Living with an autoimmune disease is not easy. While there are some days I can forget about it (a little) there are annoying reminders that I do have it. My husband bought me a giant jar of grapefruit which I love, as there is no added sugar and it’s easier on my hands than cutting up a grapefruit-or so I thought. When I tried to open it the other day, it wouldn’t budge. I fussed with it for a bit and then gave up, rather than have pain in my hand.
Despite the biologics I’m on, I still wake up with numbness in my hands and feet each day. My labs show my disease is actually “good”. The doc says this daily pain is normal, as long as it subsides in 15-20 minutes. Actually, there is nothing “normal” about having RA. I don’t recall a time when I have been without pain. I guess that is why it’s called a chronic disease. I manage the pain, but there is always an underlying feeling. I try not to think about it, but one of the possible side effects of my medication is lymphoma, the disease that killed my mother. I don’t obsess about it. Hell, if I did I’d never get out of bed. I’m doing better than a lot of people, I don’t have joint damage, etc., but I do have a chronic illness with no known cure. I am really hoping the stem cell therapy comes through. It would mean so much to not have to be on meds that can cause even more harm to your body.
I exercise, but must be mindful of my movement. Case in point, if I have an overzealous Zumba class, I pay for it later that night, with intense pain & numbness in the balls of my, arches, etc. I ice, elevate, rest. I won’t stop this activity, as it’s the one time during the day I’m not made aware that I have RA. I can lose myself in the music and dance steps. My flare was so bad yesterday, I could only grip with my right hand. You don’t realize how many doors you encounter on a daily basis until you have pain opening them.
It’s important, though, to keep moving. It’s not just physically healthy, but mentally healthy as well :-)