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

  My husband has been studying herbal medicine. He believes the medicine the Indians and settlers used is the key to treating today's health issues.   I am not certain of my position on the subject, but I am willing to be open minded.    Today he and my son collected spicebush twigs, leaves, and berries. They made a tea with these. It smells amazing. Our house smells amazing after steeping the tea.   I did some research, which I will provide a link to below. This article is very informative and interesting. Siteing actual cases of using Spicebush. https://thegreenfarmacygarden.com/2017/04/03/spicebush-ethnobotany-and-division-of-the-flower-sexes/   I'll update after we do our trial use of the Spicebush tea.   Gentle hugs, friends. Comment and subscribe at the top of my main page.

  Last night as I lay in bed trying to get to sleep, my feet were burning and my ankles ached. I have Peripheral Neuropathy. My neurologist prescribed Gabapentin about 3 years ago and has increased my dosage as needed.    I had an appointment with my neurologist last month. I told her my neuropathy symptoms are worsening, keeping me awake at night and causing me to fall more frequently. The doctor explained she could increase my Gabapentin, but the side effects would also increase. My main side effect being sleepiness during the daytime. If that side effect would hit me at nighttime it would be the perfect solution to my problems. Alas, no luck there. After telling her I certainly didn't need more daytime sleepiness, she said Lyrica might be an option. Of course, I have saw the advertisements on television for Lyrica. My doctor told me I would need to discontinue the Gabapentin before beginning Lyrica. Therein lies the problem, my Gabapentin also helps control...

 When I am in the sun my arm gets a raised, hot to touch, red rash that burns. Does anyone experience this? Is this related to ankylosing spondylitis? Comments welcomed. Please click follow to join me.

 I have been dedicating my blog to ankylosing spondylitis awareness, but I have several other diagnoses as well. I believe while AS is my main fight, these other diseases aren't making it easy for me to keep fighting. Today I want to share one of the other enemies of my body.   It all began in my childhood. I can remember as an 8 year old crying with back pain. My aunt babysat me daily while my parents worked. She was an older lady, the kind who tells all those intriguing tales of the good ole days. My aunt was born in 1918, she was in her 60s when I was a child. I guess I equated her to a grandmother, since a majority of my grandparents passed away before I was born.  My aunt told my parents I needed to see a doctor about my severe back pain. Mom and dad were tobacco farmers, with a few cattle, plus they worked on a job 40 hours a week. They stayed so busy they really didn't see me very much. I mean I slept in their home, but I was dropped at my aunt's house when I wa...

  Click....click....click....  This is the sound that followed me while walking through the mall last Friday. At first I didn't even notice the sound. I was using my cane which I hadn't used in a couple months.   Let me back up and start from the beginning.   My husband and I took a small vacation last week. We left on our adventure on Wednesday morning. It was a 4.5 hour drive. By the time we arrived at the campground, I was completely wiped out. Of course, we had to go purchase groceries for our stay, so no rest for the weary. I tried to rush through the grocery store but being in a store you're unfamiliar with can be frustrating. Why is every WalMart laid out different? They're about as confusing to navigate through them, as it is when they change their Great Value labels right after I became accustomed to the old label.   After we finished grocery shopping and returned to our cabin, we tried relaxing. By that time I am hurting in multiple areas. B...

  I am really not looking forward to today.....   Anyone suffering from AS knows when we overdo ourselves, we end up hurting more and dealing with extreme fatigue. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days.   My husband and I are leaving in the morning for a much needed vacation. Today I have to pack, shop for groceries for my sons, clean the house, and take my mom to urgent care for a possible UTI. After all these years you would think I would know better than to procrastinate until the last day. Oh well, I'll tackle one thing at a time.   If I don't make it to the grocery store it'll be okay, the boys will survive. My oldest son already suggested I could leave money and they'd eat out each night! I don't see that happening haha.   It is so nice that our kids are old enough to take care of themselves, the house, and the dog. Plus they will keep an eye on my mom also. I absolutely loved having little kids, one of my greatest joys, but having th...

  As I face the day ahead I like to start out with a smile. Things seem to go better when I smile.   Therefore, I thought I'd share a little laugh with you. My life can be a bit strange and I tend to have strange experiences. An example would be my former job where I was a worm counter. Yes, you heard right I counted nightcrawlers, mealworms, etc all day for 3 years. I'll explain that further in a later post. Somehow strangeness just finds me....lol.   Today I want to tell you about my odd Walmart experience. Last winter I was at Walmart with my mom. We always have a weekly Walmart trip together. On this certain day, my mom went on over to get groceries while I went to the pharmacy. As an ankylosing spondylitis patient I spend a good deal of time at my Walmart pharmacy. That day I chat with the pharmacy employees, pick up my meds, and head over toward groceries.   I am taking my time looking at this and that. I cut down a less crowded aisle near ladies pajamas....