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...

  Fall is here finally! It seems like it's been so hot for so long, I couldn't handle being outside for very long. These cooler days are definitely a welcomed relief from the heat. So why does my pain levels have to increase every fall? I began to notice this trend a few years ago. It is disheartening because fall and spring has always been my favorite times of the year. Those two seasons are when the temperatures are just right for me to enjoy the outdoors.  I used to love traveling through the mountains to look at the beautifully colored leaves. I'd have my husband and kids get out of the vehicle with me at every scenic overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I miss those days. As my Ankylosing Spondylitis has worsened I haven't been able to travel as much or as far as I once did. Sitting for extended periods in a vehicle makes it almost impossible for me to move. It's as if my body seizes up if I don't keep it in motion.   I was talking to some friends the ot...

   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...

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...

  When will I learn not to overdo myself at work? I know I have to pace myself. The reason I am working my current job is so I can have a very flexible schedule. I have experienced the fatigue and pain from pushing my body.   I know how my body responds, so why did I push myself yesterday? I was looking forward to a 3 day weekend with my husband and kids. I worked about 30 minutes yesterday morning and was feeling very weak and tired. I tried to focus on one area at a time, hoping this would help me get through the tired, weak feeling. I sat down a few times to rest. I kept thinking I would complete one more area and then I'd return today to finish the job. However, the thought of having to leave my husband and kids a second time in our weekend, made me want to finish while I was there.   By the time I finished and returned home, I was so weak I had to sit in my car in our driveway to rest. I physically could not walk inside when I arrived at home. Also, I had sweated...

  Last Wednesday I did something I have not did in years. Two of my children and I went for a long, leisurely walk in our town. We don't live inside our town limits but we are there at least 2-3 times a week. However, on those weekly trips it's for business or grocery shopping. Those trips are focused on the task at hand. We don't take time to enjoy the beauty of our little town.   I think I am not alone in feeling life gets too busy. I know when I was working full time, all I did was get up, go to work, get off work, come home, fix supper, spend a couple hours with my family and then do it all over the next day. There were days my son would have an after school activity and that made the day even more hectic. Also with my ankylosing spondylitis there were days where I came home literally exhausted and went straight to bed. I am fortunate my mother lives beside me so on my worst days she would fix my son supper. On some of those days when I was overwhelmed with fatigue, I...

  If you follow my blog, you know I haven't written in a while. Life has been a sort of whirlwind for the last few months. I have felt drained and fatigued trying to keep up.      In March, I began searching for some type of supplemental work to help our family. I was denied social security disability due to not having enough work credits. However, being denied benefits based on work credits does not mean I am not disabled. That's where the system is unfair, I am not able to work due to my ankylosing spondylitis, hence I am not able to earn enough work credits. It's just one of those crazy scenarios. Our family was struggling between buying groceries or paying for my medical bills. When you only have $11 to spend on groceries, you have to get creative.   I knew based on my previous job, it didn't matter whether I sat or stood. I would experience stiffness and pain with my ankylosing spondylitis. I also had tried only working half days but still suffered a...