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

   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 don't know if other Ankylosing Spondylitis fighters experience worsening symptoms during cold weather, but I certainly do. For several weeks my left hip has been keeping awake at night. I can not lay on my left side due to the pain. Which leads me to try to sleep on my right side all night. Some nights my right hip feels like it may start hurting and I turn to my back. However if I sleep on my back very long, my lower back feels like it ceases up. Plus as an embarrassing side note, I snore horribly if I sleep on my back. At least that's what my husband tells me. Another incentive to not sleep on my back.   The other day a friend called, I told her how bad my hip was hurting. She said "oh, so you can't walk with it hurting so bad''. I told her actually I can walk, it's the only thing that helps the pain. She seemed confused. I can't explain it myself. It really doesn't make sense to me either. When the pain gets to a 9.5 on a 10 scale, I can no...

  I slept really good last night. I haven't slept good in quite a while. I know fellow ankylosing spondylitis sufferers know exactly what I go through during the night. I've been off my biologic medicine for weeks now, the pain and stiffness increases the longer I am off of it. My hips are the current problem area. Whichever hip I am laying on wakes me with searing pain. I do what I call a roll onto my other side, but anyone seeing this process would call it anything other than a roll. I have to lift the top half of my body as high as possible then twist and slide to maneuver onto my other side. I always worry, I will wake my husband as I perform this feat of uncoordinated movement.   This morning when I woke, the very first thought I had was "no hip pain". I think after you've experienced pain for many days or weeks, you appreciate the "pain free" days hundred times more.   I am still awaiting my quantiferon TB test results so I can begin Cosentyx. ...