means that on top of feeling sick, I am also starting to feel the joint pain in my hips, fingers, ankles and wrists. That’s where I get the RA pain the most. I went from sleeping constantly just a few days ago to having trouble sleeping because of the pain. Since I’m so used to getting Humira, it is difficult to readjust to hurting again.
I’m going for blood work and a chest x-ray today so my Primary doctor can check on how I’m doing. I’m on an antibiotic because of being on immunosuppressants so I hope to be better soon.
I’ll be using my pain relief techniques that I wrote about before because I’m really feeling badly now. I know it will pass soon though.
Have you ever had that feeling that you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? Those of us with chronic illnesses or late in life disabilities may have to make a career change, even though we don’t want to do so. If we’re easily fatigued we may be unable to work at a job that requires long hours any more. If we are on immunosuppressants we may not be able to work in a hospital any more. If we have severe arthritis we may not be able to work as a dental technician any more.
Of course there are exceptions to every rule. People are resilient and with adaptions many people can return to their old jobs. I am the last person that would say that someone with a disability can’t do something!
But in those cases where it would be detrimental to your health and well being, a job change may be required. Since I’ve been disabled I’ve learned that people in this position, me included, turn to home based business.
Working from home can be very helpful because you can work at your own pace and do stop when you can’t work due to feeling unwell. My blogging business is just perfect for me.
Kelly McCausey offers one of many ways to earn money from home in her Guide to Writing for Pay. You can also contact me for information on blogging.
It is really, really is annoying that when you get sick when you’re already sick, that it takes longer to get better, from the new sickness because of the old sickness(es). It is also really irritating that sometimes it’s hard to tell what sickness you get sick, when you are already sick with another sickness.
I’m in the mood for a good laugh so I can get out of this nasty mood I’m in right now. I’m going to search for something funny to share with you. Hopefully this will help you when you need it too.
Chronic pain is often a big part of chronic illnesses. People with Fibromyalgia, arthritis, RSD. neuropathy, migraines, and many other diseases have pain as a symptom. It is so difficult to put into words what it is like to feel pain every day of your life. To hurt all or most of the time, and still function is so difficult that some people cannot get through without narcotics.
If you feel the effects of the narcotic drugs, like fatigue, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion then you are most often unable to do things like drive, go shopping, take part in social activities, etc. You are not hurting but your life is severely changed for the worse.
I will not ever put down people who need pain medication. I have been at that point in my life and I can empathize. I do want to say though that I no longer use pain meds. After realizing that I was missing so much of my life being in a daze I talked to my doctor and said I needed to find a different way to cope.
I now take medications that ease my pain but are not narcotics. I have learned to stretch my muscles to ease tension and pain. I avoid things, as much as possible that cause me to hurt or I work around them. My mental attitude toward pain has changed dramatically too. Instead of focusing on it, I now keep my mind occupied on other things.
Please understand that I still hurt and it can get very bad still. There are times that I do call my doctor for a prescription for pain meds. I’m not saying that anyone should suffer. I do suggest that if you along with your doctor agree that you can try to find a new way to cope, then go for it!
I look at it this way - My life is full of memories on tape drives. I don’t want to miss out on them because I”m too zonked to take part in them or remember them. I want to be a part of everything that life gives me. I hurt a lot. It has become a part of my life. If it gets worse I deal with it. If it’s my “normal” stuff I just keep on going. I want to live my life to the fullest!
As much as I love people who have chronic illnesses like me and can understand their need to continue doing as much as they can as long as they can, there does come a time when you have to call it quits. I am stubborn and don’t like to give in so I can sympathize with people who don’t want to use a can or a walker. I understand when someone wants to do their own housework even if they pay for it after. Yes I get it… up until the point where you are going to hurt other people with your decisions and actions.
If you are too sick to drive, please talk to your doctor about it. Talk to your family and really consider the consequences of your actions. Just because you have a driver’s license and auto insurance doesn’t mean it’s OK to put your and other people’s lives in danger.
I’ve seen people with vision problems, with arthritis so bad they can’t turn their neck, with MS so bad they are unable to move quickly enough still driving. Think of what may happen and act on it.
I was in Physical Therapy for the fourth time in about 18 months. I’d have pain in my hip, then my knee and ankle, my back, etc. I’d end up either unable to finish or finish PT without improvement. It was getting to be quite annoying to me.
This time the Physical Therapist I met with looked over my chart very well. He did a good examination and asked me a lot of questions. When I told him about my frustration with the whole process he looked directly in my eyes and said that he understood. He explained that it was going to be difficult to learn the best way to treat me, but that was what he and his team were gong to do.
I felt a bit more at ease after that first day. When I met with my Therapy Aide, she knew she couldn’t use heat because of the Myasthenia Gravis. Heat would weaken my muscles. She knew to not do repetitive movements for the same reason. They were paying attention to my needs and I was pleased.
As I got to know the Physical Therapist who saw me every two weeks, we were able to joke around as he determined if the therapy was helping me or not. One day he told me that I was a “Fruit Salad”. What? He explained that when someone has multiple chronic illnesses it makes diagnosis of what causes pain and how to treat it complicated.
We had a good laugh over his description. I knew he wasn’t being demeaning. As a matter of fact I liked what he said. It explains a lot of things about me and I believe other people like me. When we have more than one one chronic illness our symptoms can overlap. We, as well as our doctors and other medical personnel can have trouble determining what illness is causing what problem on what day.
It’s a puzzle at times. It can be aggravating and frustrating. But we can choose to take it in stride. We can work with our doctors, have a positive outlook and even laugh about it. Fruit salad anyone?
As much as I love people who have chronic illnesses like me and can understand their need to continue doing as much as they can as long as they can, there does come a time when you have to call it quits. I am stubborn and don’t like to give in so I can sympathize with people who don’t want to use a can or a walker. I understand when someone wants to do their own housework even if they pay for it after. Yes I get it… up until the point where you are going to hurt other people with your decisions and actions.
