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

  Here we are halfway through February already. As I get older it seems the years pass quicker.   Unfortunately, this new year has not began well. I experienced a change in my health insurance January 1, 2019. This normally might not be problematic, but if you are on biologic medications it can be a nightmare. With my prior insurance company, I was only allowed to receive 1 prefilled Cosentyx per month. Therefore, when the new year with the new insurance began I had no Cosentyx.   First thing I did was try calling my new insurance company, epic fail. I was on hold for 48 minutes waiting for my call to be answered. When a customer representative finally answered, she was clueless. I asked her who they used to fill specialty medications for their members. She had never even heard of a "specialty" medication. I explained it was a medication that has to be shipped to me because regular pharmacies do not carry it. She seemed perplexed. Finally after several minutes, she to...

     I am looking into other options to help my family's financial situation. I know with my ankylosing spondylitis I am at a disadvantage. I am unable to perform the types of jobs I have held in the past. I currently have a part time job, which allows me to pick my own hours and days. It is perfect because if I am experiencing too much pain on one day, I can simply work another day. However, this job may be coming to an end soon. I hope things work out and I can continue with my current position, but I do not want to wait and be left with no income. Hence, I have been scouring the web and asking opinions from friends about jobs they think I might be able to handle with my health issues. It hasn't been an easy task.     Where can someone with ankylosing spondylitis, scoliosis, osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, and fibromyalgia get hired? Good question, huh? Yes, I know some people don't disclose their health issues to employers, but how can I not since the...

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...