Welcome To My New Life Fighting A Disease I've Never Heard Of Before....... Ankylosing Spondylitis

Hello again! I haven't posted in a while due to several reasons. Since I am sitting here resting, I thought I would give you a quick update. Health wise: I had an upper respiratory infection in June. While the antibiotics cleared the URI up quickly, trying to get my insurance to pay the doctor has been a headache. It is in appeals right now. I may go into detail in a later post. About 3 weeks ago my left leg became very red, itchy, and burned. I have had cellulitis in the past, but this was not the same. In the end, I discovered I have folliculitis. I am currently on pill antibiotics plus an antibiotic ointment.  Since I have this infection, my doctors have advised me to postpone my Cosentyx injection until it clears. The longer I am off of it, the worse I am feeling. I've had to begin using my cane again because my back pain has been severe. Family wise: My daughter and son in law, who are both teachers, moved to new classrooms. We helped clean, paint, and decor...

Christmas shopping is the last thing I want to think about on this beautiful autumn day. However, last Christmas I made a promise to myself that I would do all my shopping and wrapping early. Normally I procrastinate until Christmas Eve for last minute gifts, wrapping, and food prep. Last year taught me a great lesson on not putting off work until the last minute. It was December 24, 2016, my husband was off from work and my kids were home. I had my day all planned out. My intention was to sleep in a little later to hopefully give myself a boost to face the holiday hecticness. Of course my unwelcome enemy, Ankylosing Spondylitis, had other plans for me. I woke with my hips in such severe pain it felt like someone jabbed knifes in each hip joint. I slowly made it through my morning. The stiffness I feel in the morning lasted longer that day. I chalk that up to the stress of the holidays. One thing I have learned the hard way is stress can cause flares. Anyhow, I had put the turkey in...