Exhausted But Good

It has been a crazy two weeks since my last post.  I have been working, mowing, disassembled my motorcycle, traveling, dodging storms and I'm sure a couple of other things that I forgot.  We went to Texas last week for our daughters wedding.  It was a beautiful place and we had a great time.  I have a post about the wedding but I wanted to let my daughter read it first before I post it.  

I continue to do good with my RA, even though it followed me to Texas.  I didn't have much joint pain but the fatigue was a killer while in Texas.  I laid down to take a nap and slept 3 hours, just barely getting up in time to get dressed for the wedding.  The ride back was long and hard on me.  I hate traveling when RA is showing it's ugly side.  Since getting back home and settling back into work mode, it has calmed back down now.  

As I go farther along, I am finding it easier to get along without my nightshades.  The killer for me is potatoes and strawberries.  I love both of these and I doubt I will ever give either of them up completely, but I have been cutting back on them.  I am also starting a post about my nightshade experiment.  

I am going to put my bike back together this afternoon and ... if I still feel as good tomorrow as I do today, I'm going to slip out for a short ride down to Rich Mountain and back.  I am excited over the possibility of sneaking in a ride.   

Acceptance

I received a call from one of my best friends two nights ago.  His wife is just starting her journey with Humira.  This got me started thinking back to when I was diagnosed eight years ago.  There are a wide range of emotions when dealt the blow that you will live your life out with a chronic disease. Acceptance is perhaps the most difficult but the most important to overcome. With acceptance, you not only live better "with" your disease, but you also lose the hopelessness, feeling of unfairness and denial of the disease. You actually put yourself back in control.

Once that is accomplished, that isn't to say that you still won't have moments of anger or frustration, those are to be expected, but you will be much better off once you can.

Acceptance didn't come quickly or easy for me.  I don't imagine that I'll ever be pain free again, I just don't think much about that anymore. I simply take life one day at a time now and be thankful for what I can still do.

My visit with my rheumatologist went well this week.  It took me a little longer than most patients to feel the full effects of Humira.  I am back to working out with weights consistently and walking everyday again.  That in its self will make you feel better.  I am also continuing on my nightshade experiment.  Overall, I feel about as good as I have felt since being diagnosed.