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

My last post was a while ago, in it I promised my next would be about my nephew's dog. He was the reason my sister was not inside her home when it caught on fire. Did he know something terrible was about to happen? I think he did, I consider him a hero.     First, let me give you some information about this remarkable dog. About 6 or 7 years ago my nephew moved into his own home. He decided he wanted to get a dog as a companion. My nephew loves the outdoors, so he wanted a dog that he could take for runs in the park, as well as, take on hunting trips. My nephew researched different breeds and finally settled on the breed called Vizsla. He traveled across 3 states to go pick up his new best buddy. After meeting this little reddish brown bundle of energy, he decided he'd name him, "Max". Max was a handful as he grew into an adult dog. He reminded me of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, because he bounced and bounced wherever he went. Once he was a grown dog, he was so heavy...

   Three weeks ago, I received a call from my mom telling me my sister had a small accident. Immediately my mind thought she meant a motor vehicle accident. Mom quickly explained it was actually an accident involving fire. My sister's home was on fire. Mom didn't seem too have many details. Later I learned my sister asked her daughter-in-law to call mom and not tell mom how bad things really were. Mom is 82 years old and we try to shelter her from worries, she's had enough over the years. I called my sister as soon as I hung up with mom. My sister was crying and said she couldn't talk. I asked if she was ok, with voice cracking between sobs she said "no". I told her I'd be right there. Unfortunately, we live 40 - 45 minutes away, so it's not a quick trip. My oldest son told my mom where I was going, and of course, she wanted to ride along. We headed out, not sure of what we'd find. I drove the interstate in silence, mom and I both lost in thought a...

  I'm wondering if you've ever felt the kind of pain that cuts you to your core. I'm not talking about Ankylosing Spondylitis pain. We deal with it in one form or another daily. I'm speaking of emotional pain. The hurtful pain that makes your heart ache. I've experienced some painful emotions in my 46 years but there are a few that stands out as the worst.   Sometimes I wonder do the people who inflected those wounds know how deeply they hurt me. I think some probably realize, but then there are others who may be oblivious. How can someone hurt you deeply and not realize? I think they must be very self absorbed individuals. I try to always be respectful of other's feelings. However, being human means sometimes we all make mistakes. Sometimes you might say something that was meant one way but taken a complete different way. I have worried when I think I might have offended someone. Literally, I can't sleep from worrying about it. My grandfather passed away ...

  Have you ever found out something about someone close to you that shook you to your core? Something that blindsided you? Something that the hurt is so severe you will feel it for the rest of your life? Something that feels like a knife going through your heart?   If your answer to the above questions is "no", I hope you never experience that kind of pain. However, I dare say there are more who have been there than not. If you have love, friendship, or really any kind of relationship you probably have experienced at least some degree of this hurt.   Why do I bring this subject up you ask; the hurt I described above can be devastating to us with autoimmune diseases. The deep hurt suffered in our emotional health spurs our disease to kick into high gear. Ankylosing Spondylitis looks for opportunities to strengthen it's hold on our bodies.    Some may say, I am fortunate because I can count the number of times I've had this deep hurt on one hand. One of my ...

Yesterday was my yearly checkup. I always dread going for it but I love my doctor. She helped me through some of the lowest times in my life. She delivered all three of my children. After my third child, I slipped into a deep, dark, postpartum depression. My doctor isn’t like typical doctors, who never share their vulnerabilities. In her past she has had two nervous breakdowns. Some people in my community, ask how can you trust a doctor who has such a history? Thankfully, there is a lot of people in our community who views her breakdowns as I do. It’s a strength in my opinion, my dr doesn’t try to hide her struggles. She is not a robot. Life and issues affect her just as it does her patients. She has no problem sitting and really talking to her patients. She doesn’t only read her patients medical charts, she knows their families and cares. When I experienced my postpartum depression, she sat and listened to all my worries and fears. She wasn’t like my family members who said, “S...