Hokey Pokey

I realize that the Navy life involves the Sea. But I don't like it when it involves unnecessary torture. 


Right now, his ship is out on a Fleet Week Tour. Everyone who has ever been associated with Navy life knows what that means.


So he is out now, scheduled to be gone for a several weeks. Well after stop #1 was complete, his ship has to come by VA to get to their next stop. They have plenty of time, so the ship puts out a vote to see if they pull in for the night, or not. 
We all know they are not really going to pull in. The fuel costs are astronomical for a pull in and pull out. Why waste that money when the ship needs other things. 
I got that part, but why get everyone's hopes up that they may get to go home and sleep in their bed for one night?
To me that is just mean. 


Due to my health issues, I have a lot going on right now, and it is just not a good time for him to be away from me. So the fact that the Navy was teasing his whole ship that they may get to go home for a day was just MEAN!  

A Medicated Life ....

I wish I could say that my medicated life was full of narcotics and happy pills and that all my medications were wonderful. However, that is not the case. 
Since starting to see my Rheumatologist, he has been on the "wait and see" approach. I guess he wants my blood work to show astronomical levels, or he wants my body to show astronomical damage. Since I am in the beginning, it is not going to be that way. 
So after months of going to the Rheumatologist over and over, and never getting a prescription for anything, he has finally started me on the intro medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I'm on Azulfidine. I had never heard of it. But it is not as strong as the others. The medication given for Rheumatoid Arthritis are basically like chemo drugs and they are very very dangerous and come with an enormous amount of side affects. 
I'm probably just as afraid of the side affects as I am the disease. 

A Life Of Pain ....

Every morning of my life starts the same way .... In Pain. My RA sort of "locks up" and causes my joints to swell and ache. It seems to be worse in the morning when I have done something physical the day before. If I go to a theme park, or ride my bike, or something as simple as walk the dog I wake up worse than if I had a day of nothing.

I've learned a few little things that help me like taking breaks. Something as simple as housecleaning, I have to take breaks. I run the vacuum, take a break, do the dishes, take a break, fold the laundry, take a break. It takes me forever to get anything done, but I have to do it this way.

"You don't look sick" or "You brought this on yourselfy  with your weight"
If I had a dollar every time I heard one of those, I would be rich.
RA is not caused by weight, diet, or lifestyle. Skinny people get it, kids get it, old people get it, marathon runners get it.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an AutoImmune Disease.
My body is attacking itself. 30% of people with RA end up with another autoimmune disease such as FibroMyalgia or Lupus. 10% of people with RA end up with all 3, RA, Fibro and Lupus.

Why would I ask for this?
No, I don't think it is cool to have a disease. No, I did not create it to have an excuse.
I simply went to the doctor to find out why I was in such constant pain and why my feet and hands swell and hurt every morning.

I am so tired of people acting like I have created this, or I just want an excuse, or I am just a drama queen.
My body aches and hurts all day everyday. I did not ask for this, I do not want this.

I am really tired of people constantly "preaching" to me that I should change my diet and increase my physical activity and my fake disease would go away and I would feel better.
Trust me, If the cure for RA was to eat nothing but celery and run 5 miles a day, I WOULD DO IT!
Running is only going to make me worse, and although I like celery, it isn't the cure for RA.

So please, Have a little respect for people who have something they cannot control.
You live your life your way, and I will live mine.